11.1. Canis latrans: Coyote http://www.ck12.org
mice. They will also eat small birds, snakes, lizards, deer, javelina, cattle, and small insects. Coyotes are omnivores
and also eat fruits.
Anatomy and Physiology
Coyotes have keen hearing and sense of smell but have a limitation to the colors they can see. Coyotes have blade-
like teeth for ripping meat off, but they have flat teeth for chewing plants. They have a gland in their nose, like all
canids, called the Jacobson’s organ, which is used for a better sense of smell. The ears of the coyote have a chain
of three tiny bones that pick up sound waves. Coyotes have long, black -tipped tails that they use for balance when
running, and non-retractable claws to provide gripping. Coyotes stand at less than two feet tall with ears that appear
pointed. They have a four-chambered heart used to pump blood in their body. The heart is used to pump blood into
the arteries, and two lungs to pump oxygen into the blood. Coyotes are warm blooded, which means that they can
maintain body temperature. Coyotes, like all mammals, have mammary glands, so they feed their young milk. The
coyote, like other mammals, gives birth to live young.
Behavior
Coyotes usually live in packs, but hunt in pairs. Coyotes are nocturnal. Coyotes are very vocal animals. It has
a number of calls for different reasons. The male coyote might mate with more than one female. Coyotes mate
between January-March. Two months later (April-June) the babies are born. The mother can have as low as one pup
and up to 19 pups. The normal amount of pups is six. The pups are born blind and floppy-eared. They open their
eyes after 10-14 days. After 3-4 weeks they come out of their den for the first time. They are weaned when they are
one month old. When they are fully weaned, the parents start to give them regurgitated food. Male pups stay with
their mom for nine months. Females stay with their mother’s pack. Males and females pair off and mate together
for several years. Coyotes have a lifespan of ten years.
References
- Encyclopedia of Life, http://eol.org/.
- Invertebrate Evolution, CK-12, http://www.ck12.org/biology/Invertebrate-Evolution/lesson/Invertebrate-Evolu
tion/ - Animal Evolution, CK-12, http://www.ck12.org/biology/Animal-Evolution/lesson/Animal-Evolution/
- Evolution of Early Mammals, CK-12, http://www.ck12.org/biology/Evolution-of-Early-Mammals/lesson/Ev
olution-of-Early-Mammals/ - http://www.animals.nationalgeographic.com
- http://www.biology-online.org
- http://www.nhptv.org
- http://www.naturebytesvideo.com
- http://www.Phoenixzoo.org
- http://www.thewildlifenews.com
- Cartaino, Carol.Myths and Truths about Coyotes: What You Need to Know about America’s Most Formidable
Predator. Birmingham, Ala.: Menasha Ridge, 2011. Print.