Coyote

Canis latrans

Coyotes sometimes form hunting partnerships with American badgers; the coyote chases prey above ground while the badger digs them out below.

Scientific name

Canis latrans

Taxonomy

Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Carnivora › Canidae › Canis

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Population trend

increasing

Biome

grassland

Habitat

Extremely adaptable, ranging from open grasslands and deserts to dense forests and metropolitan urban centers.

Diet

Opportunistic omnivore consuming rodents, rabbits, deer, fruit, insects, carrion, and occasionally human refuse.

Range

North America, Central America

Size

15-46 lbs (7-21 kg), 3.3-4.3 feet (1-1.3 m) in length

Lifespan

10-14 years in the wild

Active

crepuscular

Threats

Vehicle collisions, rodenticide poisoning, and targeted hunting or trapping due to human-wildlife conflict.

Safe to approach?

Coyotes are generally defensive and avoid humans, but can become habituated if fed. Maintain a safe distance of at least 150 feet. If approached, stand tall, wave your arms, and make loud noises (hazing) to scare it away. Never run, as this can trigger their chase instinct. In the rare event of a bite, wash the wound with soap and water immediately and seek urgent medical care for rabies evaluation.

The coyote ( Canis latrans ); from Nahuatl pronunciation (help·info)) is a canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological niche as the golden jackal does in Eurasia, though it is larger and more predatory, and is sometimes called the American jackal by zoologists.

Photo: avocat, CC-BY, via iNaturalist

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