Arizona wildlife in forest, mountain and desert habitats

Arizona Coyotes

Q: What is the scientific name of the coyote?

The coyote's scientific name is Canis latrans.

Originally written by Tony Subia

Reviewed and updated by AZ Leisure Staff Writers on August 4, 2026.

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are among Arizona’s most adaptable and widespread wild mammals. They live in Sonoran Desert scrub, grasslands, forests, mountain valleys, farmland, suburbs and major cities. Arizona coyotes usually avoid people, but they may appear in yards, parks, golf courses and neighborhoods where food, water or shelter is available. This guide explains how to identify coyotes, where they live, what they eat, how they raise their young and how residents can safely protect children, pets and property.

Arizona Coyote Quick Facts
Coyote Identification
Habitat and Range
Behavior and Family Groups
Coyote Diet
Breeding and Pups
Coyotes in Neighborhoods
Protecting Pets
What To Do During an Encounter
Frequently Asked Questions

Wild coyote standing in Sonoran Desert habitat in Arizona

With a wide range that extends from Canada to Panama, Coyotes are a successful species that figure into the history, folklore, and present-day culture of the American West. Smaller than wolves and generally larger than dogs, coyotes boast coats that vary in color from gray to yellow. Most of Arizona's coyotes sport the telltale yellow desert coats. Mature coyotes may reach a weight of about fifty pounds and may grow as tall as forty inches. They are known for their considerable agility and speed-which may reach up to forty miles per hour.

Arizona Coyote Quick Facts

Common name: Coyote
Scientific name: Canis latrans
Animal family: Canidae, the dog family
Typical Arizona weight: Approximately 20 to 30 pounds
Typical length: Approximately 3½ to 4 feet including the tail
Shoulder height: Roughly 2 feet
Habitat: Deserts, grasslands, forests, farms, cities and suburbs
Diet: Small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fruit, carrion and other available foods
Activity: Often most active at night, dawn and dusk, but daylight sightings are normal
Social structure: Family groups whose members often hunt alone or in loose pairs
Breeding season: Generally January through March
Birth season: Usually March through May
Typical Arizona litter: Approximately four to seven pups
Vocalizations: Howls, yips, barks, growls and whines
Arizona status: Common and widespread

How to Identify an Arizona Coyote

Coyotes are medium-sized members of the dog family with slender bodies, long legs, pointed ears and narrow muzzles. They are generally smaller and lighter than many domestic German shepherds but larger than foxes.

Grayish-brown, tan or reddish-brown coat
Lighter gray or cream-colored underside
Large, upright pointed ears
Long, narrow muzzle
Bushy tail commonly marked with a dark or black tip
Long, relatively slender legs
Tail usually carried low while walking or running
Direct, efficient walking pattern with limited side-to-side movement

Coat color varies with the individual, season and habitat, so color alone should not be used for identification. The pointed ears, narrow muzzle, black-tipped bushy tail and low tail carriage are more useful field marks.

Where Coyotes Live in Arizona

Coyotes occur throughout Arizona and can adapt to nearly any habitat that provides food, water and shelter. They occupy low desert, grassland, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodland, mountain forest, agricultural land, river corridors and developed communities.

Sonoran Desert washes and cactus scrub
High-desert grasslands
Mountain forests and meadows
Farms, ranches and agricultural fields
River corridors and drainage channels
Golf courses and urban parks
Neighborhood greenbelts and landscaped washes
Wooded patches and dense shrubs within cities

In developed areas, coyotes often move along washes, storm-water channels, rail corridors, greenbelts and undeveloped parcels. These routes provide cover and connect feeding and resting areas.

Coyote Behavior and Family Groups

Arizona coyote walking through desert shrubs and brush

Coyotes are intelligent, curious and highly adaptable. They may live as bonded pairs or in family groups containing the breeding adults, current pups and young from earlier litters. Despite this social structure, coyotes frequently travel and hunt alone or in loose pairs.

Small mammals are usually captured by a single coyote. When pursuing larger prey, coyotes may cooperate. They have also been observed following badgers and catching rodents that escape while the badger digs.

