![]() ![]() Average life spans in the wild is five years of age, although they can live into their teens. Coyotes sometimes succumb to wolves, mountain lions, and bears. Unless they are habituated to humans, coyotes are generally shy and wary of people. ![]() This area is fiercely defended against other coyotes and predators, especially during the spring and early summer months when pups are present. Den sites are usually found in the core area or middle of the circle. Pups succumb to predation, disease, weather, and other natural causes.Ĭoyote territories are best described as circular areas. Litter size varies from 4 to 9 pups, with an average of two pups surviving the first year in unexploited populations (in areas where heavy trapping and hunting does not occur). Pups are born with their eyes closed, and like domestic dogs, open in 10 to 14 days. To protect the pups from infestations of parasites and from being detected by other predators, multiple den sites are used in the raising of a single litter. Coyotes give birth in elaborate den sites often created by digging tunnels into hillsides. They breed in the months of January through early March, and the gestation period is 62 days. Typically, only the alpha pair breeds, and produces one litter a year. Packs consist of a dominant male and female (alpha pair), and extended family members (betas and omegas). Omnivorous by nature, coyotes eat both meat and vegetable matter, although they primarily subsist on rodents and carrion.Ĭoyotes are pack animals with a social structure similar to wolves. The extreme adaptability of this animal enables them to fill the void left open by the elimination of other larger, more specialized predators such as grizzlies, wolves and mountain lions. They live in deserts, prairies, forests, swamps and urban environments. Typically, western coyotes weigh 25-35 pounds, and coyotes in the northeast weigh up to 45 pounds.Ĭoyotes are native only to the western two-thirds of the continent, but are currently found throughout North America from Alaska’s arctic regions and as far south as Costa Rica. ![]() Color varies from grays to red, depending on geographical location, but they uniformly have a black-tipped tail. They resemble a grizzled German Shepherd, with large, pointed ears and a narrow muzzle. The Navaho’s sheep and goat herders greatly revered coyotes, and referred to them as “God’s dog.” It wasn’t until white sheep ranchers began running large herds of unprotected sheep that coyotes began to be viewed in an unfavorable light.Ĭoyotes ( canis latrans, which means talking dog) are wild dogs that appear much larger than they really are. Throughout the world, there are many wild dog species, but North America is home to a very special dog-the coyote! Highly respected by Native Americans, coyotes have held a special place in our history. She's One Cool Dog: Overview of the American Coyote ![]()
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