Coyote || Description, Characteristics and Facts!

the coyote the coyote is a species of canine native to north america it is smaller than its close relative the grey wolf and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf it fills much of the same ecological niche as the golden jackal does in eurasia though it is larger and more predatory and it is sometimes called the american jackal by zoologists other names for the species largely historical include the prairie wolf and the brush wolf the coyote is listed as least concerned by the international union for conservation of nature due to its wide distribution and abundance throughout north america southwards through mexico and into central america the species is versatile able to adapt to and expand into environments modified by humans it is enlarging its range with coyotes moving into urban areas in the eastern u.s and was cited in eastern panama for the first time in 2013. the coyote has 19 recognized subspecies the average male weighs 8 to 20 kilograms and the average female 7 to 18 kilogram their fur color is predominantly light gray and red or fulves interspersed with black and white though it varies somewhat with geography it is highly flexible in social organization living either in a family unit or in loosely knit packs of unrelated individuals primarily carnivorous its diet consists mainly of deer rabbits hares rodents birds reptiles amphibians fish and invertebrates though it may also eat fruits and vegetables on occasion its characteristic vocalization is a hell made by solitary individuals humans are the coyotes greatest threat followed by cougars and grey wolves in spite of this coyotes sometimes mate with grey eastern or red wolves producing coy wolf hybrids in the northeastern regions of north america the eastern coyote is the result of various historical and recent matings with various types of wolves genetic studies show that most north american wolves contain some level of coyote dna the coyote is a prominent character in native american folklore mainly in arido america usually depicted as a trickster that ultimately assumes the form of an actual coyote or a man as with other trickster figures the coyote uses deception and humor to rebel against social conventions the animal was especially respected in mesoamerican cosmology as a symbol of military might after the european colonisation of the americas it was seen in anglo-american culture as a cowardly and untrustworthy animal unlike wolves which have undergone an improvement of their public image attitudes towards the coyote remain largely negative description coyote males average 8 to 20 kilograms in weight while females average 7 to 18 kilograms though size varies geographically northern subspecies which average 18 kilograms tend to grow larger than the southern subspecies of mexico which average 11.5 kilogram body length ranges on average from 1.0 to 1.35 metres and tail length 40 centimeters with females being shorter in both body length and height the largest coyote on record was a male killed near afton wyoming on november 19 1937 which measured 1.5 metres from nose to tail and weighed 34 kilogram scent glands are located at the upper side of the base of the tail and are a bluish black colour the colour and texture of the coyote's fur varies somewhat geographically the hair's predominant colour is light gray and red or fulves interspersed around the body with black and white coyotes living at high elevations tend to have more black and grey shades than their desert dwelling counterparts which are more fulves or whitish grey the coyotes fur consists of short soft underfur and long coarse guard hairs the fur of northern subspecies is longer and denser than in southern forms with the fur of some mexican and central american forms being almost her speed generally adult coyotes have a sable coat colour dark neonatal coat colour bushy tail with an active supracortal gland and a white facial mask albinism is extremely rare in coyotes out of a total of 750 000 coyotes killed by federal and cooperative hunters between march 22nd 1938 and june 30 1945 only two were albinos the coyote is typically smaller than the grey wolf but has longer ears and a relatively larger brain case as well as a thinner frame face and muzzle the scent glands are smaller than the grey wolves but are the same colour its fur colour variation is much less varied than that of a wolf the coyote also carries its tail downwards when running or walking rather than horizontally as the wolf does coyote tracks can be distinguished from those of dogs by their more elongated less rounded shape unlike dogs the upper canines of coyotes extend past the mental foramina thanks for watching

Channel: Animals Descriptions

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Id: 8nrHv9yQoos

Length: 4min 56sec (296 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 06 2020