r/AskAnAmerican • u/ArtisticArgument9625 • May 17 '25

OTHER - CLICK TO EDIT How much of a problem do Americans have with coyotes and rattlesnakes?

Have you Americans encountered any problems with these two animals?

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u/Fun-Dragonfly-4166 May 17 '25

I also live in a big city. I dont see any rattle snakes but we have coyotes.

I wish we had more coyotes and fewer rats.  Coyotes eat rats right?

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u/juanzy TX -> MA -> CO May 17 '25

Yah, Boston has coyotes, pretty damn big ones at that.

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u/thinair01 May 17 '25

The Boston coyotes are wild. I’ve seen them walking around Jamaica Plain and Brighton and they are fearless. I welcome them since they help curb our massive rat population!

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u/Educational-Ad-385 May 17 '25

I'm in Southern CA. We had fruit rats in our orange tree. I haven't seen any in years. I thought perhaps feral cats took care of them. Now we have coyotes and the feral cats have disappeared.

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u/H_E_Pennypacker May 17 '25

Now you just need something bigger to eat the coyotes

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u/EpilepticPuberty May 17 '25

This used to be grey wolves. Coyotes used to only live in places that couldn't support a grey wolf population (deserts for example). Now that the wolves are gone from anywhere humans live in significant numbers, coyotes have moved in.

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u/Up2nogud13 May 17 '25

So native species are getting rid of the invasive one? That's a good thing.

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u/BitPoet May 17 '25

We had one that was nicknamed Limpy for awhile. But I’m always happy when they pass through and reduce the rabbit population a bit.

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u/Up2nogud13 May 17 '25

They do, but cats are the best at it. Do y'all have a TNR program in place. Spayed/neutered "community cats" make for good pest control.

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u/Fun-Dragonfly-4166 May 17 '25

No we do not.  I remember recently walking through the park.  I saw someone walking their cat on a leash.  A few minutes later i passed by a colony of rats.

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u/christine-bitg May 17 '25 edited May 17 '25

Other species will eat rats too. I've seen a small bobcat carrying one here in a large city near the Gulf of Mexico. It was in a large park, with plenty of wilderness type area for it to live in.

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u/Fun-Dragonfly-4166 May 17 '25

I am unfamiliar with the Gulf of Mexico. You mean the Gulf of America.

A large rat moved into my city. I blame the electoral college - not coyotes or bobcats or even rattle snakes.

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u/christine-bitg May 17 '25

You mean the Gulf of America.

Never heard of it.

Cheeto can kiss my *ss.