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This photograph was taken at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Desert Duets: Coyote Info Web Page Pronunciation Guide: There are three ways to pronounce "coyote:" ky-oh-tee, ky-oat (silent "e"), or koy-oh-tay (the Spanish pronunciation). Information about Coyotes Yip! Yap! Bark! Howl! Coyotes like to throw their noses to the sky and howl at sunrise and at sundown. Some scientists say they howl to locate their families or their hunting buddies. Others think coyotes just like to hear themselves sing! The word "coyote" comes from the name of an Aztec god whose name meant "barker-at-the-moon." Many images of coyotes show these cousins of pet dogs howling at the moon. Coyotes live in every state in the United States. Their fur is a mixture of black, cream, gray, yellow, and reddish brown. They are different colors in different parts of the country. In the Southwest, coyotes are more yellow in color and tend to be thinner than coyotes in other parts of the U. S. (Notice how the coyote in the photograph above blends into the desert habitat. This camouflage helps it hunt.) Coyotes are mostly carnivores, but they will eat anything, including bugs, rabbits and other small rodents, reptiles, bats, eggs, nuts, fruit, berries, grasses, fish, and frogs. Coyotes that live near people will also eat garbage and small pets, if their owners aren't careful.
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