A few random Coyote facts:
Coyotes’ scientific name Canis latrans translates to barking dog. Adult coyotes have no less than 11 vocal tones for different situations. These can either be for individuals or for a group. For individual coyotes, woofs, huffs, barks, and barking howls either deliver a threat or sound an alarm. Used near their dens, these sounds prompt the pups to retreat inside. Growls can also deliver a threat but are also used by pups playing with each other. Yelping or low-pitched whines communicate submission. A superior coyote responds to submission with high-pitched whines. A lone howl announces a coyote separated from its pack, while group howling marks a reunion. Group howls are also used by coyote packs to announce their presence to other coyotes in an area.
Coyotes are the most common carrier for diseases and parasites of all North American carnivores. Scientists say this is because of their wide range of habitats and diverse diet. Viral diseases known to infect coyotes include rabies, distemper, hepatitis, and even encephalitis. They’re also known to suffer from Tularemia, which is especially fatal for pups. Parasitic infections are also very common, such as mange, ticks, and fleas. Fluke infections are rare but deadly: 90% of fluke-infected coyotes die from the infection. Mites and lice rarely infect coyotes but are less deadly compared to flukes. Now there’s something very useful to know from coyote facts.
Coyotes prey on livestock, costing the owners money and property. Dogs are usually enough to keep coyotes away from livestock, but they don’t always succeed. For this reason, government agents regularly hunt coyotes to control their population. Private individuals also put bounties on coyotes that successfully prey on livestock. In 2017 alone, hunters in Utah killed 11,000 coyotes to collect over $500,000 worth of bounties. A grim, but unfortunate example of coyote facts.
Not all effects of the coyote’s expansion into inhabited areas are bad, though. Rats and other rodents are part of their diet, after all. Coyotes preying on these pests help keep their numbers down and keep them from bothering people.
In the wild, coyotes live on average up to 14 years before dying of old age. In captivity, good care and plentiful food extend this up to 20 years.