Coyote (Canis latrans)

The coyote's name derives from the Aztec word for the species, coyotl. It is a medium-sized member of the canid family with a narrow muzzle, large pointed ears and long slender legs.

Size varies between populations and from one area to another, but coyotes are generally 28-38 inches long, plus a 15 inch tail, 18-21 inches in height, and weigh 25-33 pounds, with males slightly larger than females. The coat is a grizzled buff-gray with yellowish-brown feet and forelegs. Coyotes may live up to 14 years in the wild, 18 years in captivity. Females produce one litter of pups a year, averaging 6 pups per litter.

Coyotes range across most of North America from northern Alaska to Costa Rica in open country and grassland, as well as forests and even urban areas. Coyotes are extremely adaptable, and their range has expanded as populations of larger predators, such as the wolf, have been decimated by man. They are opportunistic predators. Small mammals such as ground squirrels, mice, and prairie dogs make up most of their diet, but they will occasionally kill larger prey, such as pronghorn and deer, and even eat carrion, fruit and insects. Coyotes prey on black-footed ferrets, and may also carry canine distemper--a viral disease which is fatal to ferrets and other mammals.