Predator Species
Arizona's premier predator is also an important fur
resource. Found throughout Arizona, the coyote is probably the state's most
familiar animal. Even where coyotes are not often seen, campers can hear their
choruses of howls, yelps, and barks on almost any night. The animal's pointed
ears, narrow nose, generally brown coat color, and black-tipped tail, which is
usually held downward, help differentiate coyotes from dogs and wolves. The head
and body length of coyotes is about 2 ½ to 3 feet with the tail adding another
foot or so. Adult males are larger than females, the two sexes averaging about
21 and 17 ½ pounds, respectively. A very large male may attain a weight of 35
pounds. Contrary to popular belief, coyotes do not readily interbreed with
either dogs or wolves.
Natural History
Coyotes are opportunists, feeding mainly on small mammals, but also on carrion,
bird eggs, and vegetable matter such as manzanita and juniper berries. They also
prey on pronghorn fawns, dead fish, and insects when such items are available
(This is a peculiar choice of options). In urban areas, garbage, domestic cats,
and small dogs are sometimes taken.
Coyotes form strong pair bonds, usually breeding between mid-January and March
15. After a two-month gestation period, from one to several young are born in a
den or burrow; the average litter size being about five pups. The pups are fed
regurgitated food by both parents. They leave the den when about 8 to 10 weeks
old.
A coyote's home range may encompass up to 12 square miles during the spring and
summer, with individual animals roaming up to 100 miles or more. Besides the
ever-present threat of starvation, coyotes are also susceptible to diseases such
as rabies and mange and human-caused mortality.
Hunting and Trapping History
The sport harvest of coyotes has been relatively stable during the past 10
years, about 13,000 hunters taking an average of between 30,000 and 40,000
coyotes a year. Most of these animals are taken while "varmint calling," while
hunting other game, or simply as opportunities arise. Formerly, trappers rivaled
sport hunters in the number of coyotes taken, but the reported take of trapped
coyotes during the past 10 years has averaged only a little more than 1,000 a
year-a far cry from the yearly harvests of 10,000 or more coyotes reported in
the late 1970s. Although some of this decline may be due to coyote population
vagaries, the principal reason for this reduced take is undoubtedly a decline in
trapping effort.
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Habitat