Remember Wile E. Coyote? That mangy rascal, endlessly trying to catch the clever roadrunner? Truth, as usual, is much stranger and more unpredictable than fiction.

In Coyotes, the first book from the Look West Series, nature writer Lauray Yule reveals many surprising facts about Canis latran, whose scientific name translates as “barking dog.” In fact, coyotes were named for an Aztec god. No one really knows the meaning of a coyote’s howl. They rarely eat roadrunner, but do snack on chili peppers (spitting out the seeds!) And, perhaps oddest of all, coyotes are well known to form hunting partnerships with badgers.

With Lauray Yule as your guide, take a look at coyotes in their own habitat. Frolic with coyote pups in their den, and gaze into the “dark-rimmed, golden-yellow eyes that reveal the calculating intelligence and curiosity of a high-order predator.” From Native American legends to salt & pepper shakers, from wilderness to city streets, coyotes seem to be everywhere. Thirty colorful illustrations and photographs show not only the coyote itself, but the culture of the West as it has evolved around and expressed the spirit of this spooky, fascinating, and elusive creature. 64 pp, 6 x 6, hardcover, 32 photos & illustrations

about this author

Lauray D. Yule, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, has worked as a science journalist for more than twenty-five years. A former staff member of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, she belongs to the Board of Directors of the Friends of Saguaro National Park. Ms. Yule lives and writes in Tucson, Arizona. She is an avid traveler, hiker, and caver.