Teamwork Makes the Dream Work for Badgers and Coyotes

Working in teams is frequently encouraged in both school and the workplace under the premise that it benefits everyone. Of course, there isn't always evidence to support it, and some people have good reasons for loathing collaboration. However, there are situations when working together does pay off, and there is even improbable evidence of this in the animal realm. For instance, when coyotes and badgers cooperate when hunting.

Their alliance has a long history of success; Native Americans saw it in action before Europeans arrived in North America. Both creatures pursue the same prey, but they do so in various ways. A coyote will chase a gopher on the ground while a badger will dig down into a burrow to get it. A gopher can therefore modify its defense to fend off either of the predators, but not both. It can outpace a badger above ground. It is able to outsmart a coyote underground. The gopher has no other choice but to hunt with them.

Unavoidably, one hunter will take home the prize, and no, they don't split it. Even though only one will ever feed at a time, hunting together maximizes their chances of both catching prey over the long term. It's quite amazing that the animals can detect this.

• Coyote

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. latrans

• Badger
  

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Superfamily: Musteloidea Procyonoidea
Family: Mustelidae Mephitidae
Subfamily: Helictidinae, Melinae, Mellivorinae, Taxideinae,Mydainae