Coyote Attack?

    Some time back while driving down the street around the corner I saw what appeared to be a mangy dog running into the woods behind our house, but then realized it was not a dog, it was a coyote. 

    The coyote, whose name is derived from the Aztec coyotl, is found from Alaska south into Central America, but especially on the Great Plains. Historically, the eastern border of its range was the Appalachians, but the coyote has expanded its range and now can be found throughout the United States and Canada. Coyotes are common throughout the state where I live in both rural and urban settings.

    The coyote I saw was about the size of a medium dog, but...they can be as long as 24 feet and as tall as 6 feet! Their fangs resemble sabers and can open up a human skull. 

    Coyotes are opportunistic, versatile eaters primarily feeding on small mammals (I.e., mice, rabbits, squirrels) as well as fruits, vegetables, and garbage, but they will also target small dogs and cats. 

    They are strong and extremely aggressive, strong and big. Their eyes are red and can hypnotize some beings with fear. Additionally, they are able to produce howls strong enough to paralyze most of the animals. They are really fast, too. They are curious, but generally fearful of humans. Clap your hands and shout in a stern voice to scare it off. 

    Coyotes are not very intelligent or united. They usually kill one another. During the day they hide in covered open areas, raised grounds or in dens. Dens are most commonly seen in parks and forest areas, shrubbery, preserves, golf courses and other such regions. They are mos active at dawn and dusk, but may be seen frequently throughout the day. 

    The other night we had the bedroom window open with a fan in it when at 2:30 in the morning we were awakened to a terrible screeching noise which at first I thought was a fan bearing going bad. It wasn’t. After shutting off the fan we heard sounds at the edge of the woods in the back yard. Low grunts and frequent screams. 

    Possums live in the woods, but they make clicking noises when they're trying to attract mates and hissing or growling sounds when they feel threatened. Baby opossums make noises that sound like sneezing when trying to get their parents' attention. Outside of these special circumstances, though, they rarely make audible sounds. 

    Raccoons on the orher hand can make various types of noises including a chittering sound, purring, snorts, growls, snarls, whimpers and screams. Baby raccoon sounds can also include whining, mewing and crying. When calling out to each other, it's possible that a raccoon sounds like a screech owl's whistle. 

    So, what was all the screaming? Was a coyote attacking a raccoon or was it just two raccoons communicating with each other? Whatever it was, it was creepy.