Coyotes are often most active around dusk, nighttime and dawn, particularly in developed areas. However, seeing a healthy coyote during daylight is not automatically a sign of disease or aggression. Daytime activity can increase while adults are feeding pups or moving between feeding areas.

Coyotes communicate through scent marking, posture and a broad range of vocalizations. A few animals producing overlapping howls and yips may sound like a much larger group.

Close view of a wild Arizona coyote showing pointed ears and narrow muzzle

What Do Arizona Coyotes Eat?

Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores that eat both animals and plants. Their preferred prey consists largely of rabbits, rodents and other small mammals, but their diet changes with habitat, season and food availability.

Rabbits and hares
Mice, rats, voles and ground squirrels
Birds and eggs
Snakes and lizards
Insects and other invertebrates
Fish and amphibians when available
Carrion
Acorns, berries, mesquite beans and palo verde beans
Saguaro and prickly pear cactus fruit
Young deer or pronghorn when vulnerable

In neighborhoods, coyotes may also consume unsecured garbage, pet food, fallen fruit, domestic poultry and unattended cats or small dogs. Removing these attractants is one of the most effective ways to reduce repeated visits.

Coyote Breeding, Dens and Pups

Coyotes form strong pair bonds, and breeding generally occurs between January and March. After a gestation period of approximately two months, females usually give birth between March and May.

Arizona litters commonly contain about four to seven pups, although litter size varies with food, habitat and population conditions. Pups are raised in a den that may be dug beneath a tree or rock, placed in a sheltered cavity or expanded from an existing animal burrow.

Both parents help feed and protect the pups. Older offspring may remain with the family and assist with raising a later litter. Adults initially provide regurgitated food, and pups gradually begin eating solid food and learning to hunt.

Coyotes may become more territorial around denning areas from late winter through early summer. Dogs should be kept especially close and leashed during this period.

Coyotes in Arizona Neighborhoods

Coyotes commonly travel through suburban neighborhoods, golf courses, parks and city washes. A single sighting does not necessarily indicate a problem. Conflict becomes more likely when coyotes repeatedly find food, water or shelter near homes or become comfortable remaining close to people.

What Attracts Coyotes?

Pet food or water left outdoors
Unsecured garbage or compost
Fallen citrus and other fruit
Bird seed that attracts rodents and rabbits
Unattended cats and small dogs
Chicken coops or rabbit enclosures
Swimming pools, fountains and water bowls
Dense shrubs, storm drains and spaces beneath sheds

How to Make a Property Less Attractive

Feed pets indoors and remove outdoor bowls.
Secure garbage cans and place them outside on collection morning.
Collect fallen fruit promptly.
Trim dense ground-level shrubs.
Block access beneath sheds, porches and outbuildings.
Use secure, roofed enclosures for poultry and rabbits.
Install motion-activated lights or sprinklers.
Ask neighbors to remove attractants as part of a neighborhood-wide effort.

How to Protect Pets From Coyotes

Coyotes can prey on cats, small dogs, poultry, rabbits and other domestic animals. Even a fenced yard may not provide complete protection because coyotes can jump or climb over six-foot fences and dig beneath barriers.

Keep cats indoors.
Supervise small dogs whenever they are outdoors.
Use a short, non-retractable leash during walks.
Avoid allowing pets outside alone at dawn, dusk or night.
Pick up a small dog if a coyote approaches during a walk.
Do not allow dogs to chase or confront coyotes.
Use sturdy roofed kennels for unattended outdoor pets.
Enclose poultry with heavy hardware cloth rather than lightweight chicken wire.
Extend fencing below ground to discourage digging.
Remove spilled feed that attracts rodents and other prey.

Larger dogs can also be injured, especially during coyote breeding and denning season. No dog should be encouraged to confront a wild coyote.

What to Do If You Encounter a Coyote

Most coyotes will move away when challenged. A coyote that remains near people should not be ignored or allowed to become comfortable.

Do not approach the coyote.
Keep eye contact and face the animal.
Do not turn and run.
Stand tall and make yourself appear larger.
Yell in a firm, low voice.
Wave your arms, jacket, walking stick or other objects.
Clap, blow a whistle or bang objects together.
Spray the animal with a garden hose when near home.
Move toward other people, a building or an active area.
Pick up small pets and keep children close.
Continue hazing until the coyote leaves the area.

Call 911 if a coyote attacks or is actively approaching a person in a threatening manner. Anyone bitten or scratched should obtain immediate medical care and report the incident to wildlife authorities.

Are Arizona Coyotes Dangerous?

Coyotes usually avoid people, and most sightings do not lead to conflict. However, any wild predator can become dangerous when cornered, defending pups, conditioned to human food or accustomed to remaining near people.

Warning signs include repeatedly approaching people, refusing to retreat when hazed, following walkers, growling, baring teeth, lunging or attacking leashed pets beside people. A coyote displaying these behaviors should be reported to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Children should never approach a coyote or attempt to feed or photograph one at close range. Adults should supervise young children in areas where coyotes are regularly observed.

Arizona Coyote Hunting and Feeding Laws

Arizona classifies coyotes as predators and provides a year-round hunting season. A valid Arizona hunting license is required, and hunters must follow current state regulations, land-access rules and local firearm or archery ordinances.

Discharging a firearm, bow or crossbow near occupied buildings is restricted by state law unless the required permission or exception applies. Most municipalities also restrict shooting within city limits.

Feeding wildlife, including coyotes, is prohibited by state law in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties, with limited exceptions for birds and tree squirrels. Additional cities and counties may have their own feeding ordinances.

Always confirm current rules with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the appropriate city, county or land-management agency.

Coyotes and Arizona Ecosystems

Coyotes play an important ecological role as adaptable mid-sized predators and scavengers. By consuming rodents, rabbits, carrion and other prey, they influence animal populations and help recycle nutrients.

Their presence can also affect the behavior and distribution of smaller predators. Coyotes sometimes hunt cooperatively with badgers, benefiting from rodents flushed from underground burrows.

Although coyotes can create conflicts around livestock, pets and developed areas, they remain a natural and important part of Arizona’s desert, grassland and forest ecosystems.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arizona Coyotes

Do coyotes live throughout Arizona?

Yes. Coyotes occur throughout the state in deserts, forests, grasslands, farms, towns, suburbs and major cities.

What is the scientific name of the coyote?

The coyote’s scientific name is Canis latrans.

How large are Arizona coyotes?

Arizona coyotes generally weigh approximately 20 to 30 pounds, measure about 3½ to 4 feet long including the tail and stand roughly 2 feet at the shoulder.

Are coyotes active during the day?

Yes. Coyotes are often most active at night, dawn and dusk, but healthy coyotes may also travel and hunt during daylight.

Do coyotes hunt in packs?

Coyotes live in family groups, but they frequently travel and hunt alone or in loose pairs. Several animals may cooperate when pursuing larger prey.

What do Arizona coyotes eat?

Their diet includes rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles, insects, carrion, fruit, seeds and other available foods. Urban coyotes may also eat garbage, pet food and unattended small pets.

When do coyotes have pups in Arizona?

Breeding generally occurs between January and March, and pups are usually born between March and May.

How many pups do coyotes have?

Arizona Game and Fish reports that females usually bear about four to seven pups, although litter size varies.

Why do coyotes howl and yip?

Coyotes use howls, yips and barks to communicate location, territorial boundaries, breeding status and contact with family members.

Does hearing many howls mean there is a large pack?

Not necessarily. A few coyotes producing overlapping vocalizations can sound like a much larger group.

Are coyotes dangerous to people?

Most coyotes avoid humans, and attacks are uncommon. Risk increases when coyotes are fed, become habituated or defend pups or territory.

What should I do if a coyote approaches me?

Face the animal, maintain eye contact, make yourself appear large, yell, wave your arms and continue making noise until it leaves. Do not run.

How can I keep coyotes away from my yard?

Remove pet food, water, garbage, fallen fruit and other attractants. Trim hiding cover, secure livestock and haze coyotes that remain near the property.