Stats

Lifespan: 10-14 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Crepuscular
Social: Pack
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: North America
Movement: Running
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Speed
Status: Common

About

A highly adaptable wild canid native to North and Central America, the coyote has expanded its range dramatically since European colonization and now thrives in deserts, forests, grasslands, and cities alike. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word coyotl, and its yipping howl is one of the most recognizable sounds of the American wilderness.

Life cycle

1.
newborn pup
A blind newborn pup nurses and sleeps, completely dependent on its mother.
2.
juvenile
A weaned pup wrestles with littermates, learns its place in the pack, and starts eating meat.
3.
adolescent
An adolescent canid reaches near-adult size with long legs and a thinner coat, learning to hunt cooperatively.
4.
adult
Fully grown and hunting alongside the pack.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: Canis latrans