A member of the dog family (canids) which includes wolves, dogs and foxes. Adult coyotes are 40 to 52 inches (101 to 132cm) long and weigh between 20 to 35 pounds (9 to 16kg). They have a black-tipped bushy tail and their coats can vary from light or reddish grey to a buff colour. They have pointed, erect ears and yellow eyes.Coyotes are the best runners of all the canids. They have long strong legs and 4 well padded toes with non retractable claws. They can travel great distances, at speeds up to 30 miles an hour (48km).
Ten Facts about Coyote
- The Coyote has a very developed sense of smell which he uses for finding food and avoiding dangerous predators. They use their smell to spot a prey that is scurrying below the snow.
- As an aggressive gesture, the coyote's tail becomes bushier and turns sideways.
- In order to not get detected by predators, sometimes coyotes walk on their toes to make as little noise as possible.
- Just like dogs, coyotes use their urine in order to mark their territory.
- Coyotes use holes for sleeping and when they give birth to their pups.
- The coyote is most active during the early morning hours and at twilight.
- The coyote doesn't hunt alone; usually they hunt in groups of 2-3.
- The coyote reaches a respectable speed of 30 miles per hour.
- In a female litter of pups they usually have 5-7. The maximum they have is nineteen. They usually breed in February and it takes about 60 to 63 days. Later on, in late April or May they start feeding at one year and then for the rest of their lives.
- The eastern coyotes are generally larger in size than their western counterparts and recent genetic research has attributed the eastern coyote's larger size to interbreeding with Canadian gray wolves.
