The coyote, or Canis latrans, is a highly adaptable canid native to North America, classified as a medium-sized species. Its dimensions place it squarely between the smaller fox and the much larger gray wolf. While they are sometimes colloquially referred to as “prairie wolves,” their size and build make them distinct from true wolves.
Core Physical Dimensions
Coyotes possess a slender, athletic build. A typical adult weighs between 20 and 50 pounds, putting them in the same class as many medium-sized domestic dog breeds.
At the shoulder, a coyote usually stands between 21 and 24 inches tall. When measured from the nose to the tip of their bushy, black-tipped tail, their total body length commonly ranges from 3 to 4.5 feet. The tail alone contributes a significant portion to this length, often measuring around 16 inches.
Size Comparison to Other Canids
Coyotes are significantly smaller and more lightly built than their closest wild relative, the gray wolf (Canis lupus). Gray wolves weigh between 80 and 120 pounds and stand much taller, possessing blockier heads and shorter, rounder ears. The size difference is evident in the tracks they leave, as a wolf track is nearly twice the size of a coyote’s.
The coyote is substantially larger than a fox. Even the largest fox species, such as the red fox, are significantly out-measured by the coyote.
Distinguishing a coyote from a medium-sized domestic dog can be challenging due to overlapping dimensions. The coyote’s morphology is distinct, featuring a thinner frame and a tail that typically hangs downward when running, unlike a dog’s tail. The coyote’s tracks are also generally more elongated and less rounded than those of a domestic dog.
How Geography Influences Size
Coyote size varies considerably based on geographic location. Coyotes inhabiting colder, northern regions tend to be larger and heavier than those found in warmer, southern, or desert environments.
For instance, coyotes in the Yukon or northeastern United States can weigh substantially more than those in Mexico or the American Southwest. Coyotes in the northeast have also shown an increase in size over time, linked to the availability of larger prey or past genetic mixing with wolves. The largest recorded coyote, weighing 75 pounds, was taken in Wyoming.