Difference Between Coyote and Wolf

By: | Updated: Jul-24, 2021
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In the animal kingdom, there are a lot of different animals. There are many different types of animals such as bears, birds, insects, and even fish. One type of animal that you do not often see is the coyote. The coyote is not like other animals because it has long legs and a dog-like face. The coyote is a wild animal that lives in North America. They can be found in different parts of the country such as Canada, Mexico, and some parts of the United States.

Coyotes are very interesting animals because they can be found in many different types of habitats. Some of the habitats that coyotes live in are grasslands, forests, deserts, and even swamps. The coyote is very smart and is very good at hunting for food. However, these characteristics are not only limited to the coyote. Coyotes are actually part of the family Canidae. This family also includes dogs, wolves, foxes, and jackals.

Summary Table

Coyote Wolf
Has shorter hair Has longer hair
Smaller Bigger
The skull of the coyote is relatively short and pointed The skull of the wolf is long and flat

Definitions:

Difference Between Coyote and Wolf

In addition, wolves are also very smart and they are very good at hunting for food. Coyotes and wolves are very similar animals, but they are not the same. When you watch documentaries about coyotes, you will notice that the coyote and wolves have a lot of similarities. They both hunt for food, and they both have long legs.

People often refer to the coyote as a wolf, but they are not the same. The reason why people refer to the coyote as a wolf is because of their long legs and dog-like face. This is why many people think that the coyote and wolves are the same. The truth is that the coyote and wolves are not the same. There are some differences between the coyote and wolf.

In addition, there are many different types of wolves. There are different types of wolves such as gray wolves, black wolves, and red wolves. Coyotes are part of the Canidae family, but they are not all wolves. There are also many different types of coyotes. There are some coyotes that live in the mountains, and there are some that live in the deserts.

There are actually significant differences between coyotes and wolves. So what are the differences between coyotes and wolves? What made the coyote different from the wolf? In this article, we will take a look at some of the differences between coyotes and wolves, their characteristics, their habits, and their habitats.

What are wolves?

Wolves are medium-sized, medium-furred animals with long legs and ears. They have brownish or grayish fur with a light colored muzzle. Their most distinctive characteristic is their large canine teeth that they use to hunt prey. The scientific name for the wolf is Canis lupus.

Wolves have several different subspecies, including the eastern wolf (C. lupus lycaon), which is found in the United States, and the gray wolf (C. lupus), which is found in Canada and Mexico. They also have two types of dogs: domestic dogs (C. lupus familiaris) and the coyote (C. latrans).

Wolves have a large geographic range, ranging from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America. They are found in almost every part of North America except for extreme southern Florida and parts of California. Wolves have been present in North America since at least 20,000 years ago and their ancestors probably came from Eurasia.

What are coyotes?

Coyotes are also known as prairie dogs, roadrunners, or wood rats. Their scientific name is Canis latrans. They have been known to inhabit the Western United States, including California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. They can be found anywhere from North America to Argentina. Their body length is usually between 5-10 inches and their weight is around 15-35 pounds.

Their fur color varies with the area they inhabit; some coyotes have white fur while others have a dark brown color. Their eyes are yellow or orange, and their ears are rounded and floppy. They have a dark muzzle with lighter colored fur around the muzzle.

The coyote’s body is covered in short hair, which ranges from white to brown in color. Its legs are long and powerful, enabling it to run at speeds of 30 miles per hour. It has a large head, which is covered in fur. Its tail is bushy and long, making it look like a brush or brush handle.

Coyotes are carnivores, meaning they eat meat, fish, insects and other animals. They mainly eat rabbits, rodents, birds and deer. They hunt in packs of 5-10 animals and are often mistaken for wolves.

  1. Fur color

Physical features of coyotes are not as different from those of wolves as you might think. A lot of their physical characteristics are the same, including size, body structure, skull shape, fur color, and color of the eyes. Wolves’ hair is longer than that of coyotes. They have the typical triangular ears, large bushy tails, flat noses with no nasal opening or gap between the nostrils and eye sockets, and erect or lowered heads.

The coyote’s fur is short, dense, and mostly brownish-gray. The coyote has a black muzzle, black eyes with round pupils, and it has large ears that are set back on the head. The tail of the coyote is longer than that of the wolf, with the tip being hairless. The legs of the coyote are relatively short, and its feet are small and not webbed.

  1. Size

Wolves are bigger than coyotes, both in size and weight. A male wolf weighs up to 90 pounds (40 kg), while a female wolf weighs up to 55 pounds (25 kg). As mentioned, a coyote’s body length is between 5-10 inches and their weight is around 15-35 pounds.

  1. Skull shape

The skull of the wolf is long and flat, while that of the coyote is relatively short and pointed. The head of a wolf is also wider than that of a coyote. The ears are also larger in size and structure in wolves than they are in coyotes. A wolf’s ears are erect or low, while the ears of a coyote are always lowered.

  1. Behavior

Wolves do not usually display social behavior like other canines and they tend to have a solitary lifestyle. Coyotes are more social than wolves, and they usually live in packs. Coyotes hunt in small packs and they will attack their prey when the prey is vulnerable. The coyote’s life cycle is shorter than that of the wolf, with its gestation period being around 60-90 days and its mating season lasting for 2-3 months.

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