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10 Unique Facts About Coyotes

1. Coyotes put out fires.
Whether this is true or myth, there’s a fascinating story from Hope Ryden’s book God’s Dog. She witnessed a coyote actually putting out a small fire. A man lit an envelope on fire and tossed it near a coyote. The coyote jumped on it, stamping out the flames with her feet, then pushed the smoldering paper against the ground until the fire was completely out. Apparently, coyotes have a knack for putting out small fires. That’s pretty incredible!

2. Both male and female coyotes have strong parental instincts.
Coyotes are a team when it comes to raising their pups. Both mom and dad work together to protect and care for their young. The male brings food, sometimes even regurgitating it for the pups, and helps teach them how to hunt. Coyotes have also been known to adopt orphaned pups, showing how deeply they value family.

3. Coyotes mate for life.
Coyotes form strong lifelong bonds with their mates. They are known to be highly monogamous, staying with the same partner “till death do us part.” Only when a mate dies do they find a new partner. This loyalty is seen especially in urban coyote populations and is truly a beautiful natural bond.

4. Coyotes are endemic to North America.
Coyotes are native to and found only in North America. They’re one of seven canid species in Canada and have adapted remarkably well across the continent’s many habitats.

5. Coyotes only breed once a year.
Their breeding season happens between January and March, and pups are usually born in April or May. Like many other canids, coyotes have just one breeding cycle per year.

6. There are melanistic (black) coyotes.
Melanistic coyotes, or black coyotes, are real! They aren’t a separate species, just a color variation caused by a genetic mutation that increases dark pigment in their fur. This mutation isn’t unique to coyotes—it also shows up in domestic dogs and wolves.

7. Coyotes are closely related to wolves and domestic dogs.
Coyotes, wolves, and dogs all belong to the same family, Canidae, and share the genus Canis. Despite this close relationship, coyotes are their own distinct species.

8. Coyotes have expanded their territories dramatically.
Over the last few decades, coyotes have spread across North America faster than any other carnivore, moving into new areas and adapting to a wide variety of environments.

9. Coyotes have been on Earth way longer than humans.
Fossil records show coyotes have been around for approximately 740,000 to 850,000 years. In comparison, modern humans have only existed for about 300,000 years.

10. Coyotes are sacred beings in Diné (Navajo) culture.
In Navajo stories, Mąʼii (Coyote) is one of the first sacred animals. Alongside Áłtsé Hastiin (First Man) and Áłtsé Asdzą́ą́ (First Woman), Mąʼii played a major role in creating and ordering the world. Coyotes are seen as teachers and creators, representing the balance between chaos and harmony.

A Victory for Wolves 🐺💚

Some hopeful news from Alberta—the province has officially ended the use of Compound 1080 to poison wolves. This change follows years of advocacy from Animal Justice and other wildlife protection groups. While it’s a significant step forward, the poison remains legal for use on coyotes, meaning the work isn’t over yet.(Animal Justice)

Compound 1080 is a highly toxic substance that causes immense suffering to animals and poses risks to non-target wildlife and pets. The cessation of its use on wolves marks a meaningful shift towards more humane wildlife management practices.

You can read the full article here: Victory! Alberta Ends Use of Compound 1080 on Wolves

Let’s continue to advocate for the protection of all wildlife and the elimination of harmful poisons from our ecosystems.

Repost: Environmental Action, These are some of our favorite wolves that you may not know much about

For as long as humans have lived on Earth, wolves have existed alongside us, from the tundra of North America to the islands of Japan. Here are just a few of the world’s remarkable wolf species.

Arctic wolves are a sub-species of gray wolf that lives in the frozen northern tundra. Their beautiful white coats enable them to blend into their snowy surroundings as they hunt for arctic hares, lemmings and even caribou and bulky muskoxen.

In some ways, arctic wolves are lucky to live in such a distant part of the globe. Their isolation makes them one of the only grey wolf sub-species to not be threatened by widespread hunting. However,increased mining and oil drilling may put their food supply at risk.

The rare and mysterious Ethiopian wolf lives in Ethiopia’s highlands. Fewer than 500 of them survive in the wild, making them one of the most endangered wolf species in the world.

These wolves have some of the most unusual diets of wolf species including, of all things, nectar! The highlands of Ethiopia contain large flowers, which the wolves have learned to lick for the sweet liquids inside.

