The idea of a coyote systematically “skinning” its prey is a common misconception, particularly when people encounter the remains of a carcass in the wild. As one of North America’s most adaptable predators and scavengers, the coyote’s feeding process is efficient but does not involve the neat removal of the hide. The perception of “skinning” is based on visual evidence left behind, which is better explained by the animal’s feeding mechanics and the subsequent effects of nature.
The Definitive Answer: Coyote Feeding Habits
Coyotes possess a specialized dental structure designed for quickly tearing and shearing flesh, not for the precise act of skinning. Their dentition includes sharp canine teeth for grasping and puncturing. More importantly, the carnassial teeth—modified upper premolars and lower molars—work together like a pair of scissors. This scissor-like action allows them to slice through tough muscle, tendon, and sinew, enabling rapid consumption.
When feeding, the coyote uses this shearing action to tear off and swallow chunks of meat, organs, and often the hide and fur of smaller prey whole. Consumption is opportunistic and fast, particularly on larger prey or carrion. They prioritize the softer, nutrient-rich internal organs, such as the liver, heart, and lungs, first. This initial focus on the viscera means they often enter the body cavity from the flank or behind the ribs, pulling and tearing the contents out.
The hide, being the toughest and least palatable part of a large animal, is generally not the focus of the feeding process. A coyote’s goal is to consume the maximum amount of usable tissue in the shortest time, not to meticulously remove the skin. Consequently, the hide is often left attached to the skeleton in ragged, torn pieces after the underlying muscle and fat have been ripped away. This process of violent ripping and shearing differs significantly from the deliberate, smooth removal involved in human or specialized predator skinning.
Why Carcasses Sometimes Appear “Skinned”
The visual phenomenon that leads to the “skinned” interpretation is primarily due to the way the hide separates from the body during the feeding process. When a coyote feeds on a larger animal, they consume the tissue located between the bone structure and the skin. The action of pulling and tearing the muscle away naturally causes the tough, outer hide to detach and peel back from the carcass in large patches.
These large, detached sections of hide remain because they are less desirable and harder to consume than the inner tissues. The appearance of a nearly complete hide lying next to a stripped carcass can create the illusion of neat removal, though the edges are typically ragged where the coyote has torn pieces off. Coyotes are also frequent scavengers and often feed on animals that have already died or have been partially consumed by different predators.
The final state of a carcass is also influenced by other natural factors. Weather, such as sun and rain, and the work of smaller scavengers like insects and birds, further clean and strip the remaining tissue from the skeleton and the underside of the hide. This secondary activity contributes to a cleaner separation between the skin and the body than the coyote’s initial, messy feeding, making the remaining hide look more deliberately removed.