||The Mammals of Texas -
Carnivora : Family Canidae : Canis
Description. A medium-sized, slender,
doglike carnivore, similar in appearance to the red wolf* but usually smaller, more slender, with
smaller feet, narrower muzzle, and relatively longer
tail; colors usually paler, less rufous, rarely blackish;
differs from gray
wolves in much smaller size,
smaller feet and skull; upperparts grizzled buffy and
grayish overlaid with black; muzzle, ears and outersides
of legs yellowish buff; tail with black tip, and with
upperpart colored like back. Dental formula: I 3/3, C
1/1, Pm 4/4, M usually 2/2, occasionally 3/3, 3/2, or 2/3
X 2 = 40, 42, or 44. External measurements average: total
length, 1,219 mm; tail, 394 mm; hind foot, 179 mm.
Weight, 14-20 kg.
Distribution in Texas. Statewide.
Habits. Although often called
"prairie wolf," the extensive range of the
coyote includes from sea level to well over 3,000 m and
habitats ranging from desert scrub through grassland into
the timbered sections of the West. Around the turn of the
century, coyotes were not known in eastern Texas, where
red wolves were common. Land use in this area, including
intensive lumbering and agriculture, as well as intensive
predator control, eradicated the wolves and now coyotes
have expanded their range to also include that part of
The basic social unit is the family
group, comprised of a mated pair and their offspring.
Nonfamily coyotes include bachelor males, nonreproductive
females, and near-mature young. They may live alone or
form loose associations of two to six animals. One animal
in such "packs" usually is dominant, but the
interaction among pack members is only temporary.
Coyotes may be active throughout the
day, but they tend to be more active during the early
morning and around sunset. Their movements include travel
within a territory or home range, dispersal from the den,
and long migrations. The home range size of coyotes
varies geographically, seasonally, and individually
The food habits of coyotes are varied.
They are opportunists and make use of anything that can
be eaten garbage, carrion, fresh meat in the form
of both wild and domestic animals, insects, frogs,
snakes, fruits, melons, and so forth. Although coyotes
prey on poultry and the smaller livestock, their natural
foods consist largely of rabbits, rodents, and carrion.
Charles Sperry analyzed 8,339 stomachs of coyotes from
the western United States with the following results
(expressed in percentages): rabbits, 33; carrion, 25;
rodents, 18; domestic livestock (chiefly sheep and
goats), 13.5; deer, 3.5; birds, 3; insects, 1; other
animal matter (skunks, weasels, shrews, moles, snakes,
and lizards), 1; vegetable matter, 2.
Nursery dens are usually located in
brush covered slopes, steep banks, thickets, hollow logs,
or rock ledges. One den was in a hollow cottonwood tree
with the entrance 5 m above the ground. Access to this
unusual den was gained by means of a large limb that
sloped to the ground. They are also known to den in
crevices and shallow caves in rocky bluffs. Rarely is no
den provided for the young.
The breeding season begins in January,
reaches its peak in late February or early March, and
terminates by the middle of May. Coyote mates maintain a
close social bond throughout the year, although when the
female is in late pregnancy the male often hunts alone
and brings food to his mate. One litter a year is the
rule. Normal litter size is two to 12, averaging about
six. The gestation period is approximately 63 days. At
birth, the young are blind and helpless. The eyes open at
about 9 days of age and by October or November the young
are difficult to distinguish from their parents.
Few coyotes live more than 6-8 years in
the wild. Losses are due mainly to predation, parasites
and disease, and man. Mortality is particularly high for
pups, who are vulnerable to hawks, owls, eagles, mountain
lions, and even other coyotes. Hunting and trapping
account for many adult deaths. In terms of economic
importance, the coyote is the second most important
furbearing animal in the state, exceeded only by the
* see the Red Wolf species
entry for a detailed
comparison of the two animals.
Photo credit: John