Arizona's WildLife

"Where the Wild Things Roam"

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Coyote

Canis latrans

Most active at dawn and dusk — look for movement in washes, along forest road edges, and in open desert grassland during low-light hours. Listen for howling and yipping at night — coyote calls often begin shortly after dark and at dawn. At AZ Places camping locations coyotes may investigate camp perimeters after dark. A flashlight scan of the desert or forest edge will often reveal eyeshine.

The coyote is one of North America's most intelligent and adaptable wild animals — a slender, medium-sized canine with a narrow muzzle, pointed ears, and a bushy tail typically carried low. Their coats range from grayish-brown to reddish, providing natural camouflage across the desert scrub, grasslands, and forest environments they inhabit. Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on rabbits, rodents, deer fawns, reptiles, insects, carrion, and seasonal fruits — adjusting their diet to whatever the landscape provides. Highly vocal, their distinctive yips, howls, and barks are one of the defining sounds of the Arizona desert and mountain forest at dawn and dusk. They may hunt alone or cooperatively in pairs and small family groups, and are intelligent enough to adapt their behavior rapidly in response to human activity. The coyote's remarkable flexibility in habitat, diet, and behavior has allowed it to thrive across every environment in Arizona and expand its range across all of North America.

AZ Places sightings: McDowell Mountain Regional Park — coyote at 10 feet on a ridge hike, March 2015. Jacks Canyon FR 230B — coyote calls heard two nights at camp, September 2026. Valley of the Gods, Utah — coyote seen during jeep tour, September 2025.

Mammal

Identification & Behavior

Key Features: Slender build, pointed ears, narrow muzzle, bushy tail carried low, grayish-brown to reddish coat, distinctive yipping and howling vocals

Size/Weight: 15–46 lbs; body 3.3–4.3 ft plus 14–16 inch tail; shoulder height 18–24 inches

Behavior: Intelligent and highly adaptable. May hunt alone or cooperatively in pairs or small family groups. Breeding January through March. Litters of 4 to 7 pups born in spring. Family groups communicate through an elaborate system of howls, yips, barks, and whines — the classic nighttime soundtrack of the Arizona desert and forest.

Diet: Omnivorous — small mammals, rabbits, deer fawns, reptiles, insects, carrion, fruits, and occasionally livestock or unattended pets near developed areas

Activity Pattern: Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal — most active at dawn and dusk. Occasional daytime sightings especially in less disturbed areas.

Habitat & Distribution

Arizona: Found statewide in all habitats from sea level to 11,000 feet. Present in all national forests and BLM lands across the state.

New Mexico: Common in Gila National Forest, Carson National Forest, and BLM canyonlands statewide. Found from desert basins to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Utah: Widespread across Dixie, Fishlake, and Manti-La Sal National Forests, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and the canyon country of Cedar Mesa and the Colorado Plateau.

Elevation Range: Sea level to 11,000 ft

Seasonal Presence: Year-round

Risks & Management

Poses risk to unattended small pets and livestock. Habituated coyotes near developed areas can become bold — never feed and always haze to maintain wariness.

Fun Fact: Coyotes can run up to 40 mph and are strong swimmers — they have colonized every US state including Hawaii and are found in every major American city, making them one of the most successful large predators in North American history.