Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Canis latrans | Coyote 



ABBREVIATION : 
CALA

COMMON NAMES : 
   coyote
   brush wolf
   prairie wolf
   American jackal


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name for the coyote is Canis latrans
Say.  It is in the family Canidae.  Nineteen subspecies are currently
recognized, however; only 16 subspecies occur in Mexico, the United
States, and Canada [4,30]:

C. latrans cagottis (Hamilton-Smith) (Mexican coyote) 
C. latrans clepticus Elliot (San Pedro Martir coyote)       
C. latrans frustror Woodhouse (southeastern coyote)
C. latrans impavidus Allen (Durango coyote)       
C. latrans incolatus Hall (northern coyote)
C. latrans jamesi Townsend (Tiburon Island coyote)
C. latrans latrans (plains coyote)      
C. latrans lestes Merriam (mountain coyote)
C. latrans mearnsi Merriam (Mearns coyote)
C. latrans microdon Merriam (Lower Rio Grande coyote)
C. latrans ochropus Eschscholtz (California valley coyote)       
C. latrans peninsulae Merriam (peninsula coyote) 
C. latrans texesis Bailey (Texas plains coyote)
C. latrans thamnos Jackson (northeastern coyote)
C. latrans umpquesis Jackson (northwest coast coyote)
C. latrans vigilis Merriam (Colima coyote)

Fertile hybrids have been produced by matings of coyotes with feral dogs
(C. familiaris), red wolves (C. rufus), gray wolves (C. lupus), and red
foxes (Vulpes vulpes) [4,12].  Coyote-dog hybrids exhibit decreased
fecundity [12].


ORDER : 
Carnivora

CLASS : 
Mammal

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
The gray wolf is listed as endangered. Introduced populations in 
portions of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and introduced Mexican 
gray wolf populations in portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, 
are listed as non-essential experimental populations.

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Julie L. Tesky, May 1995


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Tesky, Julie L. 1995. Canis latrans. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Canis latrans | Coyote