Coyotes live over most of North America. They live in forests. They live in grasslands. They live in deserts. They live in cities too.

Coyotes mostly eat small animals. Rabbits and rodents are two kinds. They eat fruit. They eat meat too. A coyote will eat almost anything it can find.

Coyotes hunt alone or in pairs. Coyotes are most active at night.

A coyote can run about 40 miles per hour. It can go that fast for a short way.

Look at a coyote. An adult weighs about 20 to 50 pounds. Its eyes are yellow. Its tail has a black tip.

Coyotes are known for their howls and yips. They make barks too. A coyote has a keen sense of hearing.

A den is in a burrow. Often another animal dug it first.

Coyotes often live in pairs. They live in family groups too. Pups are born in spring. A coyote family often has five to seven pups.

Words to know

• keen: very good
• rodents: mice and rats
• burrow: a hole home
• yips: short high cries