Facts About Coyote - Prairie Wolf

Coyote, also known as Prairie wolf, is a member of the Canid family, found in North and Central America. Its scientific name is Canis latrans which literally means 'barking dogs'. Coyote has 19 sub-species; 16 of which are found in Canada, Mexico and United States, while the remaining 3 are found in Central America. Let's try to get some more facts about the Coyote - Prairie wolf.

Appearance
The fur coat of a coyote ranges from grayish brown to yellowish gray color. It sports a white fur on its belly and throat. Its black tipped tail has scent glands on its dorsal base. Coyote habitats play a vital role in determining their appearance. Mountain dwelling coyotes sport a darker fur compared to their counter parts found in the desert, who sport a lighter yellowish fur. This creature is 30 to 34 inches long, and can weigh from 10 to 21 kg. The coyotes from the northern areas are heavier than those from southern areas.

Coyote Habitats
Coyotes are very adaptable animals. Native to plains, prairies and deserts earlier, today coyotes have expanded their territory from Alaska in the north to Mexico in the south. These scavengers are also very good hunters. Basically an animal of the plains, these creatures can go anywhere in search of food. Over the years they have adapted themselves very well to different areas ranging from snow-clad Alaska to Mojave desert in California. They can survive in forests, plains or deserts. Coyotes are very tolerant when it comes to being in vicinity of human beings, a characteristic which has helped it to adapt well to any environment, even in the urban settings of California.

Reproduction in Coyote
Mating among coyotes occurs between January and March. The gestation period is for 60 to 63 days. On an average the litter consists of 6 pups, each pup weighing approximately 250 grams at birth. They open their eyes after 10 days from birth, and are totally weaned by the 35th day. The male pups disperse into solitary life once they are 6 months old, while the female pups stay back and become a part of the pack. Coyotes attain full growth by 9 to 12 months and become sexually active after a year.

Coyote Diet
Coyotes are omnivores in nature, but most often feed on small mammals like prairie dogs, eastern cotton tails, ground squirrels and mice. Other than these mammals, coyotes also feed on birds, snakes, lizards and livestock. Fruits and vegetables form an important part of their diet during the winter and autumn, when food is scarce. Although sometimes they feast on carrion, most of the times it is observed that they prefer to eat fresh meat from their kills.

Coyote Hunting Skills
The hunting techniques for a coyote depends on the size of its prey. In case of small animals like mice and ground squirrels, coyotes use their sense of smell to efficiently track the prey and then stalk it from the grass. When hunting a larger prey, like a deer, the coyotes drive the prey to exhaustion and then attack from the rear and flank it, or pull it down to the ground. A pack of coyotes can bring down an animal as big as Elk which weighs about 250 kg. Their powerful sense of hearing and smell is of great help when it comes to hunting. Remarkable runners, they can clock a speed of 40 miles per hour, and are also very good swimmers. Most often considered as crepuscular or nocturnal animals, coyotes are occasionally seen hunting during day.

Conflicts
Coyotes very often come into conflicts with other animals, specially when they share a common range. Other then Gray wolf which is a significant predator of coyotes, they also experience danger from bears, cougars and lynx cats. Reintroduction of Yellow Stone Gray Wolf in 1995 led to a drastic fall of coyote population.

Conflicts with Human Beings
Over a period of time, coyotes have also indulged in conflicts with human beings. Although it is hunted extensively, these species have largely been successful in expanding their area. Coyote sightings have become much more common in urban areas like California, Oregon and New Jersey. These creatures, sometimes act very violently. There have been some incidents wherein human beings, especially small children have been attacked. They are also regarded as pests by the farmers, mainly because of their tendency to attack human and livestock.

Ninety per cent of coyote deaths are caused by human beings either by laying traps, poisoning or shooting them. One probably fails to understand that, coyotes can be friends and not just foes. Often regarded as pests themselves, coyotes feed on pests such as rodents and help farmers. Basically conflicts are bound to arise when two different species come together but it's better to understand that, conflicts are best avoided.