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Coyote

Canis latrans

Mammal · family Canidae · order Carnivora

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
49 states[3]
Longest recorded life
21.8 years[4]

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a wild member of the dog family, Canidae[5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe lists it as native in 49 US states and territories[3].

Conservation status

NatureServe ranks the coyote as Secure worldwide (G5)[2] and Secure across the United States (N5)[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. The coyote is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act in USFWS data[1]. State ranks differ, and a few states have not ranked it or list its status as unknown[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern

Where Coyote lives

NatureServe lists the coyote as native in 49 US states and territories[3]. That list stretches from Alaska and Washington in the west to Maine and Florida in the east, and from North Dakota down to Texas[3]. The states with the most GBIF reports are California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, which reflects where people look and report[9].

Alaska: native, state rank S5AKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S5WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: native, state rank S5WAIdaho: native, state rank S5IDMontana: native, state rank S5MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S5NDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5MAOregon: native, state rank S5ORNevada: native, state rank S5NVWyoming: native, state rank S5WYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S5IAIndiana: native, state rank S5INOhio: native, state rank SNROHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5PANew Jersey: native, state rank S5NJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank SURICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: native, state rank S5UTColorado: native, state rank S5CONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank S5MOKentucky: native, state rank S5KYWest Virginia: native, state rank S5WVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S4MDDelaware: native, state rank SUDEArizona: native, state rank S5AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S5NMKansas: native, state rank S5KSArkansas: native, state rank S5ARTennessee: native, state rank S5TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S5SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNROKLouisiana: native, state rank S5LAMississippi: native, state rank S5MSAlabama: native, state rank S5ALGeorgia: native, state rank S4GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S5TXFlorida: native, state rank SNRFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[8].
Show state ranks (49 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5Secure
AlaskaS5Secure
ArizonaS5Secure
ArkansasS5Secure
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ColoradoS5Secure
ConnecticutS5Secure
DelawareSUUnrankable
FloridaSNRNot Ranked
GeorgiaS4Apparently Secure
IdahoS5Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS5Secure
IowaS5Secure
KansasS5Secure
KentuckyS5Secure
LouisianaS5Secure
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS4Apparently Secure
MassachusettsS5Secure
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MississippiS5Secure
MissouriS5Secure
MontanaS5Secure
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaS5Secure
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS5Secure
New MexicoS5Secure
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS5Secure
North DakotaS5Secure
OhioSNRNot Ranked
OklahomaSNRNot Ranked
OregonS5Secure
PennsylvaniaS5Secure
Rhode IslandSUUnrankable
South CarolinaS5Secure
South DakotaS5Secure
TennesseeS5Secure
TexasS5Secure
UtahS5Secure
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS5Secure
West VirginiaS5Secure
WisconsinS5Secure
WyomingS5Secure

Habitat

Coyotes use many kinds of land, including forests, woodlands, shrubland, savanna, grassland, old fields, desert, farmland, suburbs and land along streams[10]. They live everywhere from western prairies to thick eastern forests, and some live in cities[11]. Pups are born in a den, often a burrow that the mother digs or takes over from another animal, with the entrance usually facing south[11]. A den can also sit above ground, such as in a hollow log, a rock crack, at the base of a tree or under a building[11].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[10]

Size, diet and lifespan

Coyotes eat what they can find, mostly dead animals, small animals with backbones and insects or similar small creatures, plus some plants now and then[12]. One estimate puts their diet at 60% warm-blooded vertebrates, 30% carrion and 10% fish[13]. A typical coyote is 132 cm (52 in) long[14] and weighs about 40 lb[15]. Pregnancy lasts 63 days[16], a typical litter is 6 pups[17], and both parents care for the young[18]. The oldest known coyote in the AnAge records lived in captivity[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[14] 132 cm (52 in)
Typical adult weight[15] 18.1 kg (40 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 21.8 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[17] 6
Gestation or incubation[16] 63 days
Female maturity[19] 274 days (about 0.8 years)
Food habits[20] Carnivore, Invertivore
Active[21] nocturnal, crepuscular
Migration[22] non-migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[13]

  • 60% warm-blooded vertebrates
  • 30% carrion
  • 10% fish

When to look for it

Coyotes are mostly active at night and at dawn and dusk (crepuscular means active in twilight), though in some places people often see them by day[23][24]. They do not migrate, though this can differ between populations[22]. They mate in late winter and pups are born from March to May[18]. GBIF records peak in January, February and December[25].

January: 10,025 recordsJanFebruary: 8,341 recordsFebMarch: 7,984 recordsMarApril: 8,133 recordsAprMay: 7,954 recordsMayJune: 6,775 recordsJunJuly: 6,975 recordsJulAugust: 6,426 recordsAugSeptember: 7,257 recordsSepOctober: 7,275 recordsOctNovember: 8,286 recordsNovDecember: 8,563 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[25].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January10,025
February8,341
March7,984
April8,133
May7,954
June6,775
July6,975
August6,426
September7,257
October7,275
November8,286
December8,563

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Coyote as present in 201 park units[26]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 177 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado[9]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Safety around this animal

These tips are quoted in summary from official agencies. We add no advice of our own. Follow local rules and the agency pages linked below.

From Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

  • Waving your arms and yelling usually makes a coyote leave, unless a den with pups is nearby. Keep it up until the coyote is gone.
  • Noisemakers, a spray of water or small sticks thrown toward (not at) the coyote also work. Do not try to injure it.
  • If a coyote comes near a child, an adult should yell, step toward the coyote and pick the child up. Do not run from a coyote.
  • Feeding coyotes is illegal in Florida. Securing garbage, pet food and fallen fruit reduces conflicts.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission[27]

Questions people ask

Is the coyote endangered?
No. The coyote is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe ranks it as Secure in the United States[6].
Where do coyotes live in the US?
NatureServe lists coyotes as native in 49 US states and territories, from Alaska to Florida[3]. They use forests, grasslands, deserts, farmland and suburbs[10].
What do coyotes eat?
Coyotes mostly eat dead animals, small vertebrates and invertebrates, and sometimes plants[12]. One estimate puts their diet at 60% warm-blooded vertebrates, 30% carrion and 10% fish[13].
How big is a coyote?
A typical coyote is 132 cm (52 in) long[14] and weighs about 40 lb[15].

Facts and sources

  1. Coyote is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Coyote: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Coyote as native in 49 US states and territories: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 21.8 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Coyote (Canis latrans) is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe state ranks for Coyote (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  9. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Coyote: California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  10. Habitat types NatureServe records for Coyote: Forest - hardwood, Forest - conifer, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Woodland - mixed, Shrubland/chaparral, Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, Desert, Cropland/hedgerow,... NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe notes on habitat for Coyote. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on food for Coyote. NatureServe Explorer
  13. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 60% warm-blooded vertebrates, 30% carrion, 10% fish. EltonTraits 1.0
  14. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 132 cm (52 in). NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 18.1 kg (40 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 63 days. AnAge
  17. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 6. AnAge
  18. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Coyote. NatureServe Explorer
  19. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 274 days (about 0.8 years). AnAge
  20. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore, Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  21. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal, crepuscular. EltonTraits 1.0
  22. NatureServe migration category for Coyote: non-migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  23. NatureServe notes on phenology for Coyote. NatureServe Explorer
  24. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Nocturnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  25. GBIF observation records of Coyote in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  26. NPSpecies park lists recording Coyote as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  27. Safety guidance from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida FWC

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.