Animal Fact Sheet
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Coyote
Canis latrans
What does it look
like?
A lone coyote howling at the moon has become a symbol of the American
West. These sandy-colored, medium-sized canids carry their ears
erect and slightly bushy tails low, tucked toward their hind legs.
- Known also as the prairie or brush wolf, coyotes are approximately
4 feet in length from nose to tail.
- In the desert, males weight up to 25 pounds, females up to 22
pounds
- They have a dog-like appearance characterized by lithe bodies,
long, narrow muzzles, erect triangular ears, long, slender legs
and bushy tails
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| Where
in the world?
Found throughout North America from Alaska to Canada, all the way
south to Costa Rica, coyotes live in many habitats. They are most
at home in open grassland, desert shrub and thinly wooded bush.
What are some behaviors?
In some areas, coyotes stay in the hills during summer and move
to valleys in the winter. In other habitats, coyotes live a more
nomadic life. Coyotes can run up to 40 miles per hour.
Coyotes are not solitary, and will form long-term
pair bonds. Life span is usually about 4 years in the wild and up
to 22 years in captivity.
Coyotes have at least 11 distinct sharp barks
and howls which are used for identification, communication and to
warn intruders.
What about offspring?
Breeding season is from January to March. After mating, females
look for a secluded place to make a den. The den may be a burrow
dug by both parents or they may occupy an abandoned burrow.
With only one litter per year, gestation is between
58 to 65 days. Anywhere from 2 to 12 pups are born blind but furred,
nursing up to 7 weeks. At about 3 weeks old, they begin to eat solid
food that has been regurgitated by the parents. Coyote pups are
alert, playful, intelligent and inquisitive. They are fully grown
by 9 months old, reaching sexual maturity at 1 year.
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What does it eat?
Omnivorous and opportunistic, coyotes will eat almost anything.
Although they prefer small rodents, which make up 90 percent of
their diet, coyotes also eat reptiles and arthropods such as scorpions
and crickets. During lean times, juniper and gourd seeds, screw
beans, fan palm fruit, dates and even dry grass help fill in their
diets.
A crepuscular and nocturnal hunter, coyotes can
reach speeds of more than 40 miles per hour.
Is it threatened
or endangered?
Today coyotes are protected in 12 states and are one of the few
animals not only to survive, but flourish, around man because of
their adaptability. |
