The Barking Dog
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Coyotes are a member of the dog family (Canidae). Their Latin name, Canis latrans, means "barking dog."
Reports of coyotes in cities have increased, but where did they come from? |
Yvonee Grimmer
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The Coyote's Expanding Range
Coyotes are exceptionally adaptive. Historically, coyotes could be found in prairies and deserts from Mexico through the central United States and into Canada. Until the 1940s, coyotes in Oregon were considered somewhat rare west of the Cascades. Now, coyotes can be found from Mexico to Canada and across the United States.
View research on the historic range of coyotes here.
View research on the historic range of coyotes here.
To read Native American stories about coyotes in this region, check out Coyote Was Going There: Indian Literature of the Oregon Country
Coyote Range Map by Zuriel van Belle
Special thanks to the Urban Coyote Research Project
What Do Coyotes Eat?
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Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores, which means they eat a wide variety of foods and change their diet based on what is available.
For the most part, coyotes eat:
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Check out this coyote feasting on blackberries in San Francisco.
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Recent Research on Coyote Diet
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We haven't done any direct studies on coyote diet in Portland (though we want to!), but we can look to other cities to understand what urban coyotes tend to eat. In Chicago, coyotes most commonly eat small rodents and do not depend on garbage or pets for sustenance. In California, researchers found that garbage, fruit, and domestic cats were more important sources of food for coyotes. Coyotes are incredibly adaptable and opportunistic—their diet depends on where they live, what is available, and many other factors.
Learn more about coyote diet in Chicago here. Learn more about coyote diet in California here. |
Molly Sultany
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Coyote Family Structure
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Coyotes form monogamous pair bonds. Research suggests that these pairs often remain together for life.
Coyotes tend to live in family groups, but often hunt alone. Generally the dominant pair in a family group (the parents) are the only breeding pair, and they produce one litter per year. Read more about coyote pair bonding here. |
Molly Sultany
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Coyote Pups
Coyotes generally mate between January and March. Coyote pregnancy (gestation) lasts for 62-65 days.
Coyote litters average about 4-7 pups. Coyote pups are born between March and May and stay with their parents until at least late summer. During this time, coyotes teach their young important skills, like how to hunt.
Coyote litters average about 4-7 pups. Coyote pups are born between March and May and stay with their parents until at least late summer. During this time, coyotes teach their young important skills, like how to hunt.
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Jana Kreofsky
Habitat and Home Range
Coyotes make their home in a variety of habitats and will den in burrows, under downed trees, in thick brambles, and similar hidden places. Even in dense urban areas, coyotes are most commonly found in natural or undeveloped areas. Overall, coyotes tend to avoid areas frequented by humans.
We can only guess at coyote home ranges in Portland because our research looks at human-coyote interactions using community-provided data—not coyote ecology using tracking collar data. We can reference research in other places to guess at our coyotes' home range size. Much of the research on urban coyote ecology comes from top coyote ecologist Stanley Gehrt and his team at the Urban Coyote Research Project. There is also a study from Toronto that we can look to. Remember, when we apply these findings to Portland’s coyotes we have to do so with a grain of salt—our landscape, culture, and animals are different.
A coyote's home range includes the space a coyote uses regularly—where they hang out, hunt, and live. Urban coyote home ranges are generally much smaller than rural home ranges. Average urban resident coyote home ranges can be anywhere from around 2.5 to 12 square miles. Transient coyotes (solitary coyotes without a defined territory) have much larger ranges—ranging from around 15 to 70 square miles. For reference, the city of Milwaukie is about 5 square miles, Beaverton is about 20 square miles, and Portland is 145 square miles. Coyotes don't use their entire home range for hunting and living; populated areas in their home range are often avoided.
Read more about urban coyote ecology and home ranges in Chicago and Toronto.
We can only guess at coyote home ranges in Portland because our research looks at human-coyote interactions using community-provided data—not coyote ecology using tracking collar data. We can reference research in other places to guess at our coyotes' home range size. Much of the research on urban coyote ecology comes from top coyote ecologist Stanley Gehrt and his team at the Urban Coyote Research Project. There is also a study from Toronto that we can look to. Remember, when we apply these findings to Portland’s coyotes we have to do so with a grain of salt—our landscape, culture, and animals are different.
A coyote's home range includes the space a coyote uses regularly—where they hang out, hunt, and live. Urban coyote home ranges are generally much smaller than rural home ranges. Average urban resident coyote home ranges can be anywhere from around 2.5 to 12 square miles. Transient coyotes (solitary coyotes without a defined territory) have much larger ranges—ranging from around 15 to 70 square miles. For reference, the city of Milwaukie is about 5 square miles, Beaverton is about 20 square miles, and Portland is 145 square miles. Coyotes don't use their entire home range for hunting and living; populated areas in their home range are often avoided.
Read more about urban coyote ecology and home ranges in Chicago and Toronto.
Jean DuSablon
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Kellie O'Donnell
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Brenna Underwood
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