Recognizing wild canids like coyotes and foxes can be challenging, as they share some superficial similarities. However, clear distinctions in their physical traits, vocalizations, behaviors, and even their tracks and scat allow for accurate identification.
Key Physical Differences
Coyotes are larger and more robust than foxes. An average coyote measures over 3 feet long and 2 feet tall, weighing 10 to 35 pounds, with eastern coyotes sometimes larger due to interbreeding. In contrast, even the largest fox species, the red fox, measures less than 3 feet long and around 20 inches tall, weighing 5 to 25 pounds, often comparable to a house cat. Foxes also have shorter legs and a more slender, tube-shaped body.
Fur coloration varies but offers a visual cue. Coyotes commonly display grizzled gray, tan, or brownish fur, sometimes with black streaks or reddish undertones around the ears and face. Red foxes are recognized by their striking reddish-orange coat, with distinct black markings on their legs, ear tips, and sometimes a dark patch near the tail. Gray foxes exhibit a mix of gray, white, and black fur, often with rusty orange on their chest and head, and a black stripe down their back and tail.
The tail offers a reliable distinguishing feature. Coyotes have a bushy tail, relatively shorter than their body, often held downwards when they run, and typically has a black tip. Foxes, especially red foxes, possess a notably long and very bushy tail, sometimes nearly as long as their body, which often features a white tip and tends to be held horizontally or slightly upward. Coyote ears are proportional to their head and pointed, while foxes have relatively larger, more triangular ears. Coyotes also have longer, more pointed snouts, whereas foxes feature more delicate and pointed muzzles.
Distinctive Vocalizations
Coyotes have a varied vocal repertoire, including howls, yips, barks, growls, yelps, and chatters. Their calls are often heard in choruses, particularly the characteristic “yip-howl” sequence, which serves for long-distance communication, territorial advertisement, and social cohesion within their family groups. These sounds can travel over significant distances, sometimes a thousand yards or more.
Foxes have a more limited range of vocalizations. Their sounds include high-pitched screams, sharp barks, and specific calls like the “vixen scream” during mating season. While they produce barks, howls, and yips, fox sounds are generally less varied and not as communal as those of coyotes.
Behavioral Clues
Activity patterns provide insights into identification. While both coyotes and foxes can be active at various times, coyotes are often crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) and nocturnal, yet they can be observed during daylight hours. Foxes are primarily nocturnal.
Movement and gait also differ. Coyotes tend to move with a steady trot or lope, often following straight paths to conserve energy. Foxes display a more agile, almost cat-like stealth or quick, darting movements. Habitat preferences, while adaptable for both, show some distinctions; coyotes are often found in open areas like grasslands and deserts, but also adapt to forests and urban environments, while foxes may prefer mixed woodlands and edges.
Dietary habits offer further context. Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores, with their diet often reflecting seasonal availability. They primarily consume small mammals like rabbits and rodents but also eat deer, frogs, fish, insects, fruits, grass, and carrion. Foxes are also opportunistic predators, but they focus more on smaller prey such as insects, birds, and small mammals.
Identifying Tracks and Scat
Indirect signs like tracks and scat offer tangible evidence for identification. Coyote tracks are more oval-shaped, measuring approximately 2.5 inches long by 2 inches wide, and clearly show four toes with distinct claw marks. Their trails often appear straight and purposeful.
Fox tracks are generally smaller and often appear more diamond or oval-shaped, measuring about 1.75 to 2.5 inches long by 1.5 to 2 inches wide for red foxes. While claw marks may sometimes be visible, they are often less prominent than in coyote tracks.
Coyote scat is tubular, tapered, and spongy, often around 0.5 inches in diameter and 6 to 12 inches long, commonly containing hair and bone fragments due to their carnivorous diet. They frequently deposit scat in prominent locations like the middle of trails or intersections as a form of communication. Fox scat is smaller, around 3/8 to 5/8 inches in diameter and 3 to 6 inches long, often pointed at one or both ends, and may contain insect parts or berry seeds, reflecting their more varied diet.