Coyote

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Coyote- this is American. Unlike many predators, he adapted to the invasion of civilization into the world of wild nature and managed to survive, although man destroyed him mercilessly. It was man who contributed to the spread of the coyote throughout the continent. Coyotes used to live only in the plateaus of the West. After the hunt began, he began to flee, and now these predators live throughout North America from Alaska to southern Mexico.

Their nightly howls are heard both by movie stars in their villas among the hills of Hollywood, and by tourists in the state of New Hampshire, where 30 years ago there were not a single coyote. The total number of coyotes in the United States is now about a million.

The coyote resembles a smaller copy - it weighs from 9 to 18 kilograms: three times less than its large relative. His legs are thinner than his, his paws are more graceful, his nose is sharper, his eyes are golden yellow, and his tail is long and fluffy. He is not inferior in intelligence, is more picky about food, has adapted to the neighborhood of people and has learned to avoid being seen by them.

Coyotes have a real family bond. Once a couple is created, they usually stay together for the rest of their lives. The male coyote diligently helps the female raise her pups. He guards them, plays with them, licks them, and brings them part of the prey. Coyotes are relatively small and therefore require a large number of food.

Their needs are fully satisfied by lizards, bird eggs and scraps in trash cans. It is the fact that they almost do not harm agriculture that saved them from extermination. Of course, they sometimes like to raid the chicken coop and eat melons and tomatoes in the fields, but these are very small sins compared to the benefits they bring.

Sheep farmers immediately became the sworn enemies of coyotes, who, lacking lambs, in a rage waged a real war with the coyotes. Although researchers show that coyotes attack sheep very rarely.

Coyotes suffered very heavy losses in this war. In the sixties, predator control reported killing 89,653 coyotes. However, this massacre was ineffective. Coyotes multiplied with unimaginable speed to their former numbers.

Around settlements coyotes began to appear only at night. Where there are few people, you can see them during the day. Sometimes they hunt alone, but more often in pairs and groups. One observer saw six coyotes marching across a field like foot soldiers. When one scared, others immediately blocked his way. Coyotes hunt well in pairs, using various tricks.

So, for example, one coyote drives, and the second sits in ambush behind a bush. Sometimes a coyote begins to tumble in the grass, and meanwhile the second one sneaks up to him, who looks with interest at the strangely twitching coyote. Coyotes often use other animals for their own purposes. Coyote deliberately scares in front of his nose

Titles: coyote, prairie wolf.
The name coyote comes from the Aztec coyotl, "barking dog".

Area: West and central North America. Due to massive deforestation and the extermination of the main food competitors - the common and red wolf - the coyote has spread over a much wider area than its natural historical range. A century ago it was a native inhabitant of the prairie, and today it can be found from Alaska to Central America. The coyote is currently found in 49 states of the United States. He lives both in deserted places and near populated areas, and even on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

Description: In size, the coyote is noticeably inferior to the ordinary wolf, and in its appearance and way of life there is something close to jackals. He has erect ears, long fluffy tail, which while running, he keeps down at an angle of 45 degrees, in contrast to the wolf. The fur is thick and longer than that of a wolf. The guard hairs on a coyote's pelt are about 8 cm long on the back and 12 cm long in the spot between the shoulder blades known as the "mane" or "comb". Coyotes have 42 teeth, including four long incisors.

Color: The coat is smoky, grayish or reddish-brown on the back and sides. The fur coat is strewn with black and gray spots, which allows the coyote to be invisible in the area. The throat and belly are paler than the rest of the body. The end of the tail is black

Size: Body length - 75-100 cm (on average about 90 cm), tail length about 30 cm, shoulder height slightly more than 50 cm. Males are slightly larger than females.

Weight: About 13 kg, maximum - up to 21 kg. Coyotes in the north of the range are larger (average 34 kg) than those living in the extreme south of the range, such as in Mexico (average 11 kg).

Lifespan: In nature - up to 10 years, in captivity - 16-18 years.

Coyote barking and howling
Howling and squealing of coyotes
Howling coyotes

Coyotes communicate with each other on the prairies using vocal signals. The howl of a coyote delights naturalists and terrifies tourists. Coyote communication also includes other vocal signals, such as growls, barks, and whines. Each sound corresponds to a specific feeling or emotion in the coyote, such as anger or submission.

Habitat: The coyote primarily lives on open plains, occupied by prairies and deserts. In the ecosystems of the American prairies, the coyote occupies a place similar to the jackal. He runs into the forests only by chance. Easily adapts to anthropogenic landscapes. In mountainous areas, flesh is found up to 3000 m above sea level.

