Coyote Facts for Kids

Coyotes look like thin gray dogs with big ears. They yip and howl at night. Some live in deserts, and some even live in cities.

A coyote eats almost anything, from mice and rabbits to insects and berries, so it can live in deserts, forests, farms and even big cities. Coyotes yip, bark and howl, and just a few together can sound like a whole crowd. A mother and father raise their pups in a den, and the pups grow up learning from their family.

Coyotes are very good at adapting, which is why they now live across nearly all of North America. Their big ears and sharp noses help them find food, and a coyote can hear a mouse moving under the snow. Coyotes sometimes hunt side by side with badgers, an unusual team-up between two kinds of animals. Near towns, coyotes are shy of people, so it is best to watch from far away and never feed them.