Its acute senses told the tiny mouse that the large thing in the shadows represented extreme danger. With few options available, the mouse turned and scurried through the withered grass as fast as its tiny white paws could carry it.
The action was the exact wrong one considering that the coyote, having recently fed, would have been inclined to ignore the tiny mouse. The rustling of the paws scampering though the grass and scattered dry leaves triggered an automatic response in the coyote's brain. Like flipping a switch, the coyote left its disinterested stance and sprang into attack mode. In a couple of bounds, the long-legged predator overtook the fleeing mouse.
In the next instant, the canine jaws opened. The coyote didn't actually see its prey, but its ears and nose revealed the location of the mouse with such accuracy it was easy for the coyote's jaws to snap closed around the body of the rodent. The mouse squeaked and squirmed, but there was no escape. The coyote swallowed, sending the morsel-sized rodent down its throat to join the remains of the rabbit the predator had consumed earlier in the evening. Pleased with the success of the evening, the coyote sat back on its haunches and produced some yippie howls. In the distance, a few of its kind answered. More than a few domestic dogs also joined the chorus, barking in defensive displeasure at the intruder into their suburban neighborhoods.