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Coyotes Facts & Worksheets

The coyote, or prairie wolf, Canis latrans, is a canine native of North America. Coyotes are members of the Canidae family and share a lot of the same traits of their relatives, wolves, dogs, foxes, and jackals.

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The coyote, or prairie wolf, Canis latrans, is a canine native of North America. Coyotes are members of the Canidae family and share a lot of the same traits of their relatives, wolves, dogs, foxes, and jackals. It appears smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf.

See the fact file below for more information on the coyotes or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Coyotes worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • The coyote stands about 60 cm (24 inches) at the shoulder, weighs about 9-23 kg (20-50 pounds), and is about 1-1.3 metres (3.3-4.3 feet) long, including its 30-40cm tail.
  • The coyote has grayish-brown to yellowish-brown fur on top and whitish fur on its underparts. It has large triangular ears on the top of its head and a long, narrow muzzle.
  • It has a black nose, yellow eyes, and a long, bushy tail. One way to tell the coyote apart from wolves and dogs is to watch its tail when it runs. The coyote runs with its tail down, dogs run with their tails up, and wolves run with their tails straight out.

BEHAVIOR

  • The coyote is a very vocal animal. It has a number of vocalizations including barks, growls, yips, whines, and howls.
  • It uses a long howl to let other members of the pack know its location. It uses short barks to warn others of danger.
  • Other vocalizations include growls when establishing dominance, and whining and whimpering when males and females are establishing bonds and high-pitched barks to summon puppies.

DIET

  • The classic coyote diet is varied and consists of more than just meat.
  • Coyotes are omnivores and are not choosy about what they put in their mouths. In fact, among coyote favorites are birds, deer, lizards, rabbits, grass, snakes, rodents, fish, and bugs.
  • When hunting small prey like mice, the coyote stands still with its legs stiff and then pounces on its prey. When hunting larger prey like deer, coyotes hunt in packs. One or more coyotes chase the deer while the others wait, then the next group will pick up the chase. Working in teams like this can tire the deer out, making it easier for coyotes to kill.

HABITAT

  • Coyotes are known for how well they adapt to different habitats. They can even be found living in and around large cities.
  • In the Sonoran Desert, coyotes can be found in all habitats from desert scrub, grasslands, foothills as well as in populated neighborhoods.
  • The coyote makes its den in a rocky crevice, log, cave, or the den of another animal. It usually does not dig its own den. It finds an abandoned den of a badger or a fox and enlarges it.

BREEDING

  • Its breeding season is in February and March. In the spring, females build dens in preparation for their young.
  • Females have a gestation period of 63 days and give birth to groups of three to 12 young at once. The groups of babies are called litters and each coyote baby is called a pup.
  • The size of the litter depends on where the coyotes live. In areas where there are a lot of coyotes, there will be smaller litters. In areas with fewer coyotes, more pups will be born. Both the male and female participate in taking care of the pups.
  • Coyotes are not endangered. In fact, some believe that the coyote population has never been higher.
  • Farmers and ranchers have tried controlling the population with poisons, guns, and traps, but the populations are still growing, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

CONSERVATION

  • In fact, since year 1861, 500,000 coyotes have been killed by the U.S. government to hamper population growth. This is a task that cost taxpayers around $30 million, according to The Educational Broadcasting Corp.
  • Environmentalists firmly believe that the Coyotes are necessary to preserve the balance of nature. Some sportsmen feel the Coyote is responsible for the declines in game species.
  • Biologists agree that individual animals preying on livestock and poultry should be destroyed, but that the species as a whole is not necessarily harmful, because much of its diet is made up of destructive rodents. Biologists also agree that Coyote populations have no lasting effects on other wildlife populations.
  • Coyotes have recently been classified as non-game animals in California and may be hunted throughout the year under the authority of a hunting license.

Coyotes Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about coyotes across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Coyotes worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the coyote, or prairie wolf, Canis latrans, which is a canine native of North America. Coyotes are members of the Canidae family and share a lot of the same traits of their relatives, wolves, dogs, foxes, and jackals. It appears smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Coyotes Facts
  • Coyosome Facts
  • Know The Coyote
  • Coyote Style
  • Stating the Facts
  • Coyote Attributes
  • Illustrate It!
  • Personality Jumble
  • Photo Coyection
  • Spot the Coyote
  • Habitat Collage

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Link will appear as Coyotes Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 8, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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