Coyotes are important predators for many reasons, some of which include preserving diversity between different animal species, as well as playing a major role in the maintenance of healthy ecosystems.

By hunting and eating smaller animals like foxes and raccoons, coyotes keep populations of various species relatively stable. While doing so, the coyote unintentionally boosts the diversity of birds in the area. Along with population control, the rate of tick-borne diseases is also kept relatively stable.  However, tick-borne diseases are not the only concern; smaller rodents can also be carriers of zoonotic diseases such as hantavirus and the bubonic plague.

Coyotes communicate using body language, scent marking, and sound. Their distinct howls are a mix of barks, whines, and yips. They are one of the few animals capable of the Beau Geste effect, an auditory illusion that involves a rapid shift in pitch to make a small number of coyotes sound like a large pack.

Social structure varies for a coyote pack, ranging from lone individuals to a stable family pack of 3 to 10 members. The social order begins with a breeding alpha male and female at the top of the hierarchy, followed by subordinates and pups.

Coyotes are opportunistic predators that rely on a wide array of hunting tactics to capture their prey. They primarily hunt alone using mousing and ambush tactics but will often team up in pairs to hunt faster targets. Coyotes will occasionally hunt in large groups or packs when pursuing big game.

A coyote’s quarry ranges from small chipmunks, mice, voles, squirrels, and quail to larger animals like jackrabbits, turkey, antelope, and sometimes, even elk. A single coyote will eat up to fifteen mice per day, whereas a pack can live off one deer for several days.

Essential to their native ecosystems, coyotes keep predator and prey numbers in balance while managing disease transmission. Their constant hunting pressure prevents overgrazing by keeping herbivores from staying in one place for too long and ensures the survival of the fittest amongst their prey.

The coyote is a very important predator, a vital contributor to the health of the ecosystem. It is currently listed as a species of least concern with a growing population and a range that has expanded to most of North America.

Photographs by Moose Henderson