Enemies: The main enemies of adult coyotes are cougar and wolf. Young animals are sometimes preyed upon by eagles, hawks, owls, cougars, dogs, and even other coyotes. Therefore, less than half of all young coyotes survive to reach sexual maturity. The coyote cannot tolerate the presence of the red fox on its territory as its food competitor.
Diseases such as rabies and hookworms have also caused mortality among coyotes. But their main enemy is man. The coyote was poisoned by dogs, traps were set, tons of strychnine and arsenic were scattered on its way, entire areas were burned out, but thanks to its dexterity it survived. The pesticide, known as 1080, was most successful in killing coyotes, but it also caused great damage to the ecosystem, killing many other animals. The poison accumulated everywhere, even in water and grass, and therefore was subsequently banned for use.

Food: The coyote is omnivorous and extremely unpretentious in food. However, 90% of its diet consists of animal food: hares, rabbits, prairie dogs, marmots and gophers, small rodents. It attacks raccoons, ferrets, opossums and beavers; eats birds (pheasants), insects. Swims well and catches aquatic life: fish, frogs and newts. At the end of summer and autumn, it happily eats berries, fruits (watermelons, grapefruits, apples, persimmons) and ground nuts. IN last years the coyote began to eat sunflower seeds, which are a tangible source for the coyote nutrients, which was not previously noted.
In winter in the northern regions, the coyote switches to feeding on carrion; follows herds of large ungulates, eating the dead and cutting off weakened animals.
It doesn’t bother people at all, but in national parks it sometimes gets so used to them that it even takes food out of their hands.
An analysis of 8,339 coyote stomachs from the western United States found that rabbits made up 33% of their diet; carrion - 25%; rodents - 18%; livestock (mainly sheep and goats) - 13.5%; deer - 3.5%; birds - 3%; insects - 1%; other animals (skunks, weasels, shrews, moles, snakes and lizards) - 1%; plant products - 2%.
Domestic sheep, goats, wild deer and pronghorn are very rarely attacked, although in some places the coyote's favorite food is lambs. Sheep predation is usually observed in the summer, when additional nutrition is needed for adult animals nursing puppies. It was this circumstance that brought the meadow wolf the hatred of sheep farmers. Although the coyote has a notorious reputation for killing sheep and other livestock, studies of its diet indicate that livestock makes up no more than 14% of the coyote's diet.
Coyotes will also sometimes prey on calves, especially around the time of birth. Short-tailed calves are common in western grasslands and their short-tailed appearance is the result of unsuccessful attacks by coyotes. Incidents of coyote attacks on livestock depend largely on the size of the coyote population in the area and the availability of other types of food.

Behavior: Lifestyle is mainly crepuscular. The coyote is distinguished by highly developed higher nervous activity. It adapts well to a changing environment and, despite persecution, has even expanded its range somewhat in recent years.

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Squad - Predators

Family - Wolf

Genus/Species - Canis latrans. Coyote, or meadow

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: 75-100 cm.

Tail length: 30-40 cm.

Height at withers: 45-55 cm.

Weight: 7-20 kg.

REPRODUCTION

Puberty: in year.

Mating season: From January.

Pregnancy: 58-65 days.

Number of cubs: 5-10, usually 6.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: coyote (see photo of animal) is active at night; communicative; adapts to different conditions.

What to eat: small mammals, carrion, deer and sheep.

Lifespan: usually 4 years, in nature - up to 14 years, in captivity - up to 22 years.

RELATED SPECIES

The family includes 8 more species, for example, the wolf and the domestic dog.

A wild coyote tries to attack a person. Video (00:04:55)

Unlike most large predators in North America, coyotes, after the arrival of European colonists, managed to expand their habitat thanks to their ability to adapt. Despite this, today the coyote population is declining - they are often hunted by hunters or fall into traps set by shepherds.

REPRODUCTION

Coyotes, also called prairie wolves, usually form permanent pairs. This is due to the fact that in nature they do not live long - about 4 years. “Long-living” coyotes have more than one partner. During the mating season, which lasts several weeks, the female is ready to mate for only 10 days. After mating, a pair of coyotes digs a hole. In some regions, parents carefully arrange a hole, in other places they occupy, for example, an abandoned badger or fox hole. Sometimes the coyote's den is located in small caves, rock crevices, or in the hollows of wind-fallen trees. Puppies are born after two months.

