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Critter Coyote (Canis latrans)
This is Critter, a female Coyote, born in the Spring of 2011. Critter joined our family after her mother was hit by a car, and the people who rescued her could not properly care for her. She is healthy and we wish we could release her back into the wild, but we cannot because she has imprinted on humans. Coyotes do not make good pets, and lucky for Critter, she will have a happy life here at our facility.
Coyote is a Spanish alteration of the original Aztec name coyote. The Latin name Canis latrans, means barking dog.
Relying on teeth alone, prey is grasped by the throat and suffocated. A coyote kill can always be identified by tooth punctures around the throat. Predation to deer and domestic sheep has been blamed on coyotes, but multiple animal attacks are more commonly roaming packs of dogs. Dogs most often mutilate their prey on several parts of the body and mangle the flanks and hindquarters, but do not usually eat animals they have killed.
Coyotes will feed on livestock killed by dogs and will shun fresh meat for something that is a day old or more. Tracks around the dead livestock are another way to determine whether the attack was dogs or a coyote. Coyote tracks are oval shaped with the front track larger than the hind track. Dog tracks are rounder, and the nails show more prominently.
Coyotes are more visible between April and August because the majority of coyote kits are born in spring throughout the following months. Although folklore suggests they are howling at the moon, the coyote's howl, a more high-pitched yipping than a true howl, is perhaps used to declare their territory to warn others to respect territorial boundaries.
Coyote Statistics:
| Body Length | 32-37 inches |
| Tail | 16 inches |
| Height at Shoulders | up to 17 inches |
| Weight | 20-50 pounds |
| Gestation Period | 2 months |
| Litter Size | 3-12 |
| Life Span | 14 years in the wild: 22 years in captivity |
| Status | Least Concern |
