The Western Coyote is the most adaptable, resilient mammal and predator on earth. They have the biggest brain of the Canid family, in relation to body size.
Their family vocalizations are probably the most misinterpreted and misunderstood behavior of Coyotes. They are known as the song Dog. Their calls have nothing to do with hunting. When they hunt, they are silent. They have a very complex way of communicating. They are taking a population census each time they vocalize, and are calling in their pups and defending their territory. They have been persecuted and heavily hunted for the last 150 years. When hunted and they lose family members, the structure and dynamic of the family pack are disrupted, and they respond by having larger litters, often up to 19 Pups. The remaining females all go into estrus and begin breeding the following season to compensate. They mate for life and are found to be 100% monogamous. The only pack members that breed are the alpha male and alpha female. Breeding takes place on February 14 and February 15, and the litter is born 63 days later on April 18. Many studies have been done examining the scat, whiskers, and stomach contents of Coyotes.
Here are the results:
urban Western Coyote diet
Coyotes are omnivorous. In the late summer and fall, their diet is mainly fruit.
42% Rodents The average Coyote eats about 1,800 Rodents a year. (Voles, Moles, Shrews, Gophers, Mice, Rats, Tree Squirrels, Ground Squirrels)
24% Fruit, Vegetables, and Nuts (Apples, Nectarines, Raspberries, Strawberries, Peaches, Plums, Pears, Watermelons, Oranges, Cherries, Elderberries, Avocados, Grass, Corn, Figs, Acorns, plant matter, seeds)
18% Rabbits
10% Birds (Canadian Geese, and their eggs, Ducks, and their eggs, Chickens, and their eggs, Sage Grouse, and their eggs, Quail, and their eggs, and other ground-dwelling Birds, and their eggs)
4% Insects (Moths, June Bugs, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Caterpillars)
2% Discarded human food, pet food
1.3% Pets (mainly domestic Cats, not feral Cats, a portion of which are roadkill, or carrion)
Chicago, Illinois has this protection in place for Coyotes.
Thank you!
Kim Gerard
Covina, California 91724
(626)825-9761
westerncoyote@californiamail.com
