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“Coyotes are also called prairie wolves, though they are smaller than gray wolves.”
The coyote is a medium-sized North American canid adapted to grasslands, forests, and even cities. It hunts rodents and rabbits, howls at night, and ranks as Least Concern.
Canis latransCarnivoraCanidae
Browse photographs of coyote across habitat, behavior, anatomy, and life stages.
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Core article
A closer look at habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and conservation.
Lean, sharp-eared, and endlessly adaptable, the coyote (Canis latrans) is one of North America’s signature wild dogs. This opportunistic carnivore from the Canidae family thrives in open grasslands and prairies, yet also survives in deserts, forest edges, farms, and cities from Canada to Central America.
The coyote belongs to the genus Canis, alongside the gray wolf and domestic dog. Its scientific name is Canis latrans, Latin for “barking dog.” Within Canidae it fills the niche of a mid-sized hunter — lighter than a wolf, larger and more social than most foxes.
Coyotes evolved in North America during the Pleistocene. When large wolf packs later declined or were removed across much of the continent, coyotes expanded eastward into regions where they were once rare. Today they are among the most successful wild canids on Earth.
Adult coyotes typically measure 30 to 40 inches (76 to 102 cm) in body length, with a bushy black-tipped tail adding about 12 to 16 inches. They stand 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) at the shoulder and usually weigh 20 to 50 pounds (9 to 23 kg), though northern animals can be heavier.
Their coat is often grizzled gray or tawny brown with reddish tones on the legs and face — colors that blend into dry grass and scrub. Pointed ears, a narrow muzzle, and keen senses help them locate rodents under snow or soil. Long legs support an efficient trotting gait; in short bursts coyotes can reach about 40 mph (64 km/h).
Coyotes prefer open grassland and prairie habitats where rodents and rabbits are plentiful, but they are habitat generalists. Their range spans Alaska and much of Canada, nearly all of the contiguous United States, Mexico, and south into Central America. They use forest edges, deserts, farmland, and suburban greenbelts as long as cover and food exist.
Dens are often dug in banks, abandoned badger holes, or thick brush. A family territory may include multiple dens used through the year. Because coyotes tolerate human-modified landscapes, they remain common near many towns — a key reason their overall population has grown.
Coyotes are opportunistic carnivores. Rodents, rabbits, and hares form the core of many diets, but individuals also eat birds, insects, fruit, pet food left outdoors, and carrion from livestock or wildlife kills. Hunting often happens at dusk and night, alone or in pairs; family groups may cooperate when chasing larger prey.
Unlike gray wolves that regularly take down adult deer and elk in packs, coyotes more often target smaller prey and scavenge leftovers. This flexible menu helps them survive droughts, harsh winters, and city edges where wild prey is mixed with human food waste.
Coyotes form mated pairs that may stay together for several seasons. Outside the breeding season they often hunt alone, but family units — parents plus young of the year — share a territory marked with urine, scat, and scent. Communication includes howls, yips, growls, and body postures.
Nighttime choruses are famous: a few coyotes can sound like many as yips bounce across valleys. Howling keeps family members in contact and warns rivals. When threatened, coyotes usually flee rather than confront people, though they may defend dens with pups.
Breeding usually peaks in late winter. After a gestation of about 60 to 63 days, the female gives birth to a litter of roughly 4 to 7 pups in a den. Pups are born blind and helpless; eyes open after about 10 to 14 days.
Both parents bring food. By summer, pups explore near the den and practice hunting. Many disperse in autumn or the following year to find their own ranges. Wild coyotes often live 10 to 14 years if they avoid vehicles, disease, and persecution.
(Population and conservation trend data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
The coyote is classified as Least Concern, with an overall increasing population trend. Its adaptability to fragmented landscapes has made it one of the few large carnivores that expanded while others declined.
Threats still matter locally. Road mortality, poisoning, trapping, and conflicts with people and pets reduce individuals near towns. Disease such as mange and canine distemper can hit local packs. Conservation today focuses less on preventing extinction and more on coexistence: securing trash, protecting pets, and avoiding intentional feeding.
Coyotes are also called prairie wolves, though they are smaller than gray wolves.
Their nighttime choruses mix howls, yips, and barks to contact family members.
Coyotes can live in deserts, grasslands, forests, and many cities.
A coyote’s hearing can pick up rodents moving under snow or grass.
Pups may stay with parents for up to a year before dispersing.
Coyotes expanded into eastern North America after large wolf packs declined.
Select a question to reveal the answer.
A coyote is a wild member of the dog family (*Canidae*) native to North America. It is smaller and more adaptable than a gray wolf.
Coyotes live across North America in grasslands, prairies, forest edges, deserts, farmlands, and many suburban areas.
Coyotes are carnivores that mainly hunt rodents and rabbits, but they also eat birds, insects, fruit, and scavenged meat.
Howls and yips help coyotes find family members, mark territory, and warn rivals — especially at dusk and night.
A baby coyote is called a pup. Pups are born in dens and cared for by both parents.
No. Coyotes and wolves are related *Canis* species, but coyotes are usually smaller, hunt more alone or in pairs, and thrive closer to people.
Coyotes are listed as Least Concern. Their overall population is stable to increasing across much of North America.
Wild coyotes usually avoid people. Conflicts happen most often when pets are left unattended or when coyotes are fed intentionally.
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