Coyotes, looking similar to foxes and wolves, can vary in color, size and weight. Their pelts will vary from a grayish brown to yellowish gray, while their belly will tend to have a white or grayish color. The head, muzzle, and front legs will tend to be reddish brown. Its ears are proportionately large in relation to the head, while the opposite is true about its feet in relation to the body as a whole. A coyote will be on average 30 to 34 inches in length and weigh anywhere from 16 to 46 pounds. A coyote has exceptional hearing capabilities, and can run up to speeds of 43 mph, and can jump over a distance of 13 feet.
Though observed to travel in large groups, coyotes will primarily hunt in pairs. A typical pack will consist of six closely related adults and young. Their packs are smaller than wolf packs, and they are more similar socially to the dingo. Formerly being diurnal creatures, the presence of man has changed their habits to a more nocturnal behavior. Capable of digging their own burrows, a coyote territory can range as much as 19 kilometers in diameter around their den. The life span of a wild coyote is a maximum of 10 years, while a coyote kept in captivity may live up to 18 years.
Mating for coyotes will take place between late January and late March, and a gestation period will last from 60 to 63 days. Once born, a litter can contain anywhere from 1 to 19 pups, though the average is 6. There is however a high mortality rate, with 50-70% not surviving to adulthood.
Coyotes are carnivores, primarily eating small mammals, but will also eat birds, amphibians, deer, and livestock. They have an adaptive diet, and as such have been known to eat human garbage and domestic pets. During the winter months, a coyote will eat more fruit and vegetables than it would in other parts of the year. Despite hum
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an interaction via hunting, the coyote population has increased in size over the years, and sightings commonly occur all across the United States and can be observed foraging in suburban trash cans.
Many coyotes may carry rabies, a lethal disease that is carried in the saliva and transmitted by bites. Coyotes should not be approached or handled except by professionals.
