The Crestone Eagle, December 2007:

Coyote population is at a high
by Keno

One of our common wildlife neighbors in the Crestone region is the coyote, a mammal of the order carnivore. The name “coyote” is derived from the Nahuatl word coyotl, and its Latin name Canis latrans, means “barking dog”.

Coyotes originally ranged primarily in the southwest corner of the U.S., but they adapted to the changes caused by human occupation and, in the past 200 years, have been steadily extending their range. They are now found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada, and occurring as far north as Alaska. There are currently 19 recognized subspecies, with 16 in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and three in Central America. They are of the same genus that includes the gray wolf (Canis lupus), and all the breeds of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). They are also related to jackals (Canis aureus) that live in Europe, Africa and Asia

A member of the dog family, its size and shape is like a medium-sized Collie, but its tail is round and bushy and is carried straight out below the level of its back.

Around the Crestone area, coyotes are usually rust colored with a gray or white belly and throat. Coyotes found in low deserts and valleys weigh about 20 pounds, less than half of their mountain kin who can weigh up to 50 pounds. It’s unknown how many live in the Crestone region or even Colorado, as neither the state nor the Department of Wildlife keeps track of their population.

Ron Rivele of the DOW says for the Crestone area they are at their peak now. One only has to live here and hear their cries at night to know that we have our fair share. There are enough of these animals throughout the state that Colorado doesn’t regulate the hunting of coyotes. They can be killed any time. Coyotes are showing up everywhere, even in big cities. In Los Angeles, the population is estimated at 9,000.

In Colorado coyotes live statewide. They thrive despite widespread attempts to control or eradicate them. The availability of food plays an important role on where they show up. They primarily eat small mammals such as rabbits, ground squirrels, and mice, though they will eat birds, snakes, deer, and livestock, as well as large insects. They are scavengers and will eat almost any dead or injured animal, and are known to go into open garbage dumps where carcasses of poultry or livestock are discarded. Coyotes are not always the cleanest of killers when they are hungry. Rivele recalls one encounter when he and a rancher found a coyote in the act of eating the hind quarter of a sheep—while it was still alive!

Coyotes tend not to roam in large packs, though they do sometimes travel in small, single sexed groups. These groups are usually not as unified as wolf packs, and they readily disperse and regroup. The collective name for a group of coyotes is a band, a pack, or a rout. Coyotes are primarily nocturnal.

Coyotes live around 10 years in the wild and 18 years in captivity. They are a fast animal, too. During a pursuit, a coyote may reach speeds over 40mph.

They are capable of digging their own burrows, though they often use the burrows of woodchucks or American badgers. Coyote territorial ranges can be as large as a 10 mile radius around the den, and travel occurs along fixed trails.

Coyotes mate from January until late March. Once the female chooses a partner, the mated pair may remain monogamous for a number of years.

Litter size ranges from one to as many as 19 pups though the average is 6. Fewer than 20% of the pups will survive their first year. The pups are blind at birth; their eyes open after ten days. Around 25 days after birth, the young will emerge from the den and by 35 days they are fully weaned. Both parents feed the weaned cubs with regurgitated food, yet the mother does not allow the father to come into the den. Male pups will disperse from their dens after 6-9 months. Sometimes the females may remain with the parents and form the basis of the pack. Yet usually in a year’s time, most of the cubs go their own way, staking out their own territory, marked with the scent of their urine.

Coyotes will sometimes mate with domestic dogs. The resulting hybrids are called coydogs when the mating is between a male coyote and a female dog. The offspring is called a dogote when a male dog and a female coyote breed. Where the cross-breeding of animals takes place, the father’s species gives the first part of the offspring’s name. It should be noted that it is rare when dogotes are born; coydogs are more common.

Hearing a coyote is more common than seeing one. In the Crestone area we are used to hearing their howls, yips, yelps and barks. These calls are often heard at dusk or night, less often during the day. Cries are most common during the spring mating season and in the fall when the pups leave their families to establish new territories. Sometimes when it is first heard, the human listener may experience a tingling fear of primitive danger, but to the seasoned Crestonian, the howl of the coyote is truly a song of our home town. With many locals, if we hear a dog barking late at night, it tends to be annoying, yet the cries of the coyotes are something most of us enjoy hearing.

Coyote attacks on humans have increased as they lose their fear of people, although they are uncommon. There is currently only one recorded fatal attack on a human As many in our area know, they attack and kill cats and small dogs. If a coyote approaches you or your pet, you can throw rocks or sticks and use a loud, authoritative voice to frighten the animal away. Plus, remember to never allow your dogs to run with coyotes, and never feed a coyote.

Back to Archives Page

Subscribe to the Eagle!