Coyote behavior

Behavior
- active throughout the year
- principally nocturnal - peak in early evening. May forage during daylight in summer
- hunt singly, in pairs, packs of 3 to 8
- travel single file - if pairs - along game trails and road cuts
- hunting alone - takes small mammals
- hunting in packs - may hunt deer of elk. Two or more may chase large animal 400m
- fastest canine - 40MPH
- leap 14 feet in the air
- holds tail between hind legs while running
- strong swimmer
- territorial
-- body postures
-- Facial expressions
-- scent marking
--- rocks, bushes, stumps, bases of trees. Defecates on small ridges and elevated sites along hunting trails. Scent gland on top of tail about 2" from base - rubs secretion on trees and bushes as individual recognition.
-- vocalizations
--- yip, yelp, howl, growl, bark, woof
--- Canine communications
- commonly rests in a concealed spot on brushy hillsides
- large carcass - will eat organs first and pick bones clean

Coyote mortality

Mortality causes
- humans, fleas, ticks, lice, chiggers, mange, tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, pinworms, heartworms, lungworms, flukes, spiny-headed worms, tularemia, canine distemper, rabies, Q fever, bubonic plague
- Canine pests and diseases
- 11 year old boy developed axillary bubonic plague and plague meningitis 3 days after skinning dead coyote near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Yersinia pestis in spleen and marrow risk is minimal

Coyote description

Description
- long, narrow pointed nose
- erect, pointed ears
- round pupils that shine greenish-gold at night
- both sexes colored alike
- adult males slightly larger
- largest reside in northeast

Fur
- gray to yellow-gray pelage
- middorsal band of long black-tipped guard hairs
- bushy black-tipped tail
- head grizzled gray w/ rusty or yellowish tint along neck and sides
- throat, belly, back of ears, top of nose, legs, feet vary from orangish red to cinnamon
- molting begins in late spring and is completed in summer. Pelage is prime between early December and February

General coyote information

Coyote (barking dog)
Canis latrans
- Aztec Indian word (coyotle)
ki-O-tee
Also called: Eastern coyote, brush wolf, little wolf, prarie wolf, American jackal

Subspecies
Pennsylvania: canis latrans latrans

Size
Length: 46"-54.6"
Tail: 12.7-15.8"
Weight: 25-50lbs

Population density: 1-2/mi(2)

Home range: 1976-19760 acres (5-10 square miles)

Longevity
6-8 years wild
18 years captivity