Parents take care of them for 7 weeks. At first, coyote pups consume only their mother's milk. After just 3 weeks, puppies begin to eat solid food. Both parents constantly hunt and bring the caught prey to the cubs.

At the age of 9 months, coyotes become adults and reach sexual maturity by one year. In most cases, young coyotes mate within the next year. They leave the mother's hole and go in search of a hunting area for themselves, sometimes covering a distance of more than 150 km. If the territory of residence of one of the parents is rich in food, the cubs remain with their parents for some time and hunt in a pack.

WHERE IS IT FOUND?

The coyote inhabits the area from the cold regions of Alaska to Costa Rica. One can admire the coyote's ability to adapt to environment. Coyotes are more likely to settle on open plains and in areas covered with sparse bushes. In its natural environment, the coyote lives in a certain area; in less suitable areas it leads a nomadic lifestyle. The area is marked with urine and sound signals: barking and prolonged howling. Coyotes that live in the mountains usually move to the valleys for the winter.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

At dusk, coyotes leave their resting areas and go hunting. They are excellent at communicating with each other and adapt their hunting methods to the surrounding conditions and the prey they hunt. Coyotes feed almost exclusively on meat: approximately 90% of their diet consists of squirrels and small rodents.

During a hunt, like a coyote, it jumps up and lands with all its paws on the back of the victim. Coyotes can also attack a large animal, such as a deer, but then the whole pack must participate in the hunt. A coyote pack most often consists of 6 animals. When hunting, coyotes behave like wolves: the pack surrounds the chosen victim and chases it until the animal gives up.

Coyotes in a pack do not have such a complex hierarchical organization and constancy as wolves. Coyotes feed not only on caught prey, but also on carrion. In some areas, carrion makes up up to half of their total diet.

COYOTE AND MAN

Although it seems strange, humans have, in a sense, caused the spread of coyotes. By eliminating wolves, the main competitors of coyotes, from the vast expanses of the United States, and cutting down the forests that once covered most of North and Central America, people created favorable conditions for expanding the range of coyotes far to the east. People have long hunted coyotes for their beautiful fur and destroyed them to protect sheep herds. In the early 70s of the XX century. More than 100,000 coyotes were killed annually in the western United States. In 1977, more than 320,000 animal skins were brought to the world market from North America. These days, the mass killing of coyotes for their fur is increasingly condemned. In 12 states, coyotes are protected; in the rest of the American continent, hunting for them is regulated by law.

GENERAL PROVISIONS. DESCRIPTION

Of course, farmers and cowboys hate the coyote for his antics, but attempts at eradication have not been successful. This was facilitated by the amazing intelligence and cunning of the animals, who quickly learned to avoid bullets, traps and poisoned baits. In our time, the coyote has remained one of the typical animals of North America.

This animal is familiar to residents of Canada, America and Mexico. The coyote, of course, is a close relative of the wolf and, but this is a completely special species that can be called that way. The body length reaches a meter, the long fluffy tail is 40 cm, and the weight does not exceed 20 kg. Prefers prairies and open plains interspersed with trees and shrubs. Willingly inhabits areas indented by gorges with rocky outcrops. It is usually not found deep in forests and mountains. They live in married couples. The female gives birth to 5-6 cubs. They hunt rodents, hares and birds. They often attack young deer, feed on carrion, and visit landfills in search of garbage. In addition, on occasion, a coyote will always carry away a chicken or lamb.

INTERESTING FACTS. DID YOU KNOW THAT...

• Although the name of the animals sounds like a Spanish word, it comes from the Aztec name for the animal.
• The coyote and the American badger have an amazing partnership. It has been proven that coyotes track down hamsters and other rodents, and then show badgers their holes. The badger breaks open a hole and shares the kill with the coyote.
• Coyotes use not only howls to communicate with each other, but also at least ten other sounds. For example, they may whine, squeak and growl.
• Coyotes sometimes mate with domestic dogs.

COYOTE'S HOLE

Nora: is located in a cave, in crevices among rocks, in the hollow of a fallen tree, or in a deep hole, and there is no bedding in the lair. Can use an abandoned badger or fox hole.

Puppies: They spend the first weeks of life in a hole; their parents bring them food.

- Coyote habitat

WHERE DOES COYOTE LIVE?

Inhabits all of North America, from Alaska to Costa Rica, east to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Not found on the Atlantic coast.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The coyote is protected in 12 US states and is hunted in others. The species is endangered.

