Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, we had a coyote hanging around our neighborhood. So of course, I went straight to Wikipedia to find out how concerned I should be about it. It turns out we have 20,000-30,000 Eastern coyotes here in New York State, and they’re quite common in urban and suburban areas. They aren’t strictly nocturnal, though they are more active around sunset and at night. Seeing a coyote during the day doesn’t necessarily mean it is sick or unhealthy, but caution should always be exercised.
The Eastern coyote is a mix of coyote, wolf, and dog. They look similar to a German shepherd but are about half the size, weighing 45-55 pounds on average. They’re larger than coyotes west of the Mississippi and have only been in the Northeast since the mid to late-1940s. They’re opportunistic and will prey on whatever is available and easy to scavenge. Their diets consist of white-tailed deer, mice, voles, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, and insects.
They don’t migrate and live year-long in an area known as their home range. They’re territorial and will firmly defend their range, especially if they have a den of pups nearby. Coyotes are monogamous and mate for life. They have adapted to living near humans, and human development actually makes for a good coyote habitat. The abundant food supply makes it possible for coyotes to live near people.
The most famous of all coyotes is of course Wile E. Coyote. While coyotes do occasionally chase roadrunners for food, in reality coyotes outpace them! Roadrunners can reach speeds of 15-20 mph while coyotes can run twice as fast, up to 43 mph!
Learn more here.