Coyote Facts
Coyote facts can help us to learn more about this beautiful animal.
Coyotes speak in yips, barks and growls. They also communicate with one another by body posture and by marking their territory with their scent.
The female coyote gives birth between January and March.
Coyotes have anywhere from one to a dozen pups in a litter.
One of the most astounding coyote facts is that only 5% to 20% of all coyotes survive their first year.
Coyotes have short lives in the wild. Their lifespan is normally between four and seven years.
Coyotes live together in groups known as packs.
When coyote pups are born, the mom, dad and rest of the pack all take care of them together.
Coyotes weigh between thirty and fifty pounds.
Western coyotes are smaller than Eastern coyotes.
DNA has proven that the Eastern Coyote has bred with wolves.
Coyotes can be found in any area between Central America and the Arctic.
An adult coyote can be between four and five feet long.
Coyotes have tails with black tips.
Coyotes can run at speeds up to 30 to 40 mph.
Dogs and coyotes are in the same family.
Dogs and coyotes can mate but usually the offspring does not live long.
Coyotes eat rodents, rabbits, deer and elk, fish, snakes, lizards, carrion and sometimes small domestic animals like cats or dogs. Although they are carnivores, or meat eaters, if they are hard pressed for food, they will eat some fruits and grass. They are more apt to want to eat the mice and rats that frequent garbage cans than what is in the garbage itself.
The gestation period for coyotes is between sixty and sixty-five days.
The coyote female looks for a den that has been abandoned by other animals when she prepares a place to give birth.
Coyotes mate for life.
Coyote facts tell us that most coyote packs live in a territory of five to ten miles.
Single coyotes may travel an area of up to four-hundred miles.
Coyotes mark their territories with urine and droppings.
Coyotes run with their tails down while dogs run with their tails up.
Coyotes walk on their toes.
Coyotes become sexually mature at around one year of age but do not breed until they are two.
Coyotes are very sly when nabbing prey. Many times one coyote will distract an animal while another coyote sneaks up from behind.
Newborn coyotes live on their mother’s milk for three weeks. Then they move up to eating regurgitated food.
When a dog and a coyote mates, the offspring is called a coy dog.
Sometimes coyotes and badgers will hunt together and share the food.
Coyotes communicate with at least ten different sounds.
The scientific name for coyote is Canis latrans, which means “barking dog.”
From a distance, a coyote looks like a German Shepherd.