I love being a witness to moments like this in nature because they can strongly suggest conscious self-awareness in animals.
- I posted several other photos of this coyote years ago but these two are new to my blog.
Some folks think self awareness (the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals) is a trait restricted to humans but studies using a variety of higher animals have demonstrated self awareness in other species too. And many of those studies used mirrors during the investigative process.
The glass-like surface of the water in the photos below is nothing if it isn’t a mirror.
Six years ago this month along the causeway to Antelope Island I watched as this coyote walked out to the end of a rocky spit extending into the Great Salt Lake. When “he” reached the end of the spit and looked down into the glass-smooth water it became immediately obvious that he was transfixed by his own reflection. He kept staring almost straight down into the water. This was not a flash in the pan moment. I took many photos of him as he seemed to be studying himself in his reflection. I have no doubt that that’s exactly what he was doing.
I remember wondering at the time what he might be thinking. Did he fully realize that he was looking at himself in the reflection?
Of course this doesn’t prove that the coyote was self aware. It would take more sophisticated experimentation to prove such a thing. He could have been only curious about what he was seeing but I have to wonder – did he realize on a conscious level that he was seeing himself?
Eventually he looked up at me as he was beginning to turn around on the spit. I’m including this photo only because I enjoy his cross-legged pose.
Humans have been fascinated by mirrors and our own reflection for millennia and who’s to say what animals might be thinking when they see theirs. And if they realize that they’re looking at themselves. Or not.
Ron
And speaking of mirrors and reflections…
Photo in public domain
This is Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus. In the painting we see the goddess Venus in a sensual pose, lying on a bed and looking into a mirror held by the Roman god of physical love, her son Cupid. There are several other famous paintings similar to this one with Cupid holding a mirror and Venus looking into it.
Do you see anything wrong here?
Think about it, with the mirror held at this angle Venus wouldn’t be able to see her own reflection but the painting strongly and deliberately implies that she is looking at herself. At this angle since we can see her she would be seeing the artist working on the painting, in this case the Spanish artist Velázquez. This “trick” has been used by artists often enough that it’s called the “Venus Effect”.
A bit of trivia for the day…
Ron
Late Addendum:
While I was out photographing birds this morning multiple requests for prints of the first photo above were made, both in comments and in emails. Readers know that for complicated reasons I’m generally reluctant to sell prints. But the demand for prints of this particular photo seems unusually high and they’re from loyal readers who I don’t like to disappoint so here’s some relevant information if you’re interested in a print.
The version posted above is cropped to a 5×7 aspect ratio. An 8×10 print is reasonably close to the same ratio and it would be easy to find a frame for that size. Purchase cost for an 8×10 print would be $60 including shipping and printing fees. Larger prints would be more.
If you’re interested in purchasing a print please contact me (soon) through the “Contact Me” link at the top of my blog and we’ll work out the details. Please, no requests from outside the USA – shipping and financial arrangements just become too complicated.
The look on that turn! “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeM..Dudley.)
10 Stars…5 & 5,,,,out of a five star rating!!!
Absolutely love these coyote shots! And very appropriate to include a short lecture on Venus (i didn’t even know she was related to Cupid – i failed Greek & Roman history miserably ;-D ).
Awesome photo because you were there and captured it. Awesome because the water was clear and still enough for a mirror image. Is the coyote self aware? Fun to think about. Aware if the water it wants is polluted, or if the rodent it’s going after has been poisoned and is unfit for a bird or coyote? Are enough humans aware? That is a question! Some people like to kill coyotes. That’s another story.
Interesting observations, Sooney. Thank you.
Ron, what a beautiful and thought provoking photo of the coyote. Wish we knew what he was thinking, especially with the legs crossed which add further mystery to all of this. Thank you
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Alice. Thanks.
Colour me hopeful, but I am trying again.
Loved the cross legged pose and would be in the mirror/water if I tried it.
Sigh at those people who assume that we are far and away the smartest animal and underestimate other species.
Thank you, EC. I’m delighted that this comment came through. I’m sure it’s been extremely frustrating for you to have these problems with commenting and other issues with email. If you rely on email as much as I do I suspect you’ve been pulling your hair out. Hope it’s fixed for good!
I have been turning the air a deep, deep blue shade but mostly leaving my hair alone. I suspect this is a temporary fix, but live in hope.
An exceptional photograph which has inspired lots of thoughtful responses.
I’m certain that dogs and cats I’ve lived with over the years have recognized themselves in the mirror. However, they seem to be uninterested after the first encounter, whereas us humans return ad infinitum. I suspect vanity is a purely human trait.
“I suspect vanity is a purely human trait.”
And I suspect you’re spot on with that statement, Lyle. Thank you.
Ron – thanks – if I get back to SLC I will definitely take your advice and visit Antelope.
Beautiful photo!
