Coyote
Source:USFWS/George
Harrision
Scientific Name: Canis latrans
Family: Canidae (canine)
Size: Coyotes are approximately 23 to 26 inches tall and 3 to 4 feet in length.
Description: Coyotes have a course grey-colored coat, streaked with yellowish-brown and black, and they have a bushy tail with a black tip.
Diet: The coyote is an omnivore and eats mice, rats, ground squirrels, gophers, and other small mammals. Coyotes also eat some insects, reptiles, amphibians, fruits, and occasionally birds, and bird eggs.
Habitat: Coyotes occur in a variety of habitats from open grasslands to urban areas. Coyotes prefer open areas of vegetation, including farm areas, where they are more likely to capture prey. In GGNRA the coyote's range may extend from along coastal scrub and grassland areas in the Marin Headlands, to the redwood forests of Muir Woods, and to the grassland, oak-woodland areas of Olema and Tennessee valleys. In the southern areas of GGNRA, the coyote may inhabit Sweeny Ridge and the San Francisco watershed lands in San Mateo County.
Status: This species is not listed as a special status species..
Interesting Information: Coyotes are highly adaptable predators and are found throughout the United States. They may be found close to urban areas because they are adaptive of human activities.
References:
National Audubon Society. 1998. Field Guide to California. Peter Alden et al. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
U.S.Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
