Myth-Busting the Coyote: New Book Exposes the True Lives of Urban Coyotes

SEATTLE, March 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Living with Coyotes: Understanding the Ghost Dogs of Urban America reveals the coyote's secrets and explains the amazing adaptability that allows the species to survive almost anywhere, in almost any conditions. Dr. Stanley Gehrt of the Ohio State University and the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation has studied these remarkable animals in the Chicago area for more than twenty years, tracking them through forest preserves and along rail lines, spotting them on city streets and suburban cul-de-sacs—hiding in plain sight as dozens of people pass by. Along the way, he has created the longest-running coyote study in the world.

In the book, publishing October 24, 2023 by Flashpoint Books, readers will learn what Gehrt and his team have learned (for instance, backyard pets are not a coyote's first choice of food). Individual tales of specific coyotes illuminate their vast capacity to survive right under our noses, such as in the parking lot of Soldier Field.

"Coyotes are the rare wild predators we get to encounter in our daily lives, and I've always found them fascinating. It's been a thrill to work with Dr. Gehrt on this project, and we are so excited to share everything we've learned with our readers," says Flashpoint Books publisher Kristin Mehus-Roe.

The coyote is nature's ultimate underdog—hated, hunted, and harassed throughout its range, derided in both literature and cartoons, and burdened by an undeserved reputation as a pet predator. Yet while North America's other mammalian carnivores have been decimated by development and predator control measures, the coyote thrives. There are more coyotes today than there were when Lewis and Clark first described the shadowy "prairie woolf" (as spelled in their original journals) on their historic expedition. And coyotes have virtually doubled their travel range.

Where are they living? Everywhere. From their original habitat in the deserts of the Southwest to the shores of Maine, coyotes are now in forty-nine US states and every province in Canada. And, increasingly, they are in our backyards.

"For over two decades, we have had the fortune and challenge of conducting one of the most extensive studies of its kind on the most fascinating animal in North America, the coyote," said Dr. Gehrt. "This book is an opportunity to share the results of [the] long hours and hard work of many individuals as we endeavored to learn the stories of coyotes that live among us. But more importantly, it is an opportunity to share those coyote stories with others, to pay tribute to the animal that remains so mysterious and misunderstood."

Ideal for fans of wildlife or canines and a teaching aid for teachers and librarians, Living with Coyotes: Understanding the Ghost Dogs of Urban America is a valuable and entertaining resource. Preorder your copy today.

ABOUT FLASHPOINT

Flashpoint Books™ is a dynamic publishing partner for cultural icons, individuals with influence, and beloved brands. A division of Girl Friday Productions, we are headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Our team members have decades of publishing and digital agency experience, working on luminous bestsellers from licenses including CNN, Spin Master, National Geographic, and Sesame Street. Learn more at GirlFridayProductions.com and FlashpointBooks.com.

CONTACT
Georgie Hockett,
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SOURCE Flashpoint