From the language of the Aztecs " coyote"translates as "barking dog", which is not surprising, since this animal is an indigenous inhabitant of North America. Not so long ago it was exclusively a resident of the prairies, but is now found throughout the continent from Alaska to Los Angeles. There is only one reason for this - in the last hundred years a large number of and. Wolves are direct food competitors of the coyote. Now coyotes are found not only in deserted areas, but also near cities and towns.

The coyote is much smaller than a wolf, with a body length of 75-100 cm, and a weight of 13-21 kg. Males are slightly larger than females. In the northern regions, the animals are larger (up to 34 kg), and in the south they are smaller (11 kg). In appearance and in its lifestyle, the coyote is similar to the jackal. It has 42 teeth, 4 incisors, sharp erect ears, a long fluffy tail (the tail is held down when running). The coat is about 8 cm long on the back and 12 cm between the shoulder blades (called the mane or comb), and is grayish or reddish-brown in color. The color on the belly is much lighter than on the back, and the tail is black at the end. The fur has a large number of gray and black spots, which help the coyote remain invisible in the area. The mane is also lighter than the rest of the color.

The coyote, although a predator, is an omnivore. The coyote mainly hunts ground squirrels, marmots, small rodents, hares, rabbits, frogs, newts, and prairie dogs. Coyote is a good swimmer, which allows him to hunt fish and other inhabitants of the body of water. It also hunts ferrets, opossums, and eats birds and insects. In autumn, he enjoys eating berries, nuts and fruits.

As winter approaches, the coyote begins to eat carrion. Often follows herds of large animals, killing the weakened and eating the dead. Coyote never attacks people. In national parks, coyotes become so accustomed to people that they even allow themselves to be fed by hand.

Basically, the coyote prefers to live in prairies and deserts. Very rarely it can be found in forests - the beast loves open areas. Shares habitat with jackals. Found in mountainous areas up to 3000m above sea level. It adapts to anthropogenic terrain very easily and quickly. Despite persecution, the coyote population has even expanded its range.

Coyotes communicate with each other using vocal signals. The howl of the animal is very beautiful, although a little scary - it really scares tourists. With the help of howling, barking and whining, the coyote conveys messages to its relatives. This is how he expresses his emotions - fear, anger, submission, etc.

The coyote has a large number of enemies, but the main one is man. People set dogs on them, set traps, burned their habitat, poisoned them with pesticides, but the coyote still survived. And it should be noted that the actions taken by humans to destroy coyotes brought no less harm to the entire ecosystem as a whole. So, over time, drug 1080 was banned. This toxic chemical most successfully destroyed the coyote population, but at the same time caused enormous harm to other living creatures, accumulating in water and grass, which was the main reason for its ban.

Among the predators, the coyote's enemies are the wolf and the fox - they are the main competitors in food production. Young coyotes are often attacked by cougars, eagles, dogs, owls, wolves, and sometimes other coyotes. Less than half of all cubs survive to full maturity.

Coyotes, also known as meadow wolves (Latin Canis latrans) are widespread predatory mammals belonging to the canine family. From the Aztec language the word coyotl. translates as “barking dog.”

Description of a coyote

The Coyote species is represented by nineteen subspecies, sixteen of which inhabit the territory of America, Canada and Mexico, and three subspecies live in Central America. In the New World, meadow wolves occupy the same niche as jackals in Eurasia.

Appearance

Coyotes are noticeably smaller in body size. The length of an adult predator is only 75-100 cm, and the tail is about a quarter of a meter. The height of the animal at the withers does not exceed 45-50 cm. The average weight of the predator varies between 7-21 kg. Along with other wild dogs, prairie wolves have erect ears and a long bushy tail.

This is interesting! Coyotes living in mountainous areas have darker fur, while desert predators have light brown fur.

Coyotes are characterized by fairly long brown fur with gray and black patches. In the belly area the fur is very light, and at the tip of the tail it is pure black. Compared to ordinary wolves, coyotes have a more elongated and pointed muzzle, which is slightly reminiscent of a fox in shape.

Character and lifestyle

Coyotes have adapted much better than wolves to living near human habitation and are developing territories almost in parallel with people. Meadow wolves, as a rule, avoid forest areas and prefer flat areas - prairies and deserts. Sometimes they are found on the outskirts of megacities and fairly large settlements. Representatives of all subspecies are characterized by maximum activity at dusk.

