The coyote is the star of many North American Indian stories, who believe it is the chief of the pre-human animal age.

Life span
Coyotes can live for over 15 years in captivity.

Statistics
Body length: 70-97cm, Tail length: 30-38cm, Standing height: 45-53cm, Weight: 10-18kg.

Physical description
Coyotes are slender-built, grey/brown dogs, with black and grey markings. The end of the tail is black, and the fur is thick and coarse, particularly among Northern varieties.

Distribution
Coyotes are spread across Alaska, Canada, USA, Mexico and Central America.

Habitat
They inhabit open country, prairies and woodland.

Diet
Coyotes feed on small mammals, but also fruit, insects, frogs, snakes and crustaceans.

Behaviour
They do not always live in packs, and may hunt alone or in pairs. They mark their territories with urine and by howling. They live in dens, which they will come back to year after year.

Coyotes are fast runners, and can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. They have acute hearing and a good sense of smell. They are also very vocal, communicating with squeaks, yelps, and howls.

Reproduction
After a gestation period of 60-65 days, the female gives birth to 5-10 pups. Both parents feed the pups, which are weaned after about 35 days. The male pups disperse after 6-9 months, but the females usually stay within the pack.

Conservation status
Coyotes are not considered to be endangered and there has been a marked increase in their range, in spite of hunting by man.