Coyote scent masking.
Updated: Mar 31, 2020
Northern river otters scat sites occur commonly along river banks and runs. This pair leaves a scat on a cold November morning in western Vermont. Later that evening, a pair of coyotes find the site and take a good roll. We see rolling in our own domestic dogs, that will regularly roll, much to our chagrin, in some of the most foul smelling stuff. The behavior in coyotes, similar to our own dogs and other predators is thought to help mask their own scent as an aid in stalking prey.