The coyote (Canis latrans), a highly adaptable canid found across North America, is frequently mistaken for a strict meat-eater. While their predatory habits are well-known, scientific classification places them definitively in the category of omnivores. The coyote’s success in diverse environments, from wilderness to metropolitan areas, results directly from its flexible, non-specialized diet. This ability to consume sustenance from both animal and plant sources is the defining feature of its biological classification.
Defining Carnivores and Omnivores
The distinction between a carnivore and an omnivore is based on dietary habits and physiological capacity. An obligate carnivore, such as a domestic cat, relies entirely on animal flesh to obtain specific nutrients like taurine, and lacks the necessary digestive tract to fully process significant amounts of plant matter. Their short, simple digestive system is optimized for quick protein and fat digestion.
An omnivore, in contrast, naturally consumes and digests both animal- and plant-derived food sources. While many omnivores may show a preference for one over the other, their digestive systems are capable of processing a wide variety of nutrients. Coyotes fall into this flexible group, often classified as mesocarnivores because their diet generally consists of between 30% and 70% meat.
The Coyote’s Primary Diet: Predation and Prey
The perception of the coyote as a carnivore is understandable, given that animal matter forms the largest and most consistent part of its diet. Coyotes are effective and opportunistic hunters, primarily targeting small mammals across their range. Rodents, such as voles, mice, and ground squirrels, along with lagomorphs like rabbits and hares, constitute the core of their prey base, sometimes making up as much as 70% of their intake.
Hunting typically occurs alone or in small family groups. They also consume birds, reptiles, and amphibians, depending on local abundance. While they do not regularly hunt large, healthy ungulates, coyotes will opportunistically prey on vulnerable deer fawns or sick adult deer. This predatory behavior establishes the animal matter component of their omnivorous classification.
The Coyote’s Secondary Diet: Adaptability and Plant Matter
The key to the coyote’s classification as an omnivore lies in its extensive consumption of non-animal food sources. This dietary flexibility allows them to thrive across nearly all habitat types in North America. Studies based on scat analysis indicate that plant matter, including seeds and berries, can constitute a significant portion of their overall diet, sometimes reaching up to 34% by volume.
This reliance on vegetation often shows seasonal shifts, with coyotes consuming higher amounts of fruits, berries, and grasses during the late summer and fall when these items are easily available. They will readily eat apples, melons, various wild berries, grains, and nuts. Insects, such as grasshoppers and beetles, are a regular supplement during warmer months.
In urban and suburban environments, their omnivorous nature is expressed through scavenging behavior. Coyotes readily consume carrion and exploit human-derived food sources, including discarded refuse and unsecured pet food. This ability to switch between actively hunting small prey, consuming seasonal plant matter, and scavenging makes the coyote a highly successful omnivore.