But the flowers have the last laugh. When the wolves steal nectar, their noses become caked in pollen, which then gets transferred between flowers. This unusual relationship makes wolves the world’s biggest carnivorous pollinators.


Japanese folklore is full of stories about wolves. The Japanese wolf, known for its tiny ears, lived for thousands of years in Japan. Although they were technically a sub-species of gray wolf, the Japanese wolves diverged from their larger cousins and soon became genetically distinct.3

Tragically, the Japanese wolves are no more. The entire species was wiped out by the early 1900s after a systematic extermination campaign. Now, they remain only in story and myth.

The tragic tale of the Japanese wolf should remind us that we can’t take any species for granted. And once a species is wiped out, there’s no way to turn back the clock.


The environmental action team has been around since the first Earth Day in 1970, and their whole mission is to protect wildlife and wild places by helping people take meaningful action. From speaking up for wolves and bees to keeping our air and water clean, they’re doing important work.

They also have a little online store where you can grab eco-friendly gear and gifts that help support the cause—things like stickers, wildlife-themed tees, and more. And if you’re in the spirit to give back, they make it easy to donate directly to their campaigns.

You can learn more at environmental-action.org or check out their store here.

“Queen of the Tetons:” Remembering Bear 399

Life as a grizzly bear in the Lower 48 isn’t easy, but for 28 years, Bear 399 rose to the challenge.

Dubbed “Queen of the Tetons,” this charismatic mother gained fame successfully rearing cubs year after year.

In 2020 she became just the 14th grizzly ever known to give birth to quadruplets. In 2023, she became the oldest bear to give birth to a cub in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

But last October, Bear 399 gained a tragic title — she was the 51st grizzly struck and killed by a vehicle in the Greater Yellowstone area since 2009.

The life of 399 serves to illustrate both the achievements that have been made in grizzly bear rehabilitation in the Lower 48, and the long way we still have to go in learning how to coexist with these magnificent bears.

Not long ago, scientists feared the grizzly was doomed to extinction in the Lower 48. With as few as 300 left, grizzlies were granted protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. But by the mid-90s when Bear 399 was born, they were still struggling, with estimates placing the population around 400.

Over the course of Bear 399’s life, the population has expanded to an estimated 2,000 bears. Though still a far cry from the 50,000 bears that once traversed the western U.S. in the early 1800s, this remains an incredible achievement in species recovery, one that Bear 399 played a critical role in.

Bear 399 also served as an ambassador, revealing a softer side to a species written off by many as blood-thirsty brutes. In her leisurely strolls along roadways crowded with spectators, she demonstrated a lesser-known reality: like most wild animals, if given space and left alone, bears pose little threat to humans.

Of course, as humans continue to expand and move into grizzly habitat, space can become an issue. And more often than not, it’s the grizzlies who pay the price.

By one estimate, a heartbreaking 85% of all grizzly bears in the Lower 48 are killed because of humans before reaching old age.

Some bears are killed after hunting livestock, not understanding the differences between cows and wild elk. Some are poached illegally. Some bears are tempted by easy access to poorly-protected human food, and are euthanized in the interest of avoiding human-bear conflict down the road. Many are hit by cars.

Some of Bear 399’s cubs have suffered these fates.7 And in the end, Bear 399, too was killed by a human.

For too long, we have pitted bears against humans, either vying for the grizzly’s complete eradication, or allowing them to rebound while failing to address our own encroachment into their habitat.

It is time to forge an alternative path, one that gives bears the space to be bears, while also providing humans opportunities to appreciate these spectacular animals.

At Environmental Action, we’re advocating for the continued protection of grizzlies under the Endangered Species Act, working to increase wildlife crossings to limit animal collisions and supporting the preservation of wild areas where grizzlies can roam free.

So can humans and grizzlies coexist peacefully? If Bear 399’s life tells us anything, it’s that we can, but only so long as we’re willing to put in the work.

Thank you,

The Environmental Action team

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To learn more about the Environmental Action team and what they do. Go to https://environmental-action.org/

Eastern Coyote, Canis Latrans

When a plant or animal can easily manage to survive and share the ever-changing world around humans, we frequently assign it one of two titles. “Invasive” (see above), or “Pest”. But what other words should we consider? “Successful”? “Thriving”, now that’s a word that doesn’t apply to many species worldwide in this time of mass extinction. Maybe “Adaptable” or “Resilient”, just as many of us have learned to be over the past few years. 

