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COYOTE
 BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPITION OF THE COYOTE (Canis latrans)
TAXONOMY
KINGDOM: ANIMALIA
PHYLUM: CHORDATA
SUBPHYLUM: VERTEBRATA
CLASS: CARNIVORA
FAMILY: CANIDAE
GENUS: Canis
SPECIES: latrans
COYOTES ARE MAMMALS OF MEDIUM SIZE, THEIR WEIGHT VARIES FROM 7 TO 20Kg. AND THE LENGTH OF THEIR BODY VARIES FROM 1 TO 1.35m; THE FEMALES ARE USUALLY SMALLER THAN THE MALES. THE COLOR AND TEXTURE OF THE SKIN VARIES GEOGRAPHICALLY; TO THE NORTH THE HAIR IS LONGER AND THICKER, REDDISH WITH BLACK AND GRAY, TO THE SOUTH THEY ARE MORE REDDISH OR YELLOWISH. THEY CAN HAVE DARK SPOTS IN THE FRONT LEGS, THE BACK AND THE BASE AND THE TIP OF THE TAIL. THE BELLY AND THROAT ARE MORE PALID THAN THE REST OF THE BODY. THEY GENERALLY CHANGE HAIR ONCE A YEAR. THEY HAVE A GLAND IN THE BASE OF THE TAIL AND THE FEMALES HAVE EIGHT MAMMARY GLANDS.
THEIR FACES ARE EXTENDED AND NARROW. THEY HAVE 42 DENTAL PIECES WHOSE FORMULAS ARE 3/3, 1/1, 4/4 AND 2/3. THE CANINE TEETH ARE GENERALLY VERY LONG AND BULK, AND THE "CARNASIALES" ARE SPECIALLY HARD, WITH SHARP EDGES, WHILE THE "POSTCARNASIALES" HAVE CRUSHING SURFACES, WHICH INDICATES THE CONSUME OF A VERY VARIED DIET (SERVIN Y CHACON, 2005)
THIS SPECIES IS NATIVE FROM THE NEARTIC REGION. IT DISTRIBUTES WIDELY IN THE NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, IT EVEN GETS TO LIVE IN REGIONS OF ALASKA AND NORTH CANADA. IN MEXICO COYOTES ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTRY (TOKAR, 2001) (SERVIN Y CHACON, 2005).
COYOTES ARE EXTREMELY ADAPTABLE AND THEY CAN USE A WIDE RANGE OF HABITATS, INCLUDING FORESTS, PASTURES, DESERTS AND MARSHES. DUE TO THEIR TOLERANCE TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES, COYOTES MAY APPEAR IN SUBURBAN, AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN ZONES (TOKAR, 2001).
COYOTES HAVE AN AMPLE DIET, THEY EAT SMALL RODENTS, BIRDS, REPTILES, INSECTS AND FRUITS. THEY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE OF CAUSING LARGE LOSSES TO FARMERS FOR OVER 150 YEARS (SERVIN Y CHACON, 2005)
GENERALLY COYOTES ARE MONOGAMIST AND THE FEMALE PRESENTS AN ESTRAL PERIOD A YEAR, BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH. GESTATION TIME IS APPROXIMATELY OF 63 DAYS. THE SEX PROPORTION OF A POPULATION IS NORMALLY 1:1 AND A BIRTH AVERAGE OF 5 PUPPIES.
THE PUPPIES ARE BORN WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED AND WEIGH LESS THAN 60g. AVERAGE; THEY ARE BORN IN EXCAVATED MADRIGUERAS IN SLOPES OR HOLLOW TRUNKS. THEY SOMETIMES SHARE WITH OTHER FEMALES AND IN OCCASIONS THEY UTLIZE THEM YEAR AFTER YEAR. THE PUPPIES, BESIDES OF BEING FED, REQUIRE STIMULATION FROM THE MOTHER TO PEE AND POOP, THEY HAVE TO KEEP THEMSELVES WARM AND CAN BE CHANGED OF MADRIGUERA WHENEVER IT HAS BEEN INFESTED BY ECTOPARASITES. THEY ARE CAREFULLY PROTECTED FROM OTHER PREDATORS.
THE PUPPIES ARE NURSED BY THE MOTHER UNTIL THE FIFTH OR SEVENTH WEEK OF LIFE; IN THE THIRD WEEK THEY ALREADY EAT SEMISOLID FOOD REGURGIGATED BY THE FATHER, WHO CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES IN THIS WAY. THEY EMERGE FROM THE MADRIGUERA IN THE THIRD WEEK AND ARE INDEPENDENT AT THE FOURTH MONTH OLD; THE REPRODUCTIVE COUPLE INVESTS TIME AND ENERGY IN THE TAKING CARE OF THEIR PUPPIES, AS IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THEIR TERRITORY (SERVIN Y CHACON, 2005).
THEY CAN BE DEPREDATED BY WOLVES OR PUMAS IN AREAS WHERE THEY SHARE DISTRIBUTION (TOKAR, 2001).
THEY HELP IN THE PLAGUE CONTROL, LIKE RODENTS, BUT CAN TURN INTO IMPORTANT CATTLE PREDATORS.
THEY CARRY DIVERSE DISEASES, AS THE RAGE AND CAN COMPETE WITH HUNTERS FOR PREYS LIKE DEER, HARES, RABBITS AND OTHER SPECIES OF CINEGETIC INTEREST (TOKAR, 2001).
EVENTOS BIOLÓGICOS DEL COYOTE
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EVENT
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J
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F
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M
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A
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M
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J
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J
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A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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COURTSHIP
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X
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X
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X
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GESTATION
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X
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X
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X
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BIRTHS
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X
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X
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X
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WEANING
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X
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X
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X
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X
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HUNTING SEASON
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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SPECIES DATA
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COMMON NAME:
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COYOTE
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SCIENTIFIC NAME:
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Canis latrans
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TYPE OF GAIN:
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CINEGETIC
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TYPE OF MARKING:
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CINEGETIC LICENSE
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