Mating and reproduction information
Baby coyotes
Breading season is February to March. In the spring, females build dens in preparation for their young. Females have a gestation period of 63 days and give birth to groups of three to 12 young at once. The groups of babies are called litters and each coyote baby is called a pup. How big the litter size is depends on where the coyotes live. In areas where there are a lot of coyotes, there will be a smaller litter size. In areas with fewer coyotes, the litter size will be larger. Both the male and female participate in taking care of the pups. The male will bring food to the female and the pups and help protect them from predators. According to the National Trappers Association, a female coyote will stay in her den with her pups until their eyes open. This can take 11 or 12 days. By fall, the pups are old enough to hunt for themselves. Coyotes are usually ready to mate at 20 to 22 months old. In the wild, coyotes live around 14 years. Coyotes can also mate with dogs. The offspring are called "coydogs." Coydogs don't have a very big population because they tend to mate and have babies during the winter, making it harder for the pups to survive. Also, males do not help the females take care of the pups, which also lead to poor survival rates. |