Bears, wolves and mountain lions will also prey upon coyotes. Humans pose problems for coyotes as they try to navigate across our busy roads. Many coyotes are struck and killed by cars every year. Coyotes have a central den site which is used for rearing the pups and sleeping. They will scent mark the area around the den and defend it from other coyotes. The den can be a burrow dug into the ground, or under a rock outcropping, a tree or a bush.
If the area gets disturbed the mother will often move the pups to a safer location. In the wild, coyotes live between years. In captivity they are known to live much longer, as many as 20 years. A desert coyote usually weighs between 15 to 25 pounds. They stand about 25 inches tall and are 4 feet in length.
Coyotes "sing" as a way to communicate with other coyote families and as a way to keep track of their own family members. Because coyotes are not picky eaters, they have even been known to eat domestic cats and small dogs. Compare with a Dingo of the Australian Desert. Since the s, coyotes have dramatically expanded their range across North America and now are found in an increasing number of cities in the United States and Canada.
Coyotes were initially present at the founding of the Chicago site in the 18th century but disappeared during most of the 19th and 20th centuries. The recent expansion in distribution is unique as other large carnivore populations, such as wolves and bears, were extirpated from many portions of the United States, leading to the absence of large carnivores in most urban landscapes.
The emergence of coyotes in urban systems can have important ecological implications, such as through their role as an apex carnivore and subsequent effects on prey.
Coyotes' fur may be gray, white, tan or brown, depending on where they live. Related: How coyotes dwindled to their modern size. The species was originally only found in the prairies and deserts of central and western North America.
Humans helped facilitate their expansion in the s both by creating more open habitats through logging and agricultural development, and also hunting out wolves and cougars , which are natural coyote competitors, Live Science previously reported. As humans took over more and more countryside, coyotes adapted to live in cities.
Today, coyote populations are thriving in big cities from Los Angeles to New York. Coyotes are not picky eaters. They hunt and eat small prey, such as rodents, rabbits and squirrels, as well as insects and fruit, depending on what is available to them.
Coyotes can also work together to kill deer, according to the Atlanta Coyote Project. Opportunistic coyotes will take advantage of pet food, garbage and other food left out by humans, especially in urban environments.
They have also been known to hunt livestock and human pets, such as dogs and cats. Related: Urban coyotes could set the stage for larger predators in cities. Predatory coyotes can still become prey themselves. Cougars, wolves, grizzly bears and black bears are known to kill coyotes, according to the U.
Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Golden eagles have been known to swoop down and take young coyotes. Humans kill coyotes too, for their fur and in attempts to control their populations. Coyotes generally avoid people, but occasionally they will attack. In a few cases, coyotes have learned to associate humans with food in urban environments, making them bolder around people. Related: Why are there so many coyotes in cities? There were coyote attacks on humans between and in the U.
These attacks were largely in urban and suburban environments. Only two of the attacks were fatal. The most effective way for humans to prevent coyote attacks is to avoid feeding them directly or indirectly, according to the Cook County Coyote Project in Illinois. The project also advises people to not let their pets run loose and to keep their yards secured.
During a coyote encounter, the project recommends that people try to scare the animal away.
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