Coyote

Coyote (Canis latrans) is an animal of the Canidae family. The word "coyote" comes from the Náhuatl (Aztec) word cóyotl.

Appearance
The color of the coyote's fur is a grayish brown to yellowish gray on the upper parts, while the throat and underside are a more white color. The forelegs, sides of the head, muzzle and feet are reddish brown.

Habitat
Coyotes live only in North America and some areas of Central America. They live in the countryside, but also in cities too. The coyote is found throughout North America from California up to as far as Alaska. They normally live in dens about 6 feet wide and four feet tall.

Life
The coyote is an omnivore and can eat many kinds of food: fruits, grasses, and vegetables in the autumn and winter months along with small animals, for example rabbits, mice, shrews, voles, and foxes. They also eat birds, deer, snakes, and lizards. In the city, coyotes find food easily. They dig up plants in gardens and eat food out of garbage cans.

Sometimes, they join small packs (groups), but normally hunt alone. Coyotes live in dens. They dig a tunnel under the ground and then dig out a larger area at the end of the tunnel where they sleep and have their babies or pups. They can have six pups at a time. Often a coyote den will have two entrances, with one that is hidden. Sometimes they dig more than one den, so they can move if an enemy finds the den.

Coyotes do not have many enemies. Wolves used to eat coyotes, but there are not many wolves left in North America compared to the number of coyotes. The biggest enemy of the coyote is people. They do not usually attack people, but sometimes eat small pets such as cats.

Mythology
The coyote is a character of many myths from Native American peoples. The coyote is often portrayed as a joker, and stories are told to explain things he does. For example, why he barks at the moon.