Wildlife
Coyote (Canis latrans)
 Coyotes resemble small, slender wolves. They average 22 to 33 pounds. Color varies, but they are generally grizzled, buff gray and black. The bushy tail is usually blackish above, pale buff underneath with a black tip.
Coyotes are opportunists and will eat almost anything. This includes young caribou and moose, hares, ground squirrels, marmots, mice, eggs, fish, insects, and berries. Coyotes have been known to cooperatively work to tackle larger prey, but are usually solitary hunters.
Breeding occurs February through March and the pups are born in April to May. Litter size averages five to seven pups. Females usually will produce a litter every year. The pups are weaned at five to seven weeks and will begin to hunt for themselves at around three months of age.
The coyote, deeply rooted in the history and lore of the American West, is a relative newcomer to the Alaska scene. Coyotes were first noted in Alaska shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Populations were first reported on the mainland of Southeast Alaska, and then these populations slowly expanded northward into the upper Tanana Valley from which they radiated in all directions.
Coyotes remain a rarely observed animal on the Refuge, but they appear more common to the west and north of the Refuge.
Last updated: March 9, 2011
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