Thanks, Jean.
Very striking photo! It is fun to watch animal behavior. I have been intrigued by animals encountering their own reflection. We have had a number of birds living with us, parrots, houses sparrows, doves and quail. I have tried placing mirrors within their area and watched how they react. Eons ago when the rehab was in a shack at ONC, I tried introducing mirrors to some of the non-releasable imprinted birds and watched their reaction. Most birds felt the reflection was an intruder and attacked their own image. Parrots, starlings, magpies, crows and some of our house sparrows seemed to understand it was a reflection of themselves. They would really look themselves over, even doing what I called pulled faces, like opening their beaks and turning their face from side to side, sometimes tipping their heads upside down. They would periodically tap the mirror with their beak, but not hard like an attack. They would walk from side to side out of view and back again, if possible even walking around to the back side of the mirror. I would have to say some do have self awareness. I have never tried it with raptors, I was afraid they might hurt themselves. Surprisingly the water fowl I tried it with always thought it was a rival, they always attacked the mirror. You would think that they would see their reflection in water often, but then that is below them and not an upright reflection.
You’ve made some fascinating in depth observations, April. Thanks for reporting them in detail.
Interesting that House Sparrows rank right up there with the corvids in this regard.
That first image looks like a fine painting and is exceptionally striking. Sign me up for a copy too.
It’s odd how much of mankind can look down on birds and animals, failing to recognize the far reaching capabilities of other species, while basking in hard earned self-ignorance..
Great post Ron.
“Sign me up for a copy to”
Thank you, Dave. If you still have the interest please see the addendum I’ve added below.
I love these photos. It would be wonderful to know what thoughts are going through his head at this moment. I’ve long been dismayed at the arrogance of humans who believe that only they have feelings and are capable of higher thought. One only has to observe carefully to realize that animals react in more than a reflexive manner. For many years, Alexander Skutch, a well-known ornithologist was not always well-regarded by many in the scientific community because of his belief that animals (especially birds, in his case) were self-aware and interacted with each other and their environment in more than just an instinctive manner. Many of his thoughts have now been validated and are well-accepted by all but a few holdouts.
Ok, now I’m going to have to do some research on Skutch because you’ve piqued both my interest and my curiosity. Not the first time you’ve done that, Dan…
Skutch spent many years living and doing his research in the tropics. He wrote numerous books and scientific papers on birds and bird behavior. He wrote a fascinating book on sleep in birds. He is well-known for the extensive work he did on nest helpers; young birds that stay around to help parents with 2nd or 3rd broods or, in some species, help adults raise additional young for 1-2 or moe years. Scrub-Jays, especially Florida Scrub-Jays are well-known for this. Barn Swallows frequently stay around to help with 2nd broods (but they also often steal food from returning parents before chicks of the next brood can get it.) I’m sure you can easily find many of his books and I encourage you to look at them when you have the time. You’ll find his writing interesting.
I am an avid believer that animals are far more intelligent than we give them credit for, and birds may be one of the most intelligent species. I recently have read several books on animal cognition, but I couldn’t recommend “Alex & Me” by Irene Pepperberg more. It was amazing and touching. Self-awareness is just one facet of many that animals share with us.
“birds may be one of the most intelligent”
David, it so happens that magpies are one of the species that have been proven to be self aware.
Here is a fascinating story about magpies (in Europe) told to me by John Marzluff from the University of Washington John is famous for his work on crows and facial recognition. He was guest speaker at a conference I attended a few years ago and sat at my table during lunch prior to his talk. He told us about a woman in Sweden who fed many birds including magpies (the European magpid is very similar to ours and was once considered as part of the same species as our Black-billed Magpie). Her husband didn’t like the noise from the magpies and shooed them away and forbid her from feeding them out back. While her husband was gone, she started feeding the magpies from her front door. Soon after, her doorbell would ring but no one was there when she went to the door. Eventually she discovered it was the magpies. They recognized that whenever someone pushed that button by the door, she appeared. The husband eventually caught on and once again drove the birds away. In the morning, the windshield of his car was covered with bird droppings. Her can was clean. After a few days of this, they switched the positions of the cars. It didn’t matter, it was still his windshield that was covered, not hers. The birds had apparently observed who got into each car and they knew she gave food and he shooed them away. This clearly is not instinctive behavior and shows the very high intelligence of these birds. All corvids are very intelligent, well beyond what we usually give them credit for.
LOVE this story.
Our Australian magpies are not corvids but are still intelligent and delightful birds. This link to their song shows some of the beauty they give us.
Oops. I failed on the link but you can find their song at http://birdlife.org.au/images/uploads/audio/magpie.mp3
EC, your magpies sound so very different from ours. They couldn’t be much different. Your birds sound almost tropical but I guess that makes sense…
Dang, I knew they were smart but that story takes the cake, Dan! Sounds like it comes from an authoritative and reliable source too.
