The coyote (Canis latrans) is an adaptable omnivorous carnivore that has successfully spread across most of North and Central America. Their resilience is linked to a flexible diet and the ability to extract nutrients from virtually any available source, including skeletal material. Coyotes definitively eat bones, as this behavior is a fundamental part of their survival strategy. Bone consumption is a necessary biological process supported by specialized physical features and digestive mechanisms.
The Coyote’s Opportunistic Diet
Coyotes thrive as generalists; their diet is shaped less by preference and more by what is readily accessible. Their food sources are diverse, ranging from small mammals like mice and rabbits to insects, fish, fruit, and vegetation. This opportunistic nature means coyotes frequently act as scavengers, consuming carrion or the remains of animals killed by other predators or vehicles.
When a coyote feeds on a carcass or a freshly caught animal, they typically consume the entire prey item, wasting very little. This whole-prey consumption includes the fur, organs, and skeletal structure, especially for smaller animals. Their reliance on scavenging ensures they ingest the entire nutrient profile, including the dense mineral content locked within the bones.
Physical Capability and Bone Processing
The coyote’s ability to process hard material is supported by a powerful jaw and specialized dentition, though they are not true bone-crushers like hyenas. Their jaw muscles can generate significant force; one study recorded a maximum bite strength of up to 708 Newtons in an adult male, concentrated at the back of the jaw. This force allows them to effectively crush the smaller, pliable bones of rodents and lagomorphs.
Their premolars and molars are designed for a generalist diet, featuring broad surfaces with cusps that facilitate both crushing and grinding. The carnassial teeth (the specialized fourth upper premolar and first lower molar) work in a scissor-like motion to shear meat, while the lower carnassial also possesses a grinding basin. This anatomy allows coyotes to splinter and break apart bones rather than cracking large, dense bones whole, which they avoid to prevent tooth fracture.
Once ingested, bone fragments are subjected to a highly acidic digestive system that assists in breaking down the hard tissue. This chemical process causes dissolution, physically smoothing and rounding the edges of the fragments as they pass through the intestinal tract. Microscopic analysis reveals distinctive pits and fissures caused by the acid dissolving the bone structure. This combination of mechanical fragmentation and chemical dissolution ensures maximum nutrient extraction.
Nutritional Benefits of Bone Consumption
The primary benefit of consuming bone tissue is the intake of macrominerals, particularly calcium and phosphorus, stored in high concentrations within the skeleton. These minerals are essential for maintaining the coyote’s skeletal integrity and are involved in hundreds of metabolic functions. Bone also contains trace elements like magnesium, potassium, and zinc that are vital for physiological health.
Bone marrow, the soft tissue found inside bone cavities, is a rich source of fat, protein, and blood-forming cells. This marrow provides a high-energy, nutrient-dense supplement that is beneficial when prey is scarce, such as during winter. Bone consumption is biologically important for female coyotes during specific life stages.
A female nursing pups requires a significantly higher level of calcium to support milk production and the rapid growth of her young. Without sufficient dietary intake from bone, her body would mobilize calcium directly from her own skeletal reserves, weakening her bones. Consuming bones regularly ensures coyotes meet these increased mineral demands, supporting reproductive success and the healthy development of their offspring.