Mammals crepuscular

Coyote

Canis latrans

The ultimate survivor of the American wilderness, the coyote is a clever and vocal neighbor that thrives in the shadows of our suburban world.

8 Sightings

2 Habitats

Quick Identification

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Size

3.3–4.3 ft (1–1.3 m) in length; 15–46 lbs (7–21 kg) in weight.

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Colors

Grizzled gray, tan, or reddish-brown fur with a white or cream-colored throat and belly. Features a distinctive black-tipped bushy tail.

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Key Features

Large, pointed ears that stand upright
Long, slender muzzle with a black nose
Bushy tail carried low or between the legs while running
Yellowish-amber eyes with round pupils

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern crepuscular

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Peak hours 6 PM – 8 AM (primarily active at twilight and overnight)

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Season Year-round

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Diet Highly opportunistic omnivores. They hunt small mammals like mice, voles, and rabbits, but also consume fruit, insects, reptiles, carrion, and occasionally garden vegetables or fallen fruit.

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Habitat Incredibly versatile; found in everything from deep forests and open prairies to suburban neighborhoods and urban parks.

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Behavior

Coyotes are remarkably intelligent and adaptable canines known for their vocal nature. Often called 'song dogs,' they use a complex language of yips, barks, and long howls to communicate with family members and defend their territory. While they can form small packs—usually consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring—they are frequently seen traveling alone or in pairs.

In human-dominated landscapes, coyotes have become masters of invisibility. They are naturally wary of people and will often shift their activity patterns to become more nocturnal in suburban areas to avoid conflict. They are highly territorial but rarely aggressive toward humans, usually preferring to observe from a distance before slipping away into the brush.

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Camera Tips

To capture high-quality coyote footage, placement is everything. Position your camera at 'knee height'—roughly 18 to 24 inches off the ground—and angle it slightly upward if you are on a slope. Coyotes tend to use 'pathways of least resistance,' such as deer trails, old logging roads, or even the gaps where your fence meets a tree line. Setting your camera at a 45-degree angle to these paths, rather than perpendicular, will give the sensor more time to trigger before the animal passes the frame.

Coyotes have incredible peripheral vision and are 'camera shy' when it comes to the faint glow of infrared LEDs. If your camera allows it, use 'No-Glow' or 'Black IR' settings to prevent the animal from staring directly into the lens and fleeing. Because they move with a steady, purposeful trot, set your trigger speed to its fastest setting and use a 3-photo burst mode or a 15-second video clip. This ensures you catch the whole animal and not just a tail disappearing off-screen.

While we never recommend baiting coyotes with food—as this habituates them to human presence—you can use 'curiosity lures.' A small amount of fatty acid tablet or even a few drops of salmon oil placed on a nearby log can encourage a coyote to stop and sniff, giving you a perfect profile shot. During the winter months (mating season) and early summer (when pups are venturing out), activity levels spike, making these the best times to move your cameras to the edges of open fields or meadows where they hunt for rodents.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Coyote.

Gray Wolf

Wolves are significantly larger (double the weight), have rounded ears, and a broader snout compared to the coyote's fox-like features.

Red Fox

Foxes are much smaller with shorter legs and almost always feature white-tipped tails and black 'socks' on their feet.

German Shepherd

While similar in color, shepherds are bulkier, have a different gait, and carry their tails higher than the low-slung coyote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Coyotes are primarily crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. However, in suburban areas where they want to avoid human contact, they often become strictly nocturnal, moving through backyards between midnight and 4 AM.

You should never intentionally feed coyotes, as it makes them lose their fear of humans. To attract them for a camera, focus on maintaining a 'wild' edge in your yard with tall grass or brush that attracts the rodents they hunt. Scent-based lures like fish oil can also encourage them to pause in front of a camera without providing a food reward.

Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores. Their diet consists mostly of small rodents, rabbits, and squirrels, but they also eat significant amounts of vegetation including fallen fruit, berries, and even insects during the summer months.

Yes, coyotes are extremely common in suburbs across North America. They thrive in the 'edge' habitats provided by residential landscaping and parks, often using drainage culverts and wooded corridors to move undetected through neighborhoods.

Coyotes have a very specific 'look': they carry their bushy tails low or tucked (never curled over their back), they have much larger, more pointed ears relative to their head size, and their muzzle is longer and narrower than most similar-sized dogs.

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