I once spent about 15 minutes watching a magpie repeatedly sneak up behind a cat laying on my neighbor’s lawn and pull the end of the cat’s tail. The cat was pissed off but continued to lay there, apparently deliberately trying to tempt the magpie to do it again so the feline could catch it and extract revenge. The cat never even came close to catching the magpie after many tries. I enjoyed the hell out of the entire performance and was glad the magpie came out on top.
In my mind I can still see that black and white cat’s tail twitching on the grass as the magpie was approaching from behind.
Hey, Ron. Would you sell or trade me a copy of that first coyote photo? I’d love to have it on my desk. My wood desk, not my cyberdesk. It would remind me of our collective consciousness.
In re mirrors, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205019/original/file-20180206-14089-9f21am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1
Martha, for the answer to your question please see the addendum I’ve added to the bottom of this post.
Ha, love the mirror-gazing unicorn in that French tapestry.
These pictures gave me goosebumps ❤️ Ahhh, to know what he thinking❗️Oh…what a beauty, it’s like looking in a mirror.
My husband came across a very healthy looking one last week bathing and sunny on a rock. And then got back in to play around in the water. That just made his day😁
Have a good day
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bathing coyote, Diana. Probably about 80% of the coyotes I’ve seen have been on Antelope Island and apparently they won’t bathe in salt water. I’m jealous of your experience.
Yes, that’s what my husband thought. He first thought he was going to cross the river but didn’t really attempt that.
So…. we’re adding it to something else we’d never seen before ❤️
Ron,
Both my wife and I follow your blog and enjoy it very much, thank you for sharing your efforts.
When she read today’s post she fell in love with your picture of the coyote looking at it’s reflection. I’ve read your policy about prints and understand completely your frustrations with the entire process (I’ve had a few experiences myself). However, if it is possible, I would very much like to get her a print of this picture. We live in a small space so I’m thinking only an 8×10. Please let me know if you would consider it and if so what the cost would be.
Thanks so much.
Scott Curdie
Thank you, Scott. I’ve added an addendum to the bottom of this post that should answer your question.
What a fine posting…love the coyote photos and the similarity to Venus…we creatures are all interested in our reflections! It reminds me of young children looking behind mirrors!! Thanks for this and all you do so beautifully, it adds a bit of nature and aesthetics to my Life that I treasure.
Thanks very much, Mary. It’s nice to know that I’ve contributed somewhat to your enjoyment of life.
What a stunning photo! This brings back a childhood memory when we first got a young male (about 9 mons.) Labrador retriever. As he was investigating the house he came upon a full length mirror on the living room closet door. He immediately froze, not a hair on his head moved or even a whisker. Then in that frozen state he proceeded to urinate all over the living room floor. I also remember that Mom was not happy about that incident. She never wanted a dog in the house anyway. Later in life he saved us all as he alerted us to an early morning fire in the house that saved everyone.
Wow, that’s quite a story, Cindy – in its entirety. Gotta admit to being curious if your Mom became more tolerant of your dog after his heroics.
Your first photo just warms my heart! You captured a very special moment..almost ethereal, spiritual if I may say. Have no doubt that he is studying his reflection, pondering.I feel as if we are privileged to be witness to the moment. I have read many articles on the self-awareness animal exhibit, the testing for such and I am a believer. Thank you for sharing this special moment.
“You captured a very special moment”
I thought so too, Kathy. I’d never photographed this behavior in a wild mammal before. I think I was studying him at least as intensely as he was studying his reflection.
Wonderful image of the coyote and love the crossed legs. 🙂 I know when dogs/cats are young they don’t realize it’s them in a mirror tho I also believe they do figure out eventually that whatever it is it’s not a threat and I know kittens will “play” with the image. Be nice to get inside their heads on this one along with many other things! 🙂 The paintings I’ve never considered “reality” so guess I never thought about the angle of the mirror….. 😉 Great, thought provoking post Ron….. 🙂
“Be nice to get inside their heads on this one”
Boy, that’s for sure! Just what is really going on in there??? Thank you, Judy.
I don’t think the coyote knows about Velazquez’s Venus Effect, but I do think he realizes he is seeing his reflection. Love the coyote photos. He really does look like he is studying the reflection. Thanks for posting them. Looks like a very calm quiet day at GSL. The water looks like glass. I’ve been to SLC on business trips and to Park City and Deer Valley to ski many years back, but have never actually been up close to the lake.
Everett, next time you’re in SLC you really should visit Antelope Island, preferably in the early morning or late evening. It’s reasonably close and it’s worth the trip.
What a fantastic image !! It just doesn’t get better than this. You continually amaze me Ron !!!! This is a prize winner in any nature competition !!!
I’m delighted to hear you like it that much, Gary.