Close your eyes and imagine sitting under a starry Sedona night sky and listening to the howls of a Coyote. It's call to the wild seems to be able to take you back in time.
The image of a wild Coyote is synonymous with the west. Yet they are not just exclusive to the west any longer. It used to be exclusive to the west but now they can be found all over Northern American including as far south as Mexico and Panama. Coyotes have even been spotted in New York City’s Central Park!
They are a member of the dog family and they are just about the size of a small Siberian Husky. It's tail is bushy like a fox and is carried straight out below the level of it's back.
The coyote, like a Husky has 2 coats. One coat has guard hairs to protect him from the weather and a thick, soft undercoat for insulation.
Coyotes are extremely adaptable and will change it's breeding, hunting, eating and social habits to survive. This has allowed them to flourish while the Grey wolf is almost eradicated.
Coyotes are the most vocal of all of the North American mammals. They will use a wide variety of sounds to communicate with one another. Howls, yelps, and high-pitched cries are best known, but they also bark, growl, wail, and squeal. If there are just two coyotes howling in at the same time it can create the illusion of a dozen or more performing in concert. Usually, the coyotes are most often heard around dawn and dusk.
Some people say the sounds is eerie, but to others it is a rare and almost spiritual thing to witness.
Coyotes are omnivores. Like humans, that means they eat both meat and plants. They will eat mice or other rodents, fruit, seeds, berries, or grasshoppers when available.
They are amongst the fasts animals in North America and can run as fast as 45 mph for hours without tiring.
Coyote pairs are monogamous and devoted to each other. They will live as a couple that lasts a lifetime. Most coyote packs are family units consisting of a mated pair (alpha pair) and its current offspring and possibly a few of last year’s offspring (beta coyotes). Usually, the alpha pair are the only breeders with the betas helping to raise pups, gather food and defend their home territory. Only rarely are beta pairs allowed to mate.
The coyote comes from the Aztec word "coyotl", which can be translated into the "trickster." In Native American stories coyotes are clever and tricky. This reputation is based on fact. Coyotes may scan the sky for ravens flying in circles. Coyotes know that the birds often hover over a dead animal, so finding the birds frequently leads to finding a free meal.
Coyotes have even been known to hunt with the badger; with the coyote scenting out burrowing rodents and the badger digging them out, and then both animals will share the feast.
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