Coyote (Canis latrans), also called prairie wolf or brush wolf, New World member of the dog family (Canidae) that is smaller and more lightly built than the wolf. The coyote, whose name is derived from the Aztec coyotl, is found from Alaska southward into Central America, but especially on the Great Plains. Historically, the eastern border of its range was the Appalachians, but the coyote has expanded its range and now can be found throughout the United States and Canada.
The coyote stands about 60 cm (24 inches) at the shoulder, weighs about 9–23 kg (20–50 pounds), and is about 1–1.3 metres (3.3–4.3 feet) long, including its 30–40-cm tail. The fur is long and coarse and is generally grizzled buff above and whitish below, reddish on the legs, and bushy on the black-tipped tail. There is, however, considerable local variation in size and colour, with the largest animals living in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
Noted for its nightly serenades of yaps and howls, the coyote is primarily nocturnal, running with tail pointed downward and sometimes attaining a speed of 64 km per hour (40 mph). Coyotes are extremely efficient hunters, and their senses are keen. They are visual predators in open areas, but they mostly use smell and hearing to locate prey in thick vegetation or forest. In the northern parts of its range, the coyote relies primarily on the snowshoe hare and white-tailed deer as prey. A single coyote is able to capture an adult deer, especially in deep snow. Coyotes take down deer by repeatedly biting at the back legs and hindquarters, the kill finally being made with a choking bite to the throat. In fall and early winter, coyotes often hunt in pairs or packs, and the success of a pack increases with its size. Larger packs typically hunt larger animals, although they will capture and eat whatever prey they encounter. The coyote also consumes carrion. Wherever or whenever prey is unavailable or hard to obtain, coyotes eat large quantities of wild berries and fruits. In doing so, they may become much leaner. In the northeast, coyotes are fatter during winter, when deer are easier to capture, than in late summer.
The coyote competes with several other carnivores, especially in the northeast, where coyotes were previously absent. Lynx and bobcats compete for the same foods (hares and rabbits), and the success of each of these predators depends on the setting. Lynx are better at catching hares in powdery snow, whereas coyotes hunt in areas with less snow accumulation where travel is easier. The coyote also competes with the red fox, which it will kill upon encountering. For this reason, areas with high coyote densities often harbour few red foxes. Occasionally, larger animals such as wolves or cougars prey on coyotes.
Coyotes mate between January and March, and females usually bear four to seven pups after a gestation of 58–65 days. Births occur in an underground burrow, usually a hole dug by badgers or by the parent coyotes. Most dens are on hillsides with good drainage (to avoid flooding during rainstorms) and where visibility allows parents to watch the surroundings for danger. Young are born blind and helpless, but, after two to three weeks, pups start emerging from the den to play. Weaning occurs at five to seven weeks, and both parents feed and care for the pups until they are fully grown and independent, usually at six to nine months of age. Young typically disperse in the fall, but some older siblings will help raise younger offspring, and family groups may remain together and form packs during winter.
Coyotes are territorial, and both members of a breeding pair defend the territory against other coyotes. Territories are marked with urine and feces, and it is believed that howling may serve to indicate occupancy of a territory. The size of coyote territories varies among habitats and also depends on its abundance of prey. Most territories, however, range from 10 to 40 square km (4 to 15 square miles).
Coyotes may live up to 21 years or more in captivity, but in the wild few animals live more than 6 to 8 years. Most deaths are now caused by humans, whether for the animals’ fur, for management of domestic or game animals, or because of collisions with vehicles. In the wild, infectious diseases such as mange, canine distemper, and rabies probably are the most common causes of death. Mange is easily detected, as infected coyotes begin to lose fur on parts of their bodies, usually starting at the tail and flanks. Eventually they may die of exposure when the weather turns cold.
An intelligent animal with a reputation for cunning and swiftness, the coyote has long been persecuted because of its predation on domestic or game animals. Until the middle of the 20th century, many states paid bounties for coyotes. Near farms coyotes commonly take livestock, especially sheep. They also can cause damage to fields of ripe watermelon, honeydew, and other market fruits. Near cities coyotes have been known to kill and eat pets left outside overnight. There are several reported cases of attacks on humans, including at least one fatality. However, such events are extremely rare and typically occur where coyotes have lost their fear of humans, such as near suburban areas. Coyotes generally fear and avoid humans, but they habituate well to human presence in parks and cities and are found with regularity in urban settings such as Chicago and Los Angeles.
Coyote populations at the start of the 21st century were greater than ever before in North America, a strong testament to this canine’s ability to adapt and thrive in human-modified landscapes. Despite constant hunting, poisoning, and other means of control in some localities, the coyote persists, and its future seems secure. Indeed, management of coyotes by biologists is concerned more with their overabundance than their rarity. The coyote hybridizes readily with the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris); the offspring are called coydogs.