Where do coyotes live? Think of a forest. Think of a wide, grassy field. Think of a dry desert. Coyotes live in all of these. They live in cities too. Some live in the big city of Los Angeles. Scientists call coyotes very adaptable animals.
Let's look at a coyote. Picture it standing in a field, and ask how big it is. An adult coyote weighs about 20 to 50 pounds. Keep that number in mind as we look at the rest of the animal, from its eyes to its tail.
Now look closer at the coyote in your picture. Look at its eyes. A coyote's eyes are yellow. Then look at its tail. The tip of its tail is black. Eyes of yellow and a tail with a black tip. Can you see it? Now you know what to look for.
What is a coyote doing after dark? Coyotes are most active at night. So the night is when you might see one out. A coyote has a keen sense of hearing. Picture one standing still in the dark. It is ready to listen. What would it hear?
What is on a coyote's menu? Coyotes mostly eat small animals, such as rabbits and rodents. They eat fruit as well as meat. A coyote will eat almost anything it can find. Coyotes are opportunistic eaters. That means they take the food that is easy to find.
Listen to the night. You might hear a coyote. Coyotes make many different sounds. They howl, yip and bark. Why howl? Coyotes howl to tell other coyotes where they are. Think of it as a call that carries across the dark.
Does a coyote live alone? Coyotes often live in pairs or in family groups. Coyotes hunt alone or in pairs. So a coyote may be on its own, or it may be with a partner when it hunts.
Where does a coyote make a den? Coyotes make dens in burrows. A burrow is a hole in the ground. Often another animal dug the burrow first. So the coyote does not always have to dig. It can move into a hole that is ready.
Now think about the year, from winter to spring. Coyotes mate in late winter. Pups are born about two months later. That puts the pups in spring. A coyote family often has five to seven pups at a time. Think about that many small pups.
Words to know
- burrow: hole in ground
- opportunistic: takes easy food
- mate: pair up
- den: animal home
