Mammals Codexery

Coyote

A versatile North American canine known for adaptability and trickster folklore.

Last updated

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a canid species first scientifically described by Thomas Say in 1819.[1][2] The coyote is a prominent trickster figure in Native American folklore, especially in Aridoamerica.[3] The species' scientific name, Canis latrans, means "barking dog," a label that comes from the wide range of sounds it makes.[4]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. InfraclassPlacentalia
  4. OrderCarnivora
  5. FamilyCanidae
  6. GenusCanis
  7. SpeciesCanis latrans

Named by Say, 1823

Close relatives

Other species of Canis with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Coyote (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 1506654 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2018

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

Where the coyote has been recorded

Where the coyote has been recorded9 mapped locations from 107,452 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (107,452 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 441 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Quick Facts

Scientific name
Canis latrans
Common names
  • American jackal
  • prairie wolf
  • brush wolf
Average male weight
8 to 20 kg (18 to 44 lb / 20 kg)
Average female weight
7 to 18 kg (15 to 40 lb / 18.1 kg)
Number of subspecies
19
Conservation status
Least concern
Primary threat
Humans

Facts from the source article.

Biology and range

Coyote tracks are more elongated and less rounded than those of dogs.[5] The coyote was first scientifically described by Thomas Say in September 1819 near Council Bluffs, Missouri.[1] The oldest fossils within the modern coyote's range date to 0.74–0.85 million years ago in Hamilton Cave, West Virginia.[6] Male coyotes weigh between 8 and 20 kg on average, while females typically weigh 7 to 18 kg.[7]

Compared to the gray wolf, the coyote is usually smaller, has longer ears, and possesses a braincase that is proportionally larger.[8] When Europeans first colonized the Americas, coyotes were mostly found in the open plains and dry areas of the continent's western half.[9] Thomas Say recorded the distinction between a "prairie wolf" (the coyote) and the Great Plains wolf, which he gave the scientific name Canis nubilus.[1]

What the specialist sources record

The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy lists Canis latrans as an accepted species within the family Canidae.[2] A 2013 article by Zimmer reports that coyotes arrived in Newfoundland in 1985, with as few as three individuals making the journey.[10] Zimmer notes that by 2013, Newfoundland was home to several thousand coyotes that prey on caribou and scavenge moose carcasses.[10] Zimmer reports that white coyotes in Newfoundland possess two copies of a specific Mc1r gene variant.[10]

The Open Library record for "Wild Mammals of North America" lists its publisher as Johns Hopkins University Press and its publication year as 2003.[11] The Open Library record for "Coyotes" lists its publisher as Blackburn Press and its publication year as 2001.[12]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: James, "Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, performed in the years 1819 and '20", Longman, Hurst, Pees, Orre, & Brown, 1823, p. 168–174; Mussulman, "Thomas Say: Canis latrans", Discovering Lewis & Clark, November 2004 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Canis latrans (taxon key 5219153). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Way, J. G., "Love wolves and hate coyotes? A conundrum for canid enthusiasts", International Wolf, 2012, p. 8–11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Gier, "The Wild Canids: Their systematics, behavioral ecology, and evolution", Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1974, p. 247–262; Bekoff, "Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, management, and conservation", Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003, p. 467–470; Lehner, "Coyotes: Biology, Behavior, and Management", Academic Press, 1978, p. 127–162 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Vantassel, "Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook", Wildlife Control Consultant, 2012, p. 112; Bekoff M., "Canis latrans", Mammalian Species, 1977, p. 1–9 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tedford Wang Taylor 2009, p. 131; Meachen, "Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012, p. 4191–6; Meachen, "Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012, p. 4191–6; Meachen, "Ecological Changes in Coyotes (Canis latrans) in Response to the Ice Age Megafaunal Extinctions", PLOS ONE, 2014; Meachen, "Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal ex en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bekoff M., "Canis latrans", Mammalian Species, 1977, p. 1–9; ; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bekoff M., "Canis latrans", Mammalian Species, 1977, p. 1–9 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Coyote" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nowak 1979, p. 14 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Zimmer, "Snow Coyotes and Spirit Bears", January 21, 2013. facts only, no text reused. phenomena.nationalgeographic.com
  11. Open Library record, ISBN 9780801874161 ("Wild Mammals of North America"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
  12. Open Library record, ISBN 9781930665422 ("Coyotes"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Coyote (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Also in the Codexery

Coyote · Canids And Hyaenids

More in Mammals

AardvarkAnteaterAntelopeBeaverCamelCattleDingoDormouseEquidaeEuropean badgerEuropean bisonGaur

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. What is the scientific name of the coyote?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Canis latrans.

2. Who first scientifically described the coyote?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Thomas Say.

3. What is the IUCN Red List category of the coyote?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Least Concern.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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