Coyote

Description:

"The color of the coyote's pelt varies from grayish-brown to yellowish-gray on the upper parts, while the throat and belly tend to have a buff or white color. The forelegs, sides of the head, muzzle and paws are reddish-brown. The back has tawny-colored underfur and long, black-tipped guard hairs that form a black dorsal stripe and a dark cross on the shoulder area. The black-tipped tail has a scent gland located on its dorsal base. Coyotes shed once a year, beginning in May with light hair loss, ending in July after heavy shedding." ~wiki

Habitat:

Found throughout North American and Central America. Once hunted extensively, coyote populations are now doing very well even among a large spread human population.

Notes:

"Mange is a serious skin infection caused by parasites. These parasites take any warm-blooded animal as their host, and cause serious skin irritation. Coyotes are particularly vulnerable to parasites due to their dirty living conditions and frequent malnutrition." Mange occurs when a coyote is infested with a particular kind of mite. Demodectic and sarcoptic mites are parasites that build tunnels in an animal's skin. They use these tunnels for feeding, breeding and laying eggs. This process leads to serious skin irritation. Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_6620463_mange-...