00:00In less than a century, the coyote has orchestrated one of North America's most fascinating wildlife success stories.
00:11Transforming from a species, confined the American Southwest into a continental powerhouse that now howls from Alaska to Florida.
00:19Through remarkable adaptability and strategic hybridization with smaller subspecies of wolves,
00:25coyotes have not only expanded their range, but evolved into distinct regional populations, each uniquely adapted to their environment.
00:34Without wasting much time, these are the five major species of the coyote.
00:39Newfoundland Coyote, Canis oriens ssp.
00:42The Newfoundland coyote represents the most recent expansion of coyote populations into previously unoccupied territory.
00:50These animals first appeared on the island of Newfoundland in the 1950s, likely crossing the ice-covered Cabot and Belle Ales straight from the mainland.
00:59The isolation of the island population has led to unique characteristics and rapid adaptation to the local environment.
01:07Newfoundland coyotes are generally larger than mainland eastern populations, with specimens averaging 50 to 75 pounds and even 80 pounds in rare occasions.
01:17Their size increase appears to be both genetic, from wolf DNA, and environmental,
01:23as the island's ecosystem provides abundant resources with minimal competition from other large predators.
01:29Their thick, often light-colored yellowish coat provides insulation against the harsh maritime climate.
01:36These coyotes have adapted to feed heavily on moose and their calves, caribou, and marine resources including seals and seabirds, showing remarkable dietary flexibility.
01:46The Newfoundland population demonstrates the species' remarkable colonizing ability and rapid adaptation to new environments.
01:54These coyotes are so robust that they have been sometimes misidentified as wolves.
01:59East Texas Coyote, Canis var, Texensis.
02:03The East Texas Coyote, or Southeastern Coywolf, is a hybrid population resulting from hybridization between the plains coyotes,
02:10which migrated into a small portion of eastern Texas, and the critically endangered red wolf.
02:15This hybridization has created a unique canid population adapted to the southeastern United States.
02:22These animals typically weigh 42 to 64 pounds and display intermediate characteristics between their parent species.
02:30Physical features often include the reddish-brown coloration characteristic of red wolves,
02:35combined with the more pointed ears and narrower snout of coyotes.
02:39Their legs tend to be longer than typical plains coyotes, and their overall build is more robust.
02:44East Texas coyotes inhabit pine forests, coastal marshes, and agricultural areas throughout eastern Texas
02:51and into Louisiana, Mississippi, western Florida, western South Carolina, northwestern North Carolina,
02:59Alabama, western Georgia, and the southernmost portion of Arkansas and Tennessee.
03:04Their diet consists of small mammals, deer, birds, reptiles, and seasonal fruits,
03:09showing the omnivorous flexibility inherited from both parent species.
03:14Pack behavior varies, with some groups displaying some levels of wolf-like cooperation while others
03:20maintain the more solitary hunting style typical of coyotes.
03:23Western Coyote, Canis latrons.
03:26The western coyote is the most popularly known of all the species of coyotes.
03:31They typically weigh 30 to 48 pounds.
03:33They are the smallest of the coyote subspecies, with a lean build perfectly suited to their desert, forest, and grassland habitats.
03:42Western coyotes display the classic coyote appearance.
03:46Pointed ears, narrow snout, slender legs, and a bushy tail carried low.
03:52Their coat coloration varies from pale gray and tan to reddish-brown,
03:56providing excellent camouflage in their native environments.
03:59These animals are supremely adapted to water-scarce environments,
04:04capable of meeting most of their moisture needs through their prey.
04:07Behaviorally, western coyotes are typically more solitary than their hybridized eastern cousins,
04:13though they may form small family groups.
04:15Their diet consists primarily of small mammals like rabbits,
04:19smaller species of deer, and rodents,
04:21supplemented by insects, reptiles, birds, and seasonal plant matter.
04:25They are opportunistic feeders, adapting their hunting strategies to available prey.
04:31These coyotes inhabit the deserts and grasslands of the western portions of the United States and Canada,
04:37the tropical forests of Central America, even as far south as Panama.
04:42It is found throughout the southern half of Alaska.
04:45Plains Coyote, Canis latrins latrins.
04:48The Plains Coyote occupies the vast grassland ecosystems of Central North America
04:53from the Canadian prairies from western Alberta,
04:56Saskatchewan through the Great Lakes region of the United States,
04:59all the way down south to the Texas panhandle through the east-central U.S.
05:03to the southeastern coasts of the United States.
05:06These animals are intermediate between the smaller western coyotes
05:09and the larger eastern hybrid populations,
05:12typically weighing 35 to 53 pounds.
05:15Their size and characteristics reflect adaptation
05:18to the unique challenges and opportunities of grassland environments.
05:22Plains coyotes possess slightly longer legs than their western relatives,
05:27an adaptation for traveling across vast open territories
05:30and pursuing prey in grassland habitats.
05:33Their coat is often lighter in color than forest and desert-dwelling populations,
05:38ranging from pale gray to buff-colored with darker guard hairs.
05:42This coloration provides effective camouflage among prairie grasses
05:46and helps reflect heat in open environments.
05:49These coyotes have adapted to feed heavily on prairie-specific prey,
05:53including ground squirrels, prairie dogs, jackrabbits, and ground-nesting birds.
05:58They sometimes hunt pronghorn.
06:01They also consume significant amounts of seasonal fruits and agricultural crops,
06:05making them both beneficial pest hunters and occasional agricultural pests.
06:10Their hunting behavior often involves long-distance pursuits across open terrain.
