The coyote, or Canis latrans, is an adaptable North American predator found across a vast range of environments, from wilderness to urban centers. This flexibility is linked to its broad and opportunistic feeding habits. Squirrels are one component of the coyote’s complex diet, and their consumption is determined by availability, hunting strategy, and the specific environment the coyote inhabits.
The Coyote Diet Profile
Coyotes are classified as true omnivores, incorporating both plant and animal matter. They are highly opportunistic feeders, consuming whatever food sources are most available. The bulk of their diet is typically composed of mammalian prey, often accounting for over 50% of the dry weight of food items found in their scat. This includes small mammals such as rabbits, hares, and various rodents.
Beyond small game, coyotes consume insects, fish, frogs, snakes, and carrion, which they scavenge regularly. They supplement their diet with plant matter, including fruits, berries, and grasses, particularly during the fall and winter months. This dietary flexibility allows coyotes to thrive across diverse landscapes. Their ability to exploit seasonal resources or human-associated sources, like garbage and pet food, is central to their survival.
The Specifics of Squirrel Predation
Coyotes do eat squirrels, which are a regular part of their diet, falling under the category of small mammals they target. The likelihood of a squirrel becoming prey depends on its species and habitat. Ground squirrels, such as the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, are easier targets because they are often caught foraging on the ground or ambushed near their burrows.
Coyotes employ specific hunting strategies for this quick prey, utilizing their senses of smell and sight. They often use a characteristic stalking and pouncing behavior, similar to what is observed when they hunt mice and voles. This method involves a sudden, explosive spring to pin the animal with their forepaws. Tree squirrels, like eastern gray or fox squirrels, are more challenging due to their arboreal nature, but they are vulnerable when they descend to the ground to forage for nuts and seeds. A moment of distraction can create the opportunity for a coyote to capture a squirrel.
Influence of Habitat on Prey Selection
The frequency with which a squirrel appears in a coyote’s diet is influenced by the local environment. In expansive wilderness or rural areas, squirrels form part of a natural, varied prey base alongside rabbits, deer fawns, and other rodents. In these settings, the coyote’s diet is driven by the seasonal availability of natural prey.
In contrast, urban and suburban environments can make squirrels a disproportionately available food source. Parks, residential yards, and other fragmented habitats often concentrate squirrel populations, making them easier to locate. The presence of human-provided resources, like bird feeders or ornamental fruit, attracts squirrels, which in turn attracts coyotes who follow the available food supply. Coyotes are generalists whose diet is governed by convenience, meaning they consume squirrels readily when the energy expenditure required for the hunt is low.