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Have you ever looked at a hillside and assumed that an animal was sitting on it, staring at you? You may have even stopped and scanned with a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, but despite your efforts, you couldn’t find it.
Nature’s camouflage is an incredible thing, and today, I’m putting your spotting skills to the test. Hidden on this snowy hillside is a coyote, not quite blending seamlessly into its environment. Hopefully, finding this coyote will help sharpen your eyes for your next trip to the park.
Coyotes are masters of disguise, using their muted colors and keen instincts to stay hidden from predators—or to stalk their prey. In this post, we challenge you to slow down, sharpen your gaze, and see if you can locate this coyote on a hillside in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley.
Take your time, look closely, and enjoy the thrill of discovery as you play my every-so-often “Find the Animal.”
Once you have spotted it, you may be asking yourself why the coyote is just sitting there. The easy and simple answer is that it is probably just resting and scanning. What is it scanning for? It could be looking for potential food or even a potential mate, as the start of coyote mating season is finally here. You can read more about that here: Coyote Mating Season in Yellowstone is Here.
I do have to note that this picture isn’t my best. Not even close. I took it from inside my car with the window rolled down, and the heat difference between inside and outside was extreme. I was also rushed, so my settings were off. Awesome, I know, but I wanted to be transparent.
While it could be better, I feel like this is a good example of how things may be when in the park, and I figured I would share.
How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Coyote and Wolf: There are many tips and tricks to easily be able to identify whether you are looking at a coyote or wolf. I have included many pages on this topic in my wildlife-watching guidebook, which I would love if you got a copy. However, I am also sharing a link to Yellowstone National Park’s video titled “Inside Yellowstone: Coyote or Wolf?”
