Desert Speaks

The Roadrunner And The Coyote

Unlike the famous cartoon duo, these two inhabitants of the desert rarely meet. Their cinematic relationship is simply a figment of the Hollywood imagination. Learn the real story of these two desert dwellers in this episode. The "ferocious" (and often carnivorous) roadrunner remains one of the icons of the Southwest, and one of the most popular desert birds. Coyotes are opportunists and survivors, doing well in any environment. Although wild, both the coyote and roadrunner have adapted to human interaction in order to survive. Coyotes can hunt as well as most predators, but will just as easily grab a meal from human garbage or scavenge a roadkill snack. The program clears up some misconceptions about two of the desert's most famous inhabitants.