11.1. Canis latrans: Coyote http://www.ck12.org
11.1 Canis latrans: Coyote
Common Name
- Coyote
- Brush Wolf
- American Jackal
- Prairie Wolf
Description
Coyotes have gray-brown to yellow-brown fur on the upper half torso and the tail, and whitish fur on the underbelly,
under the muzzle, and on the legs. They have big, tawny ears, a long muzzle with a large black nose, yellow eyes, a
long torso, and a long, bushy tail. Their scientific name,Canis latrans, is Latin for barking dog. The common name
comes from the Nahuatl Indian word coyote. To Native Americans, they were thought to be tricksters and clowns,
but were a god-like being that had a lot to do with the creation of the world and what went on after it.
The complete taxonomic classification is:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Canidae
- Genus:Canis
- Species:C. latrans