The Coyote                   

Introduction

The name coyote is a Spanish alteration of the original Aztec name coyotl. The Latin name Canis latrans, meaning barking dog, was given to it by Thomas Say, who published a description of the species in 1833. Since 1967, its official name has been coyote. Coyotes are very vocal animals. They have three distinct vocalizations: the bark, the yelp and the howl. They usually use these calls in combination to let the pack know where they are.

The coyote is a member of the dog family, similar in appearance to a medium size shepherd. It has grayish brown to yellowish brown fur on top and whitish fur on its underpart and weighs between 20 and 30 pounds. It has large triangular ears on the top of its head and a long, narrow muzzle with a black nose, yellow eyes and a long bushy tail. Males tend to be larger than females. The coyote runs with its tail down and can run 40 km an hour. They change direction at the slightest hint of trouble, communicate vocally from several miles away, and have good memories. They can live 15 years in the wild.

Food Habits

Coyotes usually hunt alone, sometimes as a pair, but rarely, as a pack. The most important foods are rats and mice, rabbits, wild fruits insects, birds and virtually any type of carrion. Coyotes are active day or night, but usually most active at sunset and sunrise. Most of its diet is made up of mammals, but it also will eat birds and snakes. It prefers to eat fresh kill, but it will eat carrion. In the fall and winter, the coyote often eats fruits, vegetables and berries. When hunting small prey like mice, the coyote will stand still with its legs stiff and then pounce on its prey. When hunting larger prey like deer, coyotes hunt in packs. One or more coyote will chase the deer while the others wait, then the next pick up the chase. Working in teams like this the coyote can tire the deer out, making it easier to kill.

They most often kill larger prey by biting the throat, causing death by suffocation. Coyotes frequently adjust their grip on the prey's neck, leaving multiple bite marks. Coyotes may attack fleeing animals from the rear, biting the legs or tail to slow them down.

Family Life

Coyotes make their dens in rocky crevices, logs, caves, or the dens of other animals. Although the coyote usually digs its own den, it will sometimes enlarge an old badger hole or perhaps fix up a natural hole in a rocky ledge to suit its own needs. Coyotes have one breeding cycle per year. Coyotes can first breed when they are 10 months old. The proportion of the yearling females that breed varies as a function of food supply: in good years, a higher proportion breed than in years when food is scarce. Coyotes can breed with domestic dogs and produce fertile offspring. Hybridization occurs infrequently in the wild. Coyotes breed in late winter; following a 63-day gestation period, an average of 6 pups are born. Both parents, and occasionally nonbreeding offspring from previous years, help rear the young. The coyote mates between February and April. The female may mate with more than one male. Two months after mating the female can give birth to between one and nineteen pups, though the average litter size is usually around six. The pups are born blind and with floppy ears. They will open their eyes in about ten days. The pups will begin to come out of their den when they are about three to four weeks old. They are weaned when they are about a month old. Once they are fully weaned, both parents feed the pups regurgitated food. Male pups will leave their mother when they are between six and nine months old. Only 5-20% of coyote pups survive their first year. Female pups will stay with their mother's pack. Male and female coyotes pair off and mate together for several years.

Winter Habits

Coyotes are well-insulated coyotes and cope with extreme cold by bedding down individually. They will lie down in a snowstorm and curl up in the snow.

Threats

The coyote has numerous foes. Chief among these are people; in some areas, 90% of the deaths of coyotes older than five months are caused by people, whether purposefully with guns, poison, and traps, or accidentally with vehicles and farm machinery. Wolves, black bears, mountain lions, and eagles all prey on the coyote. A Lynx can kill a coyote but will not attempt to do so unless the odds are in its favor.

Parasites and diseases can sometimes lead to death. Common are outbreaks of sarcoptic mange, an infestation by microscopic mites that causes thickening of the skin, loss of hair, and itching. Heartworm and hookworm are other common parasites of coyotes. Coyotes may also suffer from diseases such as distemper, canine hepatitis, rabies, and parvo virus.

Benefits

Environmentalists firmly believe that the coyotes are necessary to preserve the balance of nature. Although it sometimes causes problems, the coyote has its rightful place in the fauna: more and more people appreciate its value as a scavenger and a predator of rodents.

Problems and Solutions

Coyotes are not a threat to human safety but will kill domestic dogs and house cats. U.S. Fish and Game recommends that domestic dogs not be left unattended and house cats not be allowed outside.

Coyotes also may do garden damage, especially in melon patches. To exclude coyotes, woven or welded wire fences should be at least 4 feet high with barbed wire above for a total minimum height of 5 feet. Mesh sizes should not exceed 4 x 6 inches (coyotes can squeeze through fences with larger mesh).