1. Coyote
Canis latrans
Latrans means “barker”

2. Coyote General Description
Often confused with the wolf
SMALLER
Usually weight: lbs
but record is 75 lbs
Color
Dull Yellow to gray
Different han wolves because smaller. Skull is also different… narrower.. Molars are slightly different because coyote eat more vegetation than wolves. Coyote can’t open its moutha s wide as a wolf so cannot attack large animals.

3. Distribution HUGE DISTRIBUTION Arctic ocean to Mexico
California to New York
Arrived in AK in early 1900s
Spread to NY by 1912
Southern alaska by 1899, moved into the interior a few years later… followed people

5. Coyote Range When food is available: 2-3 miles
Hard times: 100 mile range

6. Habits/Behavior Team hunting Like to play Omnivore
Tend to be monogamous
Nocturnal
Active at night
Sometimes Diurnal
Active during the day

7. Enemies
Wolves
Eat wolf leftovers
Lynx
Large, Domesticated Dogs
Humans

8. Why are coyotes doing so well?
Wolves killed off….
A new niche for coyote
Highly adaptable
Start producing more offspring if population is less. Can produce over 7 pups per couple.

9. But…. People don’t like the coyote
Eats sheep
Eats poultry
Occasionally attacks people
Attacks pets
In 2008 killed 89,710 coyotes. Kill off the “dumb ones” so they keep getting better at avoiding death

10. Interesting facts
Coy-dog
coyote dog hybrid
Wolf-coyote