Adult coyotes are good at digging holes, but are also capable of settling in other people's empty homes.. The standard territory of a predator is about nineteen kilometers, and for movement the animals use paths marked with urine. In areas where there are no common wolves or their numbers are small, coyotes are able to reproduce very quickly and actively.

Despite its small size, carnivorous mammal can jump three to four meters and run at speeds of up to 40-65 km/h. Quite numerous representatives of the Canidae family have been moving in the footsteps of discoverers for a long time and have taken root in almost any new conditions without problems. Initially, the habitat of coyotes was exclusively the southern and central regions of North America, but now almost the entire continent is inhabited by the subspecies.

How long do coyotes live?

In the wild, coyotes usually live no more than ten years, and the average life expectancy of a predator in captivity is approximately eighteen years.

Types of coyotes

There are currently nineteen known subspecies of meadow wolves living today:

• C.latrans latrans;
• C.latrans carttis;
• C.latrans cleticus;
• C.latrans diskeyi;
• C.latrans frustrоr;
• C.latrans goldmani;
• C. latrans hondurensis;
• C. latrans impavidus;
• C.latrans incolatus;
• C.latrans jamesi;
• C.latrans lestes;
• C.latrans meаrnsi;
• C.latrans microdon;
• C.latrans ochropus;
• C.latrans peninsulae;
• C.latrans techensis;
• C.latrans thamnos;
• C.latrans umpquensis;
• C.latrans vigilis.

Range, habitats

The main distribution area of ​​the meadow wolf is the West and central part of North America. Mass clearing of forested areas and the extermination of the main food competitors represented by wolves and red wolves allowed coyotes to spread over vast areas compared to their original historical range.

This is interesting! Coyotes very easily adapt to the anthropogenic landscape, and in mountainous areas such predators are found even at two to three thousand meters above sea level.

A century ago, prairie wolves were the original inhabitants of the prairie, but now coyotes are found almost everywhere, from Central America to Alaska.

Coyote diet

Coyotes are omnivorous and extremely unpretentious predators in food, but a significant part of the diet is represented by food of animal origin, including hares and rabbits, and gophers, small rodents. Coyotes often prey on raccoons, birds, and even some insects. Meadow wolves swim very well and are able to successfully hunt all kinds of aquatic life, including fish, frogs and newts.

In the last ten days of summer and early autumn, meadow wolves happily eat berries and all kinds of fruits, as well as groundnuts and sunflower seeds. With the onset of winter, coyotes living in the northern territories switch to a more acceptable diet and feed on carrion and weakened, old or sick animals. Predators inhabiting National parks, quickly get used to people, so they are able to take food even from human hands.

In accordance with the analysis of the gastric contents of coyotes, the standard diet of a predator is represented by:

• carrion – 25%;
• small rodents – 18%;
• livestock – 13.5%;
• wild deer – 3.5%;
• birds – 3.0%;
• insects – 1.0%;
• other animals – 1.0%;
• products of plant origin – 2.0%.

Meadow wolves rarely attack adult livestock, large livestock, and wild deer, but they are capable of being forced to hunt lambs or newborn calves.

Reproduction and offspring

Coyotes apparently form pairs once and for life. Meadow wolves are very responsible and attentive parents, touchingly caring for their offspring. The active breeding season occurs in January or February. Pregnancy lasts a couple of months. After the babies appear, adult coyotes hunt in turns and reliably guard the den, which is a shallow hole or rocky crevice. Each family of meadow wolves necessarily has several spare dwellings, where parents transfer their offspring at the slightest suspicion of danger.

Meadow wolves reach sexual maturity at the age of approximately one year, but, as a rule, married couples form only after reaching two years of age. Most often, four to twelve puppies are born in a litter, which become sighted only at ten days of age. For the first month, coyotes feed on their mother’s milk, after which the cubs begin to gradually leave their den, and the puppies become completely independent only in the fall. Males most often leave the parental burrow, while sexually mature females, on the contrary, prefer to remain in the parental pack. The largest number of young animals die during the first year of life.

Care for growing children is shared equally by both parents.. In the very first days after the birth of the puppies, the female does not leave the hole at all, so all problems of obtaining food are completely solved exclusively by the male, who leaves rodents at the entrance to the hole, but can also regurgitate semi-digested food. As soon as the puppies grow a little older, both parents begin to participate in the hunt. Quite often, in a large den, puppies from two or three females are born and raised together. There are also well-known cases of coyotes interbreeding with wolves or domestic and wild dogs, resulting in the birth of hybrid individuals.