The eastern coyote has been called all of these things. While they are indigenous to North America, their ancestors only moved into the northeast when colonists eradicated their biggest competition, wolves. With miles of forests, fields, and farmlands freshly available with no bigger predators to push them out, coyotes became very successful in the northeast. The subspecies that lives around us has genes from wolves and dogs too, but now for the most part they stick to groups of their own species. When big families get together they can get chatty (like a lot of human family gatherings, I’d say), and their yelping and howling can make an evening feel like it has just a bit more wildness than before. 

The eastern coyote is one of those animals that everyone is certain to be an expert in, even if maybe their facts are a bit exaggerated. That doesn’t mean there aren’t neat things to learn about this relatively common species!

Did you know that in addition to eating meat, coyotes spend their summers munching on insects, plants, and berries?

Did you know that the eastern coyote, while larger than the western subspecies, are still typically only 20 to 45 pounds? That’s about the size of a border collie or a cattle dog!

Did you know that in addition to farms and fields, coyotes have been known to live in the Bronx and Queens?

Did you know that coyotes help keep the ecosystem tidy and free of disease by eating roadkill and other carcasses?

Did you know that coyotes are monogamous and mate for life?

While they get blamed for all sorts of scary phenomenon and many people are nervous of all of our local predators, it’s important to remember that they are just doing what works well for them to survive. After all, we moved (and continue to move) into their spaces. But, coexisting with coyotes is possible!

https://wallkillvalleylt.org/2022/01/species-spotlight-coyote-and-mugwort/

A king among coyotes//

Farewell, old friend: An obituary for Kip the Coyote

Kip the Coyote wasn’t just another furry friend on UBC campus — from sunbathing on the lawns of Place Vanier to chasing squirrels down Main Mall, Kip has touched the hearts of UBC students for years.

It is with a heavy heart that we report Kip passed away sometime during the first weekend of October.

Although the passing of this beloved UBC critter has left students heartbroken, Kip’s death has helped us gain a better understanding of other wild creatures in urban spaces, including those living at UBC.

Not only was Kip a campus icon, he was also a perfect representation of how animals and humans interact, especially in a heavily populated area such as Point Grey. His life will hopefully lead to further insight on how we can encourage wildlife protection and conservation.

“Kip will now help us learn more about how urban coyotes survive and thrive in these harsh environments,” wrote UBC’s Animal Behavior and Cognition (ABC) Lab in an Instagram post. “His previous injury, likely from a vehicle strike, and ability to heal and survive, tells the story of how urban wildlife face both hindrance and help from life in cities.”

“His memory will live on as we use what we learn from him to better understand urban wildlife and the challenges they face.”

https://ubyssey.ca/culture/an-obituary-for-coyote-kip/

Letter: Maine should stop coyote killing contests

A coyote makes its way through the snow in northern Maine. (Courtesy of Keith Dirago | Mainely Wildlife Photography)

I cannot even begin to comprehend how there are individuals in this state who take part in coyote killing contests, and that these barbaric events are allowed by the Maine Department of Inland Fishies and Game. I believe these contests are inhumane and serve absolutely no purpose other than to torture animals.

All creatures were put on this earth for a reason, and each species plays an important role in keeping the ecosystem balanced. Coyotes play an extremely important role in keeping rodent and small mammal populations in check. They eat the wildlife that harbor ticks, such as the white footed mouse, which is the principal natural reservoir for Lyme disease bacteria. Eastern chipmunks and shrews are also moderately competent reservoirs for the Lyme disease bacteria.

Lyme disease is a serious problem impacting a significant number of Maine residents. If we want to decrease the number of cases of Lyme disease in Maine, our lawmakers need to look at the big picture and truly understand how we can solve this. Killing the main predator of the white footed mouse and other small mammals, certainly is only going to exacerbate the spread of Lyme.

I encourage everyone who cares about a healthy ecosystem, working towards eradicating Lyme disease and for the ethical treatment of all animals, to please contact your state representative and senator and let them know your thoughts on this matter.

Janie WhitneyBar Harbor

Letter: Maine should stop coyote killing contests