How do coyotes live so close to people? Let us find out. Coyotes live in forests, grasslands and deserts, and even in cities. They live in the big city of Los Angeles.

Now look at a coyote. It is about four to five feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. The tail has a black tip. Its eyes are yellow. An adult weighs about 20 to 50 pounds.

What does a coyote eat? It mostly eats small animals such as rabbits and rodents. It eats fruit as well as meat. It will eat almost anything it can find. Scientists studied city coyotes in Cook County, Illinois. Small rodents were the main food of those coyotes.

How do coyotes talk and listen? Coyotes are known for their howls and yips. They howl to tell other coyotes where they are. A coyote has a keen sense of hearing.

How do coyotes hunt? Coyotes hunt alone or in pairs. A coyote can run about 40 miles per hour for a short way.

Coyotes are most active at night. In the Chicago area, coyotes are mostly active at night too.

Now look at a coyote home. Coyotes often live in pairs or in family groups. They are less likely to form packs than wolves are. They make dens in burrows. Often another animal dug the burrow first.

Coyotes mate in late winter. About two months later, in spring, pups are born. A coyote family often has five to seven pups at a time.

So how do coyotes live so close to people? Scientists put GPS collars on coyotes to see where they go. Scientists call coyotes very adaptable animals. They have adapted well to places that people have changed.

Words to know

• adaptable: able to change
• rodents: mice and rats
• collars: neck bands
• mate: pair up

The short version

Coyotes are adaptable animals that now live over most of North America, from forests and deserts to big cities. They mostly eat small animals such as rabbits and rodents, and they take the food that is easy to find. In the Chicago area, coyotes are mostly active at night.

Quick facts

• Coyotes now live over most of North America.
• A coyote is about four to five feet long from the nose to the tail tip.
• Coyotes mostly eat small animals such as rabbits and rodents.
• Scientists put GPS collars on coyotes to see where they go.
• Coyote pups are born in spring, often five to seven at a time.