A pair of coyotes I spotted from a gravel road some yrs back. They are almost 1/2 mile away from where I took their picture. Pic was taken late January if I recall? I've watched a few pair of coyotes dig or cleanout a den hole. From what I could tell based on (size alone). I believe both instances, it was the male that did most of the digging. I also happen to believe. It is the female who picks out & initiates the digging. Then the male takes over the digging. Like the Red Fox. Both canines may take over an old badger den or ground hog den hole. Otherwise they dig their own. A few times out on a field 1/4 mile plus. I've found what I call "digs". Where a coyote or Red Fox. Will start to dig a den hole from scratch. Then suddenly abandon that dig. Then start another dig a few feet away. Sometimes it is easy to sort out. What critter initially dug a dig or a den hole. By looking at the very top edge of that hole. To see if it looks like an inverted V. That inverted V on the top edge. Is indicative of a canine dig. From what I've seen of both canine digs & den holes. Fox dens I have seen. Typically the maximum height of the hole is roughly 10-12" in height. Coyote den holes are typically a bit taller. Around 14" on average in height.
Finished digging their den hole
- Thread starter medic joe
- Start date
DoubleLungRage
Well-known member
That's a cool pic.
By the time I got my camera on them. The male? had already exited the hole & sat down. I did have another pic. Showing another male deep in a den hole slinging out dirt. Like all get out. Canines tend to sling out dirt straight away from the entrance hole. Whereas, badgers, push the dirt out from all angles. Not always, but generally they do. One Red Fox den. Had 11 holes. 1 entrance hole & all of the rest were exits holes. When a male Red Fox brings his kills to an active den site. Almost always, he will drop his kill at the entrance hole. I found that an interesting behavior. By the way Red Fox kits are weaned at 5+wks old. But they will still suckle their mother as they age. Eating re-gurgitated meat & suckling milk. From their mother. As long as she stays wet & tolerates their pointed milk teeth.
22magnum22
Well-known member
Good info here from Medic Joe. I have noticed that den holes are always on elevated terrain or if in a depressed area the den will be up the side of the depressed area. As this picture shows they like to den around fence lines and will sometimes take over an abandoned armadillo den.