Mangy Coyotes

So sad to see these two Coyotes (far in the distance) who are suffering from Mange. Their bodies are almost completely bare below the shoulders, their tails like rat tails. They itch and itch and writhe constantly. Seen at Carburn Park on March 3rd. My concern is first for the poor animals, that can't stop scratching furiously. I also wondered if these animals might be more likely to turn on a human being when in this frustrated state.

"Mange ( /ˈmeɪnʒ/) is the common name for a class of skin diseases caused by parasitic mites.[1] Since mites also infect plants, birds, and reptiles, the term "mange," suggesting poor condition of the hairy coat due to the infection, is sometimes reserved only for pathological mite-infestation of non-human mammals. Thus, mange is a term used to describe mite-associated skin disease in domestic animals (cats and dogs), in livestock (such as sheep scab), and in wild animals (for example, coyotes, cougars, and bears).[2][3] Since mites belong to the arachnid subclass Acari (also called Acarina), another term used to describe mite infestation is acariasis.

Mammalian parasitic mites that cause mange embed themselves either in skin or hair follicles, depending upon their genus. Sarcoptes spp. burrow into skin, while Demodex spp. live in follicles.

In humans, these two types of mite infections, which would otherwise be known as "mange" in furry mammals, are instead known (respectively) as scabies and demodicosis. However, the mites that cause these diseases in humans are closely related to those that cause the mange in other mammals."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mange

I've just found this 5 minute radio talk about Coyotes and Mange, on CBC with Brian Keating. Quite interesting. It was aired on Monday, November 21, 2011.

www.cbc.ca/video/watch/Radio/ID=2169630619