Coyote
Canis latrans · Mammal, Vertebrate, Warm-blooded, Wild
Animal Family
Canidae, order Carnivora, class Mammalia
Animal Category
Wild Predator
Breed / Variety
Plains coyote (Canis latrans latrans)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern. Population trend is increasing. Extremely resilient and expanding its range despite heavy persecution, trapping, and culling by humans.
About This Creature
Medium-sized canine resembling a small, slender wolf or German Shepherd. Typically measures 1 to 1.3 meters in total length including the tail, stands about 58 to 66 cm at the shoulder, and weighs between 7 and 21 kg. Features a grayish-brown to yellowish-gray coat with darker or blackish hairs along the back and tail, lighter underparts, and a bushy tail often held pointing downward.
Physical Characteristics
Slender body structure, long pointed muzzle, large erect triangular ears, yellow eyes, slender legs with padded paws, and a thick, bushy tail with a dark tip. Fur color varies geographically from grayish-white to reddish-brown. Exhibits acute senses of hearing, smell, and vision, and can run at speeds up to 40-65 km/h.
Behavior & Temperament
Highly intelligent and adaptable. Social structures range from solitary hunters to bonded pairs and small family packs. Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, though often active during the day in areas with little human disturbance. Communicates extensively through high-pitched yips, barks, and howls. Opportunistic hunters with complex territorial boundaries.
Habitat & Diet
Origin Region
North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada down through the United States and Mexico, successfully expanding into Central America and virtually all urban/suburban and rural environments across the continent.
Habitat
Extremely adaptable; found in grasslands, deserts, mountains, forests, and increasingly in urban and suburban environments. Terrestrial.
Diet & Nutrition
Generalist carnivore and omnivore. Diet includes small mammals (rodents, rabbits), birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, carrion, large ungulates (often as scavengers or cooperative hunters in winter), as well as significant amounts of vegetation including fruits, berries, and human refuse.
Lifespan & Health
Average lifespan is 3 to 10 years in the wild, up to 18 years in captivity. Common health threats include canine distemper, parvovirus, rabies, mange, and human-wildlife conflicts (vehicle strikes, poisoning, hunting). Litters average 4 to 6 pups born once a year in spring after a gestation period of about 60-63 days.
Special Characteristics
Renowned for its cleverness, adaptability, and resilience, frequently featured in Native American folklore as a trickster figure. Excellent runners and swimmers. Generally avoids humans but can become habituated when food sources like garbage or pet food are readily available in suburban areas.
Ecological Information
Acts as both predator and scavenger, playing a crucial role in controlling rodent and small mammal populations. Often acts as a mesopredator release beneficiary in areas where apex predators like wolves have been removed, impacting local prey dynamics and serving as an important link in North American food webs.