The animal in the picture is….

A viewer sent us a picture of an animal lurking in a backyard in Rockrimmon. We posted the picture on Facebook, and it sparked a great debate: was it a coyote or a wolf?

We took the picture to the experts at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center to find out the answer.

“It’s a coyote, it’s not a wolf,” Wolf Warrior Darlene Kobobel answered with a laugh.

She said there are some key differences between the animals that make it easier to tell them apart.

“Anatomically, coyotes are much smaller than wolves,” she said. “They have smaller shoulders, a more pointed snout with a small nose pad, bigger ears on their head, while wolves have smaller, more rounded ears. And coyotes’ paws are much smaller.”

Also, The Wolf and Wildlife Center said we don’t have wild wolves in Colorado.

“We haven’t had a documented wolf pack since 1945,” Kobobel said.

Their behaviors are different, too. Wolves are much more elusive, so they wouldn’t be hanging out in your backyard.

But you may be seeing more coyotes in your neighborhood this time of year.

“That’s because it’s breeding season and they’re in urban areas looking for denning places and food,” Kobobel said.

Kobobel said the time of year may also have played into why so many people thought the animal in the picture was a wolf.

“They have their big, beautiful winter coats and it makes them look much bigger,” she said.

The time of year also means taking extra precautions with your pets outside. Kobobel said owners should always have their dog on a leash and should try what’s called “hazing.”

“That means making an unnatural noise or movement that will scare them away,” she said.

Hazing is as simple as filling an empty pop can with rocks and carrying on your walk so you can shake it if you see any coyotes. The noise will scare them off. You can also jab an umbrella in their direction or flip your jacket over your head with your arms straight above your head to make yourself appear larger.

Even though it’s important to take precautions, it’s equally as important to remember how important coyotes are to balancing the ecosystem.

“They get rid of rodents and small animals that would overpopulate without them and spread disease,” Kobobel explained.

It’s up to us to learn to co-exist with the wildlife.