Mysteries That Howl and Hunt By CAROL KAESUK YOON scrutiny by being exquisitely wary, so much ith a chorus of howls and yips wild so that even dedicated coyote scientists can enough to fill a vast night sky, the struggle to find ways to lay eyes on them, not to coyote has ignited the imagination mention hands. Wof one culture after another. In Dr. Laura Prugh, a wildlife ecologist at the many American Indian mythologies, it is cel- University of California, Berkeley, said trying ebrated as the Trickster, a figure by turns god- to survey a population of coyotes in Alaska like, idiotic and astoundingly sexually perverse. was “like working with a ghost species.” To In the Navajo tradition the coyote is revered as even have a chance of catching a coyote, she God’s dog. When European colonists encoun- said, traps must be boiled to wash away human tered the species, they were of two minds, scent, handled with gloves and then hidden heralding it as an icon of the expansive West extremely carefully with all traces of human and vilifying it as the ultimate varmint, the footprints brushed away. Even then, the trap bloodthirsty bane of sheep and cattle ranchers. is likely to catch only the youngest and most Animals in the Northeast thought to be coyotes actually carry wolf and coyote DNA, studies have Mark Twain was so struck when he first inexperienced of animals. wolves along the way, bringing that wolf DNA may have been up to more than just dawdling Coyotes have remained so much in possession saw that “long, slim, sick and sorry-looking along with them to the Northeast. with a wolf or two. Dr. Kays’s team also skeleton, with a gray wolfskin stretched over of their own secrets that it was not until this The findings may explain why coyotes in the found one coyote carrying something it” that he called it “a living, breathing allegory year that the real identity of the coyotes living East are generally larger than their Western similar to domestic dog DNA, suggesting that of Want.” And Twain’s description itself was so in the eastern part of the country was revealed. counterparts — that is, more wolflike in size the question of what exactly an Eastern coyote vivid, it inspired the animator Chuck Jones to Two separate teams of researchers studying the — and why they are so much more varied is may become even more complicated as create that perennial failure known to cartoon- genes of coyotes in the Northeast reported evi- in coat color, as might be expected from a scientists learn more. loving children everywhere, Wile E. Coyote of dence that these animals that have for decades creature with a more diverse genome. It may One major complication is that all the spe- Road Runner-hating fame. upon decades been thought of as coyotes are in also explain why Eastern coyotes appear to be cies in the genus Canis, to which the coyote Yet as familiar as the coyote seems, these fact coyote-wolf hybrids. more adept as deer hunters than their Western belongs, can successfully interbreed. In other animals remain remarkably poorly understood. The team headed by Roland W. Kays, curator forebears, which tend toward smaller prey, like words, coyotes (or Canis latrans, meaning They have remained elusive despite fantastic of mammals at the New York State Museum, voles and rabbits. “barking dog”) and domestic dogs (Canis ecological success that has been described as studied coyotes from New Jersey to Maine. What the finding does not settle is how to de- familiaris) and every kind of wolf, from the “a story of unparalleled range expansion,” as Jonathan Way, wildlife biologist with the fine exactly what these animals are, or for that red wolf to the Eastern wolf to the gray wolf they have moved over the last century from the Eastern Coyote Research consulting firm, and matter, what to call them. Dr. Way favors the (Canis lupus), can mate and produce perfectly constrictions of their prairie haunts to colonize colleagues examined coyotes around Cape term “coywolf” to denote the animals’ hybrid healthy pups. No wonder, then, that interac- every habitat from wild to urban, from coast Cod and Boston. Both teams found that the heritage. He said because these animals are tions among these species have led to a genetic to coast. And they have retained their mystery animals carry wolf and coyote DNA. The paper part wolf — species that enjoy protected status mess that researchers sometimes refer to as even as interest has intensified with increas- by Dr. Kays and his colleagues was published — they deserve some benefits not available to “Canis soupus.” ing coyote-human interactions — including in Biology Letters; the paper by Dr. Way and coyotes, which are typically freely hunted. But while such broad tastes have mostly made incidents of coyotes dragging off small dogs his colleagues was published in Northeastern Dr. Kays, however, says that