The Coyote (Canis latrans)
The coyote is a mid-sized, often referred to as 'meso', carnivore. Coyotes weigh between 15 and 35 pounds and feed on a variety of small mammals, birds, and vegetation. Occasionally, coyotes may also consume domestic animals such as backyard chickens and feral cats. Coyotes can be found all across the United States of America and in Canada and parts of Latin America. Their adaptability has lead to a large increase in the range of coyotes and they can be found in a diverse set of habitats ranging from wildlands to densely urbanized cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Coyotes can be solitary or reside in packs and can often be heard howling at night.
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Fun Facts!!
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Coyotes, wolves, and domestic dogs are all closely related enough to inter-breed and create hybrids! These events are very rare and mainly constrained to East Coast populations.
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Coyote litters vary widely in size. When populations are low and food resources are high, coyotes will have larger litters!
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Urban coyotes can vary genetically from rural coyotes (see this paper for more information)
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Coyotes can live up to nearly 15 years in the wild, and nearly 20 years in captivity!
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Coyotes have been know to hunt alongside badgers and even play with them!
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Coyotes can be distinguished from domestic dogs and wolves in a variety of ways. Coyotes and dogs can be distinguished by fur color, coat texture, facial features, and tails. While domestic dogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, coyotes are always light grey and tan, with black-tipped tails, and orange facial and body accents. Like wolves, coyote's tend to have slightly more slanted eyes than domestic dogs. The easiest way to distinguish coyotes and wolves is by size. Wolves can be 2-4 time larger than the average coyote. They also have more rounded ears, a less pointy snout, and come in a larger variety of colors than coyotes do. For more info visit this site.
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Coyote, domestic dog, and wolves can also be identified via their scat (feces). While dogs have blunt-ended and often homogeneously textured scats that form 'logs', coyotes and wolves have ropey, twisty scats that taper at the end. Coyote and wolf scat is typically non-homogenous, and contains hair, bones, and seeds, unlike domestic dogs that typically are only eating dog food. Wolf scat is generally larger than coyote scat, but has similar morphological characteristics.
Identifying a Coyote
Coyote
Dog
Wolf
Photo courtesy of the Seattle Urban Carnivore Project / Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University.