RACOON BOX

You’re right about bears and pigs - the “akin to hogs” reference is more that they are omnivores than any genetic reference. I’ve adopted (perhaps incorrectly) the Functional Feeding Group taxonomy based upon how animals eat/hunt. Animals such as bats and dolphins, for example, have much more in common in behavior and brain structure than animals that are more closely related in taxonomy, though genetically, they share little in common.

I’ve seen coyotes open doors, though I’m not certain how prevalent that is or whether the skill is passed on. When coyotes open something, it is generally through finesse rather than brute force (bears). Wolves tend to avoid interaction with people more than coyotes do (which is why the coywolf hybrid is such a concern as it behaves much more like a coyote). Wolves do little foraging as individuals, is true, but in severe conditions they can and will raid camps (example: https://tinyurl.com/z9en8ye ). Again, it isn’t all that common, but it happens a few times a year.

Rick