Coyote

Canis latrans · The coyote is a species of canine, smaller than the gray wolf, that is native to North America.

Also called Prairie wolf, Brush wolf, American jackal.

Coyote
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Coyote
Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0
Coyote
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCarnivora
FamilyCanidae
GenusCanis
SpeciesCanis latrans

Where it lives

Across North and Central America, from Alaska to Panama.

Fun facts

  • Coyotes sometimes team up with American badgers to dig up rodents, and some have been seen laying their heads on their badger buddies.
  • Coyotes have at least 11 different vocalizations, and one description calls them the most vocal of all wild North American mammals.
  • Coyotes can kill porcupines by working in pairs to flip them onto their backs and attack the soft underbelly.
  • A female coyote in heat can attract up to seven males, which may follow her for as long as a month.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).