Creature Feature: Dog Days
Written by: Zach Mork - Instructional Guide at JNC
As we say hello to the school year once more, we also say goodbye to a period known as the “dog days”, a block of days between the months of July and August that are considered to be the point at which summer is hottest. So what does a sweltering summer have to do with a bunch of dogs? Coincidentally, the days occurred during the same time that the star Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, would rise and even remain visible at dawn just before the sun made its full return. Sirius is known as “the dog star” since it makes up part of the constellation Canis Major - The Great Dog. Historically, people believed that the combined energies of the sun and Sirius made things hotter. While that is now disproven with the science of today, the name still stuck. That being said, to honor the end of the dog days, this Creature Feature will highlight the two types of wild canines that can be found in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
Fox
Omnivorous, sneaky, and made popular by Norwegian comedians back in 2013, foxes are a group that make up a large part of what is known as the Canidae family. Some characteristics that all foxes share include flattened skulls, triangular ears, and thick bushy tails. In Michigan, there are two different species of fox: the red fox, and the gray fox.
One of our two state foxes, the red fox is not only the largest fox species, but also currently has the widest global range of any mammal within the Carnivora order, the order of mammals in which meat is a key part to their diet. Easily able to adapt to new environments, these foxes will hunt small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. On the flip side, they could also be hunted by larger canines such as wolves, and eagles.
Our other fox species is the gray fox. Smaller than the red, the gray fox favors a mix of forest and open spaces. In order to escape danger or predators, the gray fox is one of very few canine species that has the ability to climb trees. Other characteristics that set them apart from the red fox include oval pupils, and a U-shaped temporal ridge present when viewing their skull (the red fox is V-shaped). Once upon a time, the gray fox was more common than the red fox throughout the United States. However, as societies advanced into the country and transformed the land, the change became more favorable to the red fox, where it then became the dominant fox species.
Coyote
Larger than the fox but smaller than the wolf, our other canine, the coyote, is very abundant throughout much of North America that live together in packs or family units. Their appearance is dependent on which part of the continent they are being observed. For example, coyotes in northern regions and higher elevations are more likely to have long, thicker hairs, and darker coloration while coyotes in southern and more arid environments have lighter coats with thinner hairs. A coyote's hunting territory varies, but can be as large as over 20 square miles, where they will hunt both small and large mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates.
There is a trick in figuring out if a canine track in the mud or snow came from a dog, or a coyote. If the paw prints in the track appear more elongated and shaped like small ovals, it is likely from a coyote. If the paw prints look more round and the claw marks appear evenly spaced out, the track likely came from a domesticated dog. Give it a try next time you are out on a hike!
Click here to learn more about the fox
Click here to learn more about the coyote