Scientific name: Canis latrans
Size: Head and body, 32 to 37 in (81 to 94 cm); Tail, 16 in (41 cm)
Weight: 20 to 50 lbs (9 to 23 kg)
Lifespan: Up to 14 years
The coyote is a member of the dog family (Canidae). This native predator has a well-deserved reputation for intelligence and adaptability, surviving large-scale attempts to eliminate the species from livestock-producing regions.
Where do They Live?
Coyotes historically lived mostly in grasslands and deserts of western North America, but now live throughout much of the continent in many different habitats. Coyotes have expanded northwesterly into Alaska, into the northeastern United States, and south as far as Panama. They live in remote mountainous regions, farmlands, and even in major metropolitan areas coast-to-coast.
The dramatic expansion of coyote range is likely due to several factors. Coyotes are relatively small-bodied yet highly mobile: unlike larger carnivores, they need less food, and unlike smaller carnivores, they are capable of traveling great distances. Thus, coyotes can readily explore and colonize new range, eking out a low-profile existence in places with scarce food.
Other key factors in the continent-wide expansion of coyotes include conversion of eastern forests to farmlands, and the elimination of larger predators—particularly wolves—that would have preyed on coyotes and limited their range.
What do Coyotes Eat?
Coyotes are mostly carnivorous, eating rodents, rabbits and hares, along with larger mammals when the opportunity arises. They will also eat birds, eggs, frogs, fish, reptiles, garbage, and vulnerable livestock.
Coyotes will readily scavenge from kills made by other predators, and are frequently dine alongside grizzly bears in places like Yellowstone National Park. Interestingly, coyotes also form hunting “partnerships” with badgers—the coyote uses its height and eyesight to locate ground squirrels, then the badger uses its superior digging skills to excavate the rodents from their burrows. Biologists have documented that both the badger and the coyote end up with more food than they would hunting alone. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1169/is_/ai_17900506
Pups
Social structure of coyotes varies with habitat conditions and prey availability. In some areas with abundant prey, coyotes may form packs similar to wolves. Often, coyotes live in pairs or singly. Breeding pairs may stay together for several years, cooperating to protect and feed their pups.
