Coyote

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Breed Details

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Coyote originated throughout North and Central America ranging from Canada, the United States of America including Alaska, North Mexico and South Panama. This breed is a member of the dog family. Their size and shape are like a medium-sized Collie dog, although its tail is round and bushy and is carried straight out below the level of its back.

This breed can be categorized into the Dessert Coyotes and the Mountain Coyotes. The Dessert Coyotes can be commonly found in low desserts and valleys weighing about 20 pounds, less than half of their mountain kin, who can weigh up to 50 pounds. Dessert Coyotes are light gray or tan with a black tip on the tail. However, Mountain Coyotes are found in high elevations. They have a fur that is darker, thicker and longer; the under parts are nearly white, with some specimens having a white tip on the tail. In winter the coats of the mountain Coyotes become long and silky, and trappers hunt them for their fur.

The Coyotes's main diet is meat including fish, frogs, mice, rats, snakes and insects. They also eat other plants, fruits and berries. In human populated areas they have been known to snatch up a kitten or small dog. They have also been known to hunt farm animals taking down the larger animals while working in a pack. They hunt alone when hunting smaller prey such as mice or rats, but when it hunts larger animals they often hunt in packs.

Color

The coat of the Coyotes varies according to the habitat they have. Dessert Coyotes are light gray or tan with a black tip on the tail while the Mountain Coyotes are nearly white, with some specimens having a white tip on the tail. But they are common as having a grey or buff coat.

Coat

The coat of Coyotes are thick, medium in length, silky and soft to touch. A Mountain Coyote, however, can be distinguished as having a thicker, darker and longer coat.

Personality

The Coyote is one of the most adaptable animals in the world, they can change their breeding habits, diet and social dynamics to survive in a wide variety of habitats. Alone, in pairs or in packs, Coyotes maintain their territories by marking them with urine. They also use calls to defend this territory, as well as for strengthening social bonds and general communication. Coyotes can easily leap an 8 foot fence or wall. They have been spotted climbing over 14 foot cyclone fence. Although the Coyote usually digs its own den, it will sometimes enlarge an old badger hole or perhaps fix up a natural hole in a rocky ledge to suit its own needs. Dens are usually hidden from view, but they are fairly easy to locate because of the trails that lead away from the den. The coyote uses the den to birth its young and to sleep. The coyote does not hibernate. Coyotes have a good sense of smell, vision and hearing which, coupled with evasiveness, enables them to survive both in the wild and occasionally in the suburban areas of large cities. They are common in most rural areas, but because of their secretive nature, few are seen. Efforts to control or exterminate the Coyote by predator control agents seem to have produced an animal that is extremely alert and wary and well able to maintain itself.

Care

The dark, thick coat of the Coyote is commonly used commercially. Trappers hunt for their coat. Their cot sheds very little to none and are seasonal. Occasional brushing of coat will help them upkeep their coat and maintain them healthy and good looking.

Training

The Coyotes are intelligent breeds and can be trained easily. It is important to give them early obedience training and socialization to help them maintain their well-balanced temperament. They can be aggressive when not socialized well. Training should be firm, fair, consistent and with positive reinforcement.

Activity

The Coyote will often occupy a range of 10 to 12 miles or more looking for food. It's the natural instinct to migrate to find food that the domestic dog still obtains. They will hunt in both day and night. They are capable of reaching speeds up to 40 miles per hour (65 km/h). Coyote live in packs, in pairs and will also live alone. They are very adaptable to their surroundings. Coyote do not hibernate. They live in dens that they either dug themselves or ones that another animal once lived in. If they can find natural caves in the rocks they sometimes take up residents in them using it as a den.