Our neighbors, the coyotes
Have you ever seen a coyote in your neighborhood? Even if you haven’t, chances are you have one as a neighbor. Once found primarily in the mid- and western regions of North America, the coyotes’ range has now expanded to much of North and Central America. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have not only learned to coexist with humans, humans likely paved the way for this major range expansion.
Why do we care about coyotes?
Not many species are able to thrive so close to humans. Most species avoid humans and the places built by humans. In fact, more than half of land-based carnivore populations, such as bears and tigers, are declining because of habitat loss and other changes that humans are causing. But coyote populations have grown and expanded (Jensen et al., 2022).
Because coyotes are so good at living close to humans, researchers believe that studying coyotes will help them learn about adaptation in the Anthropocene, the current geological epoch defined by the human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems (Hody & Kays, 2018). Coyotes are new predators in some ecosystems, which could influence conservation efforts, spread of disease, and other ecological questions.
Historic coyotes
Coyotes originated in western North America, historically living in nonforested habitats such as grassland, prairie, and desert. They adapted to eat vegetation and hunt small rodents and other prey in the open spaces of the prairie.
Holocene distribution (10,000 BP–1899)
Scientists have mapped this historic range using fossils and other archaeological records.
This map, published by Hody and Kayes, shows the historical distribution of coyotes from 10,000 years before present (BP) to 1899.
Thinking Geographically
Based on this map, what was the range of coyotes before 1900?
How would you describe the mapped population distribution?
How do you think expanding human populations on the East Coast of the United States changed the land cover? Would these changes increase or decrease the carrying capacity for coyotes?
Map credit: Hody and Kaye, 2018
Coyotes’ expanding ranges
Photo: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Starting around 1900, coyotes began expanding their range, pushing north, east, and south. This expansion is in part because coyotes started interbreeding with other canines, such as wolves (canis lupus) in the east and dogs in the south, giving their populations characteristics that allowed them to survive in those landscapes. For example, hybridization with wolves in the northeast made coyotes larger, which in turn allowed them to hunt larger prey, such as the white-tailed deer that are prevalent in the northeast (Jensen et al., 2022).
Humans have also helped coyotes expand their range. First, people cut down many dense forests, creating more land for coyotes to thrive. They have also hunted many of the coyotes’ natural predators and competitors, such as gray wolves.
Coyote range expansion by decade, 1900-2016
Today, coyotes coexist closely with humans in most parts of North and Central America.
This map, also published by Hody and Kaye, shows coyote range expansion by decade, from 1900 through 2016.
This map was created using data from museum specimens, references in scholarly papers with associated specimens or photographs, and reports from state wildlife management agencies (2018).
Thinking Geographically
About when do you think coyotes started living in your area?
Map credit: Hody and Kaye, 2018
As coyotes adapt to living near humans, their preference for avoiding humans is driving some changes in behavior. In urban areas, coyotes are becoming more active at night to avoid encounters with humans (Gehrt et al., 2011).
Additionally, humans can influence what coyotes eat. Coyotes are generalists, which means they have diverse diets that can include small rodents, wild ungulates (such as white-tailed deer), and vegetation (Jensen et al., 2022). While they tend not to prefer scavenging human food, they hunt the rodents that do.
Explore coyote habitat near you
The interactive map below shows two data layers: coyote habitat and human footprint. The human footprint layer shows how much built environment exists in an area, such as roads, cities, and other human-made features. Areas with a large human footprint, such as downtown Los Angeles and Minneapolis, are shown in shades of dark purple and red. Areas with low to no human footprint, undeveloped places such as remote areas of the Nevada desert, are shown in shades of green.
This map shows coyote habitat in the continental United States. This data was modeled by the United States Geological Survey.
1) At the upper left corner of the screen, use the Zoom buttons to zoom in and out of the map, and click and drag to move around.
What do you notice about where coyote habitat is? What do you notice about where coyote habitat isn't? Hint: Think about what you know about land cover and elevation, such as where cities and mountain ranges are located.
2) Using the search bar in the upper left corner of the map, locate your school or neighborhood.
Do you live in coyote habitat?
3) On the toolbar at the bottom of the screen, click Map layers to open the legend.
4) Under the Biomes layer, click Toggle visibility to show the layer on the map.
The layer is on the map, but it's under the coyote habitat layer. To compare the two, you'll use the swipe tool.
5) In the Map layers pane, under the Coyote Habitat layer, click Swipe.
Using the legend for the Biomes layer, do you think there any biomes that coyotes avoid?
6) In the Map layers pane, for the Biomes layer, click Toggle visibility to hide the layer.
7) For the Human Footprint layer, click Toggle visibility to show the layer.
8) On the map, use the Swipe tool to compare the Human Footprint and Coyote Habitat layers.
Where is the human footprint largest?
What kinds of human-made features do you think are included in this layer?
What do you notice about where coyotes live in comparison to the human footprint?
Coyotes are only one of many species that share our neighborhoods. Learn more about the urban nature around you:
