The coyote, Canis latrans, is a species native to North America that has demonstrated remarkable adaptability throughout its range. Originally found primarily in western prairies and deserts, its habitat now spans from Central America through most of the continent, successfully integrating into forests, mountains, and large urban areas. This ability to thrive across diverse environments is directly linked to its dietary classification: the opportunistic omnivore. This flexible strategy allows the coyote to utilize nearly any available food source for survival.
The Opportunistic Omnivore Classification
The term “opportunistic omnivore” precisely defines the coyote’s consumption strategy, differentiating it from strict carnivores or herbivores. Although coyotes belong to the order Carnivora, their digestive system efficiently processes both animal and plant matter. This dietary flexibility allows them to maintain a stable population even as available resources fluctuate seasonally or regionally. Unlike a specialist predator that relies on a single prey type, the coyote is a generalist, exploiting a variety of resources as they become abundant. The coyote’s diet is primarily dictated by what is easiest to obtain, making opportunity the driving factor of its consumption habits.
Key Components of the Coyote Diet
Despite the coyote’s omnivorous nature, its diet is dominated by animal matter, with small mammals forming the bulk of its nutrition. Rodents (such as mice and voles) and lagomorphs (including rabbits and hares) are frequently consumed throughout the year. These small prey items provide a high-energy return and are often targeted through solitary hunting behaviors. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish also supplement the diet. Insects, particularly grasshoppers and beetles, are a noteworthy food source, especially for juveniles learning to hunt, providing necessary protein and fat.
Seasonal Shifts and Scavenging Behavior
The coyote’s adaptability is evident in the seasonal shifts of its diet, incorporating plant matter based on availability. During summer and autumn, consumption of fleshy fruits, berries, nuts, and grains increases significantly. Blackberries and persimmon fruits, for example, can compose a substantial portion of the diet during their peak availability. When small prey become less accessible in winter, coyotes often shift toward consuming larger ungulates, frequently by scavenging carrion such as deer carcasses.
Scavenging is a regular and substantial component of the coyote’s feeding behavior, ensuring survival during times of scarcity. They readily consume carrion, fulfilling an ecological role as a landscape cleaner. In areas near human development, this scavenging extends to anthropogenic food sources, including unsecured garbage, pet food left outdoors, and livestock remains. This flexibility in utilizing human subsidies is a primary reason for the coyote’s success in urban and suburban environments.
The Coyote’s Place in the Food Web
The coyote’s consumption pattern places it firmly within the food web as a mesopredator, or mid-ranking predator. By preying on abundant small mammals, coyotes regulate populations of rodents and rabbits, which helps control herbivory and the spread of certain diseases. In areas where apex predators like wolves have been eliminated, coyotes often assume the role of the top predator, suppressing other smaller mesopredators like raccoons and skunks.
When coyotes consume fruits and berries, they also perform a significant function as seed dispersers. Seeds pass through the digestive tract unharmed and are deposited in scat, often a considerable distance from the parent plant. The presence of coyote scat can also indirectly influence seed survival by acting as a cue of predation risk that deters rodent granivores from foraging nearby. This dual role as a predator and a disperser demonstrates how the coyote’s varied diet contributes to the stability and dynamics of its ecosystem.