Wildlife Washington Wildlife Coyotes Main Content
Coyotes make many different sounds to express themselves. They can make howling sounds that travel long distances. They greet each other by whining and make woof or growl sounds to warn of danger.
The pups are born in the spring and there are usually 5 to 10 babies. Where coyotes are heavily hunted, mothers will have more babies in each litter. If coyotes in the area are solitary, the young will spend about 6 to 8 months with their mother before finding their own territory. If the coyotes are born into a family group or pack, they may stay with them for their entire lives.
Coyotes live about 4 to 6 years. Natural predators of coyotes are cougars, bears and other coyotes. Young coyotes are sometimes preyed upon by eagles. Coyotes face many human-created dangers as well, such as domestic dogs, cars, trappers and hunters.
Coyotes use their dens for resting and raising young. The mother coyote digs her den, or a few dens, in the same area. She may move the babies to different dens while they are young to help them stay safe from predators. Moving dens also helps prevent one from getting too dirty. Depending upon the area, she may dig under an uprooted tree, in a thicket, on a hillside or use a storm drain. She will often us the same dens to raise pups for several years.
The size of the home range, or place where a coyote lives, depends on how much food is available and how many coyotes live in the area.
Coyotes need clean fresh water to drink. They also need natural water sources like lakes and streams to find nutritious things to eat. In cities it is harder for coyotes to find clean water.
Coyotes and other wild animals do not make good pets. It's also against the law to keep them in your home. To find out why, check out the wild animals as pets page.
Coyotes
Coyotes at PAWS
Coyote pups usually arrive at PAWS after their mother has been killed by a car. Occasionally an adult coyote survives being hit by a car, but is injured, and is brought to PAWS to get medical care. Wildlife experts at PAWS care for these coyotes both young and adult to make them better so they can be released back into the wild. They have to be very careful not to let the coyotes get used to people while in PAWS' care, so they don't go up to people when they are released in the wild.
Fun Facts
Description
Coyotes look like gray, or reddish-gray, medium-sized dogs. Coyotes who live in the mountains or colder places are usually bigger and have more fur than those who live in the desert. They have a pointed nose and bushy tail. Their bellies are lighter in color than their backs.
Family
Sometimes a mother coyote will raise her young alone. In other areas a pair of coyotes may live together for many years and share the responsibility of raising young ones.
Home
Hundreds of years ago coyotes were found primarily in the open lands of the Midwest and parts of Canada and Mexico. In the 1800's as white settlers moved across the country they eradicated gray wolves which were the coyotes' primary competition. They also changed the landscape. Coyotes followed. They were attracted to the garbage, rodents, and clearings associated with human settlements. Today coyotes can be found across most of North America and in many habitats including grasslands, forests, farm areas, urban parks and the suburbs.
Food & Water
Coyotes are omnivorous, and will eat a wide variety of plants and animals. They are very good at catching mice, rats, rabbits and squirrels. Coyotes will also eat fruit, vegetables, bugs, frogs, birdseed, road kill and even garbage. They will usually only catch domestic animals when their natural prey has been reduced or eliminated.
Living with Coyotes in Your Neighborhood
If your family is having a conflict with coyotes, or you found a coyote that you think is injured or Orphaned, you can get free help by calling the PAWS Wildlife Center at 425.787.2500 x817.
Want to Know More?
Learn more about wildlife at the main PAWS website.
