Why are there no coyotes in Australia? The answer involves deep geological history, strict modern-day policy, and a pre-existing ecological reality. The coyote, or Canis latrans, is a highly successful and adaptable canid species known for its ability to thrive in diverse environments across North America. Despite this adaptability, the coyote has never naturally established a presence in Australia.
The Exclusive North American Range of Coyotes
The primary factor explaining the coyote’s absence in Australia is its evolutionary origin and restricted natural distribution. The coyote is a New World canid, meaning it evolved exclusively on the North American continent over the past 0.74 to 0.85 million years. Its historical range was originally confined to the arid west and Great Plains of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Following the decline of larger predators like the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the 20th century, the coyote rapidly expanded its territory. This expansion now covers a vast area, ranging from Alaska in the north, across the United States, and south into Central America as far as Panama. However, this impressive colonization was limited to connected landmasses, leaving the coyote genetically and geographically isolated from the rest of the world. The coyote is a terrestrial animal that cannot naturally cross the immense oceanic distances separating the Americas from Australia.
Geographic Isolation and Strict Biosecurity
Australia’s status as a geographically isolated island continent makes natural colonization by North American terrestrial animals impossible. The Pacific Ocean presents a barrier of thousands of miles, preventing any natural migration, even for highly mobile species. This deep isolation is the foundation upon which Australia’s modern biosecurity strategy is built.
Australia maintains some of the most rigorous biosecurity and quarantine protocols globally, designed to prevent the introduction of non-native species. These strict regulations are a direct response to the devastating impacts caused by past invasive species, such as rabbits, foxes, and cane toads. The regulatory framework, governed by acts like the Biosecurity Act 2015, makes the intentional or accidental importation of a non-native predator like the coyote an illegal and highly monitored activity.
The government classifies high-risk animals as ‘prohibited dealings,’ meaning it is an offense to keep, move, or deal with them without specific permission. The illegal trade of exotic pets is actively policed, with high-risk species regularly seized. This legal and logistical barrier prevents the introduction of any new invasive terrestrial mammal that could threaten native fauna and agricultural industries.
Ecological Competition with the Dingo
Beyond geography and policy, a significant ecological reason exists for why a coyote population would likely struggle to establish itself in Australia: the presence of the Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo). The Dingo is Australia’s largest terrestrial mammalian predator, having been introduced to the continent between 3,500 and 5,000 years ago. The Dingo occupies the apex predator niche across much of the continent, a role that overlaps considerably with the ecological function of the coyote in North America.
The Dingo is a highly adaptable canid that lives in packs, hunts cooperatively, and preys on a wide variety of species, including kangaroos, wallabies, and rabbits. This broad diet and social structure mean the Dingo already controls the resource base that a coyote would need to survive, creating a high degree of niche overlap. When two species compete for the exact same limited resources, a phenomenon known as competitive exclusion often occurs, where one species out-competes the other.
The Dingo’s established presence gives it a substantial advantage over any newly introduced coyote. Dingoes actively defend their territories, which range from tens to hundreds of square kilometers, and have been shown to suppress smaller invasive predators like the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The Dingo’s aggression and pack hunting behavior would likely exclude a coyote, which is generally smaller and would arrive without an established social structure or knowledge of the local prey base.