Canis latrans

The coyote weighs 8-22 kg, is 70-97 cm long, stands 45-53 cm tall at the shoulder, and has a tail that is half the length of the body. There are scent glands at the base of the tail. The head is smaller than a fox in proportion to the body, but larger than a wolf. It has erect ears and a drooping tail, which is distinct from that of a domestic dog. The iris of the eye is yellow. Males are larger than females on average. The coyote is similar in appearance to the gray wolf, but is generally smaller in size, has a narrower muzzle and proportionally longer ears, and a more slender body. The coyote has a variety of fur colors, usually brindled gray, or a mixture of brown and gray tones, with darker fur on the back and sometimes black, and lighter hair on the throat and belly. The outer ears and legs are yellowish, and the underparts are gray or white. The fur of coyotes distributed in northern areas is generally thicker and longer, with gray-black upperparts; while coyotes found in desert

Coyotes are canine carnivores in North America, about the same size as domesticated sheepdogs. More than 200 years ago, their range of activity was limited to the northwestern United States, but now has expanded to almost all of North America. They are found in Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States.
Coyotes live in a wide range of environments, including grasslands, deserts, hills, mountains, forests, and tundra, mainly in the Great Plains of North America. They are highly adaptable to the environment and can endure both extreme heat and extreme cold.

Coyote (scientific name: Canis latrans) is a species of Canidae, a close relative of the gray wolf. Because there are as many as 19 subspecies, the body sizes vary greatly. European explorers first discovered this animal in the southwestern United States.

Coyotes used to be active during the day, but due to pressure from human activities, they have become active at night. The life span of a coyote is about 10 years, and the highest record of being kept in captivity is 18 years. It is not as gregarious as a wolf, and most hunting is done independently, sometimes small families will cooperate. It is mainly nocturnal, but also active during the day. It can dig its own holes, but prefers to occupy the holes of groundhogs and badgers without any effort. Coyotes can run at 65 kilometers per hour and can jump up to 4 meters. They can swim but are not good at climbing. Coyotes use howls and smells to communicate. They are completely carnivorous animals, and more than 90% of their food is mammals. Their food includes a variety of animals: bison, deer, elk, sheep, rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, most snakes, crustaceans, insects, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, pears, and cactus fruits. In some areas, coyotes also eat human garbage. They choose food according to the season. In winter, food can include: 1% vegetables, 3% birds, 3% deer, 8% sheep and goats, 15% rodents, 34% rabbits, and 36% carrion. The natural enemies of coyotes are wolves, bears, and cougars. Coyotes will attack smaller canines, such as foxes and even dogs.

Badgers and coyotes have an unusual alliance and symbiosis. Badgers and coyotes move together in the prairie, and coyotes lure badgers to dig holes with their powerful front claws. When prairie dogs emerge from their holes, coyotes capture and kill them, and then leave some food for badgers.

Coyotes only enter estrus once a year, and male coyotes have a spermatogenic cycle every year, which occurs between 2 and 3 months before males and females mate. During mating, males and females connect with each other. They establish a strong social bond, choose a territory, prepare a den, and all hunting activities and sleep together during pregnancy. They are very social and respect the elderly and love the young. In some cases, males and females usually choose the same partner for several years and will be together in January and February during the breeding season. The estrus cycle lasts about 2-5 days.

Depending on the altitude of the environment, coyotes mate from late January to late March. The average gestation period is 63 days, and there are 2-12 pups per litter, with an average of 6 pups. They are born in late April or early May. Newborns weigh about 250 grams, are weak and blind. At 10 days old, their eyes open, their weight increases to 600 grams, and they begin to look like coyotes. Both male and female coyotes are responsible for raising their pups. At three weeks old, pups are able to leave their parents' care. At 21-28 days old, they begin to walk out of the den. After weaning at 35 days, they can roam around with their parents and begin to learn to hunt at eight to twelve weeks. In the fall, coyote pups begin to go out to find their own territory. Male coyotes leave their mothers when they are 6-9 months old, while females usually stay and form family groups with their mothers. They are fully grown and reach sexual maturity in about 12 months. Coyotes live in packs of one male, one female and their offspring; sometimes they can last for years. Sometimes coyotes interbreed with wolves and domestic dogs. Coyotes are usually heard at dusk or at night, most often during the spring mating season and fall when pups leave their parents.

Coyotes are present in large numbers throughout their range as they adapt to human changes to the environment. Eliminating some coyotes may also help coyotes expand. Coyotes have different mortality and growth rates due to geography, food, climate, and seasonal changes. Temporary short-term control can reduce the number of coyotes from being too large, but in most areas coyotes are generally stable wolf populations. Coyotes are hunted by humans, wolves, bears, and mountain lions, the latter two also kill coyote pups. Coyotes play an important role in the food chain, keeping small animals in check. However, they are also a host of rabies, and farmers consider them a threat to poultry and livestock, and they compete with hunters for prey. People hunt coyotes and use their fur to make coats. A coyote skin costs about 17 US dollars in the United States. People are the biggest enemy of coyotes.

Listed in the "World Conservation Union" (IUCN) ver 3.1: 2008 Red List of Endangered Species ver 3.1-Low Concern (LC).

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