he is not a fan villains of coyotes as they happily expand their and cats, and even (extremely rarely) attacks Naturalist. of the name, in part because the animals are diet to take in the family pet when they can get on people, from Los Angeles to the northern Based on the wolf DNA found in the Eastern “mostly coyote and a little bit of wolf,” but it, they have also, at least once, made them suburbs of New York City, where four children coyotes, Dr. Kays and colleagues hypothesize also because the Eastern coyote may be less a the hero. Dr. Stanley D. Gehrt, a wildlife were attacked in separate incidents this sum- in their paper that Western coyotes dispers- finished product deserving of a name and more ecologist at Ohio State University who has mer. ing eastward north of the Great Lakes across an evolutionary work in progress. studied coyotes in the Chicago area for the Coyotes have managed to elude much serious Canada during the last century mated with There are even hints that the traveling coyotes past decade, found that coyotes have a taste for

Geller, 53, a vice president at Fun World. “We’re like ‘Saturday Night Political Live’ in a costume.” Mr. Geller, who drives an all-electric car, said he was crushed by the spill Masks Are but doubted that a costume could comment until someone in a meeting described the mess as “really bad BySo DAMIEN CAVE2009 planning.” Before they knew it, a MIAMI — Lady Gaga is likely to designer retooled a “killer mechanic” become this Halloween’s hottest costume — adding BP, changing the celebrity — Madonna with meat, jumpsuit from blue to green, and the as one costume salesman described splattered blood to black oil. Now it — but when it comes to message- Fun World had a dangerous rigger minded get-ups, political ghouls on its hands, or a victim of corporate like Barackula are out and corporate carelessness. horror is in. Either way, it worked. Mr. Geller has All across the Gulf Coast and the plans to produce more than 10,000 country, the costume inspiring suits, with several dollars out of guffaws and flying off the shelves every sale, he says, going to families consists of a green jumpsuit covered affected by the spill. Scott Morris, in oil with BP in a sunburst logo whose family has spent 48 years over the left breast. The BP stands selling dress-up — as the owners for “bad planning,” according to of Morris Costumes, the world’s Ancient Italian Town Has Wind at Its Back its creator, a Long Island company largest costume wholesaler — said called Fun World, but only Rip Van he had already sent out hundreds With its four wind turbines, Tocco, a quintessential Italian town of 2,700 people in Italy’s Winkle would miss the joke. of the BP outfits to stores and Web poor mountainous center, is now essentially energy independent from a financial standpoint, “What’s unique is that it combines sites (wrench and dead fish are not generating 30 percent more electricity than it uses. Production of green electricity earned the the horror of Halloween with the included). He said he expected it town 170,000 euros, or more than $200,000, last year. The town is renovating the school for. topicality of the disaster,” said Alan to become this year’s favorite adult

by a prolonged ovation. He led a stir- James Levine Is Back for ring “Star-Spangled Banner.” Then, slowly, the house lights dimmed, and the music began. Met’s Opening Night Mr. Lepage’s “Rheingold” is the most intensely anticipated new production By ANTHONY TOMMASINI in, then cues the sustained low E flats the Met has mounted in years. For in the orchestra that begin the piece The Metropolitan ’s opening- the most part it was an impressive night gala traditionally begins with so mysteriously. success: an inventive, fluid staging an appearance in the pit by the con- Patriotism and eagerness to welcome and a feat of technological wizardry ductor of the evening, who for the back Mr. Levine trumped “Rhein- that employs sophisticated video last 40 years has usually been James gold” tradition on Monday night, elements without turning into a Levine, to take a bow before lead- when the Met opened its season with video show. Wagner buffs tend to be ing a performance of the national the director ’s new a fanatical sort, and no doubt there anthem. production, the first installment of will be debate about Mr. Lepage’s But in another Met tradition, “Das a complete “Ring” cycle. Mr. Levine, work. Here he received a mostly. Rheingold,” the first of Wagner’s recuperating from surgery, had not From left, Richard Croft, Bryn Terfel, James Levine and Stephanie Blythe taking enthusiastic ovation with scattered their bows at the end of the performance of the opera‚ “‚” at the “Ring” , begins in almost com- conducted anywhere since February. plete darkness. The conductor sneaks When he appeared, he was greeted boos. I had mixed feelings.