Where’s Wildlife · Mammal Field Guide
Canis latrans
Pronounced (approx.): KAY-nis LAY-trans
An adaptable wild canine whose tracks and calls often reveal it before a sighting does.
Coyote. Select the image to browse all 9 photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Pointed ears and narrow muzzle
Long legs and lean body
Bushy tail often carried low
Compare views, markings and body shapes in the photographs below.
A coyote has a lean body, long legs, upright ears and a relatively narrow muzzle. Its coat mixes gray, tan, reddish and dark hairs, with considerable variation between animals. The bushy tail commonly has a dark tip.
Compared with many domestic dogs, a coyote has a more consistently slender shape and often carries its tail below the level of its back while moving. A Red Fox is smaller and typically has a white-tipped tail. Use shape, movement and setting together.
Coyotes live in many environments, from open country to city green spaces. They eat small mammals and other animal prey but also take fruit and carrion. Their flexible diet and habitat use help explain why they occur so widely.
A coyote may hunt alone, travel with a mate or belong to a family group. Both parents can help raise the pups, which begin life in a den. Howls, yips, scent marks and body postures help coyotes communicate with one another.
Coyotes use both animal and plant foods.
Seeing one alone does not mean it has no family group.
Howls and yips can reveal animals hidden from view.
Coyotes occur across much of North and Central America. Their distribution has expanded into many areas, including settled landscapes. Local observation maps show reported encounters, not every place where coyotes live.
Explore reported sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.