The coyote, Canis latrans, is a successful and widespread medium-sized canid in the Western Hemisphere. This predator has proven its ability to adjust its behavior and diet to survive in vastly different ecological settings across the continent. Its widespread success has sometimes led to misconceptions about its global distribution, particularly concerning similar biomes in other parts of the world.
Geographic Limits: Why Coyotes Are Not Savanna Dwellers
The definitive answer to whether coyotes inhabit the savanna is no. They are strictly endemic to the New World, meaning they are native only to North and Central America. The term “savanna” most commonly refers to the tropical grasslands found on the African continent, an area where Canis latrans does not naturally occur. Their presence there is geographically impossible without human introduction.
Any confusion about their presence likely stems from their ecological role, which is similar to other canids that inhabit African savannas. Species such as the black-backed jackal or the African wild dog occupy comparable niches as medium-sized, opportunistic predators and scavengers in that environment. The coyote’s closest biological relatives in Africa are the various species of jackals and the African golden wolf, which evolved independently on a different landmass.
The True Range of the Coyote
The historical distribution of the coyote was geographically constrained, primarily restricted to the arid open country, prairies, and deserts of western North America, extending into Mexico. Prior to the 19th century, their range stretched from the Pacific coast eastward to the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. This original territory reflected the species’ preference for non-forested habitats.
A massive range expansion began around the turn of the 20th century, transforming the coyote’s distribution across the continent. This expansion has been estimated to have increased their geographic range by approximately 40% since the 1950s, a rate far exceeding that of other North American carnivores. Today, the species is found from Alaska and almost all of Canada, southward through the United States, and deep into Central America, reaching as far south as Panama.
Several factors facilitated this spread, notably the widespread extermination of larger apex predators, especially the gray wolf. With the reduction of wolf populations, coyotes experienced less competition and reduced predation risk, allowing them to expand their ecological niche. Human-caused changes, such as the fragmentation of forests for agriculture and development, also created open corridors that favored their dispersal.
The successful colonization of eastern North America was also aided by hybridization with wolves and domestic dogs, which may have introduced new genetic variations. These genetic contributions helped coyotes adapt to the denser, forested habitats of the East, environments they historically avoided. The ongoing expansion continues, with coyotes now approaching the border between Central and South America in the Darien Gap region of Panama.
Masters of Adaptability: Specific Coyote Habitats
The coyote’s current distribution reflects its ecological flexibility, allowing it to thrive across a mosaic of specific environments. The species is highly successful in traditional wilderness habitats, including high-altitude mountainous regions and the vast, open grasslands and prairies that constituted their original home range. They are also well-suited to the extreme conditions of arid deserts, alongside the dense, humid environments of swamps and tropical rainforests in the southern extent of their range.
In boreal and temperate deciduous forests, coyotes utilize clearings and fragmented edges to hunt, adapting their movements to areas with less canopy cover. Their dens are typically sheltered locations like rocky crevices, hollow logs, or abandoned burrows of other animals, which they often enlarge for their use.
The most significant demonstration of their adaptability lies in their successful colonization of human-dominated landscapes, including suburban and urban areas. Coyotes in these settings utilize green spaces such as golf courses, parks, and undeveloped tracts of land for cover and travel. They have learned to forage on human-associated resources, including rodents attracted to refuse, small domestic animals, and fruits and garden vegetables. This tolerance for human activity allows them to occupy dense residential areas, a trait that sets them apart from most other large carnivores. In large metropolitan areas, coyotes establish territories and even reproduce, demonstrating their capacity to navigate and exploit the urban ecosystem.