World of Animals
Featured Animals
General
Although coyotes are often pictured as solitary, they really are not. We hope you uncover more interesting facts in this profile! To jump to a specific section, use the Quick Jump below by clicking on the headings.
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| Sizes -Length: 30-40 inches (head and body) -Tail: 12-16 inches -Height: 12-22 inches (at shoulder) -Weight: 15-45 lbs. |
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Habitat
and Habits
-ranges from icy Alaska to Costa Rica
-can adapt to many habitats
-most at home in open grassland and thinly wooded brush
-some have defined territories
-in other habitats they live a more nomadic life
-in some areas they stay in the hills in the summer and move to valleys in winter
Food
and Feeding
-hunt mostly at night
-adjust their hunting technique to suit the prey and environment
-almost completely carnivores
-jackrabbits, ground squirrels, and small rodents make up 90% of their diet
-coyotes usually stalk their prey and pounce on it
-they also pursue larger animals such as deer or elk in packs of six
-like wolves, they work
together to track down, harass, and kill larger prey
-their packs are less stable than wolf packs
-sometimes feed on carrion (dead animals) as well as live prey
-in some areas, dead cattle and sheep make up 1/2 their diet
Coyote
and Man
-humans have helped to increase the coyote's population by:
-getting rid of the wolf population
-thinning and
eliminating many forests
-people also hunt them for their pelts and to prevent them from killing sheep
-during early 1970s, 100,000 were trapped/poisoned/shot a year
-today it is protected in 12 states
-hunting is regulated in most of North America
Links for More Information
-The Coyote