The coyote (Canis latrans) is a flexible predator whose range spans nearly all of North America. This flexibility in diet and habitat is supported by ingrained survival behaviors, including the practice of burying food, which scientists refer to as caching. This action is a calculated strategy that allows the animal to manage temporary food abundance and secure resources for future consumption.
Confirming the Behavior and Burial Methods
Coyotes engage in food caching. The process begins with the coyote using its forelimbs to rapidly dig a shallow depression in the substrate, often while holding the food item in its mouth. Once the item, which may be a portion of a carcass, a freshly killed rodent, or scavenged food, is placed into the hole, the burial phase commences.
The coyote then uses its nose and muzzle in a forward-scooping motion to push displaced earth, leaves, or debris back over the cache. This is followed by a tamping action, where the animal presses down on the covering material with its snout to conceal the item and make the site look undisturbed. Coyotes typically create “scatter caches,” burying single or small food items widely across their territory rather than concentrating them in one large store. This strategic dispersal makes it less likely for a competitor to steal all of their stored food.
The Ecological Reasons for Food Caching
The reason for food caching is the management of a temporary food surplus, a concept rooted in maximizing energy gain. When a coyote makes a large kill or encounters abundant prey, it caches the remainder because it is already satiated and cannot consume it all immediately. This behavior prevents waste and ensures that a high-calorie resource is not lost to decomposition or other scavengers.
Caching is a short-term food security measure, especially in environments where food availability fluctuates seasonally or is unpredictable. By distributing caches, the coyote creates a stored supply to sustain itself during periods when hunting is less fruitful. This strategy mitigates competition from other predators or scavengers. Hiding the food makes it less obvious to rivals, including other coyotes, who might otherwise pilfer the resource.
How Coyotes Locate Buried Stores
A coyote’s ability to recover its buried food relies on a combination of highly developed senses and spatial memory. The primary tool for relocation is its superior olfactory sense, which allows it to detect the faint scent of the buried meat, even after it has been covered with dirt and debris. This scent guides the animal back to the exact location of the store.
Scent alone is often insufficient, especially as the food item ages or environmental conditions change. Coyotes also employ spatial memory, remembering the general location and specific landmarks associated with the burial site. Their memory allows them to return directly to the cached area, where they use their sense of smell to pinpoint the precise spot for excavation. Caches are not always recovered due to environmental factors, such as heavy rain washing away the scent, or due to theft by opportunistic animals like badgers or foxes.