Coyote

Coyote

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are hardy animals who have successfully adapted to living alongside humans--they can live in cities, suburbs and towns.  They are able to live in diverse ecological habitats, from deserts to alpine ecosystems.  When wolves were more prevalent in the U.S., they kept the coyote populations down and limited their range.  Now coyotes can be found in every U.S. state, although they are often associated with the American west.  

Coyote's are in the Dog or Canidae family.  They have pointy ears, a long slender muzzle and a bushy tail.  They tend to be buff to gray in color with black tips on their fur.  They tend to be slender and can become quite scrappy looking. 

Coyotes are opportunists going between hunting and scavenging. They eat small mammals including rabbits and rodents, they also take the young of larger mammals including deer and antelope.  They often become a nuisance to ranchers taking young sheep, goats, cows and chickens.  Along with mammals and domestic livestock, they'll eat reptiles and amphibians, fish, birds and carrion., they also eat vegetation, including berries, grass and flowers.   In urban areas they'll often raid trash cans and have been known to take domestic dogs.  They tend to hunt their prey under the cover of night. 

Throughout history there have been efforts to eliminate coyotes, these efforts have been largely unsuccessful, as populations remain relatively healthy.  Coyotes are listed as unprotected and a permit for hunting is not required. 

Sources and related links:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/coyotes.html
http://www.ndow.org/Species/Furbearer/Coyote/

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