Animals that eat coyotes include mountain lions, brown bears, wolves, wild dogs, lynx, eagles, and alligators.
Coyotes are categorized as intelligent creatures, as they are wily and crafty. However, this does not make them less immune to being prey.
These crafty creatures are vulnerable to predators when they are sick, weak, pregnant, or in their infant stages.
What Eats Coyotes?
1. American Alligators
| Scientific Name | Alligator mississippiensis |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Alligators are major coyote predators, devouring far more coyotes than most people think!
When the coyotes come up to the edge of a lake to drink, the alligator will strike. Alligators lurk just beneath the surface, waiting to pounce on a coyote as they drink water and their defenses are down.
2. Brown Bears
| Scientific Name | Ursus actos |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Brown bears, or its subspecies, the grizzly bear, are some of the top land predators in North America. A brown bear can stand up to 8 feet tall and weigh up to 700 pounds.
They are primarily found in the northwest United States and southwest Canada.
Hunting other large mammals is all part of the bear’s routine. Bears eat everything from small rodents to animals like coyotes.
Although coyotes are not an ideal diet, a hungry brown bear will devour them if given the opportunity.
Notably, however, brown bears are not great hunters, and the majority of their diet is berries and foliage.
3. Lynxes
| Scientific Name | Felis lynx |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Lynxes are voracious carnivores that prey on a range of species. Coyotes are also included in their diet. However, they prefer to hunt and kill weak, infant, or pregnant coyotes.
In fact, a lynx will often avoid coyotes if they are strong and fully grown because the coyote could take the lynx down and turn the tables.
4. Mountain Lions
| Scientific Name | Puma concolor |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The mountain lion is one of the top predators in the Americas, reaching up to 8 feet from snout to tail and weighing around 136 pounds.
Mountain lions used to be found practically everywhere in the US, Canada, and South America. They are now primarily found in distant, high-forested locations.
They are skilled hunters who target small mammals like coyotes and eat them. They pursue their target with stealth before pouncing and dispatching it with a bite to the back of the neck.
5. Wolves
| Scientific Name | Canis lupus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The wolf is a larger cousin of the coyote, ranging from 40 to 175 pounds and measuring nearly 7 feet from nose to tail.
The vast majority of North America’s wolves live in the forests of the far northwestern states in Canada. They hunt in packs, much like coyotes.
Although coyotes are not the favored prey of wolves, they will be taken down by a wolf pack to reduce competition for food and also satisfy the wolves’ hunger.
Generally, if wolves and coyotes share the same habitat range, the coyotes will attempt to avoid wolves as they’re the weaker species.
6. Wolverines
| Scientific Name | Gulo gulo |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Wolverines are little animals, yet they do not act like it. These aggressive little mammals will not hesitate to attack an animal that is substantially larger than themselves.
Wolverines are not usually after coyotes, especially because their habitats only overlap in small regions of the northern parts of the continent.
However, wolverines are still known to stalk and eat coyotes at times. Furthermore, they will take advantage of an exposed cub or a disabled adult coyote.
Are Coyotes Endangered?
No, coyotes are not considered an endangered species. They are abundant in many areas of the United States and Canada.
One reason coyotes have managed to live and thrive despite human encroachment on their territory is that they have become excellent urban scavengers.
However, their close interactions with humans has also meant that they are often hunted or shot by humans when there are interactions.
Thus, while coyotes overall are not endangered, humans still need to learn to coexist with coyotes peacefully. Some ways you can do this include making sure there is no waste lying around your home and ensuring you don’t head out alone in coyote territory.
How do Coyotes Protect Themselves?
Coyotes are cowardly creatures and will often retreat from a fight. However, they do have the ability to scratch and bite when needed.
Coyotes also often live in packs to protect themselves from threats. If there are nearby packs of wolves that are larger and stronger, the coyote pack will move away to a new home rather than engage in conflict.
Do Humans Eat Coyotes?
Yes, some hunters do eat coyotes, but they are not farmed to be eaten by the masses. You would not find coyote meat for sale in supermarkets.
Coyotes are not a great meat for consumption because they are a gamey meat. The sorts of meat that are mass consumed – from sheep, cows and pigs – are meats from animals that have been bred and domesticated for their meat. Over time, this has allowed for the meat to be refined for consumption.
Coyotes, on the other hand, are not genetically predisposed to produce delicious meats. Their diets and daily activities mean the meat that comes from a coyote is not going to be as nice as meat from a cow, pig, or sheep.
Conclusion
The animals that eat coyotes include alligators, brown bears, wolves, and a host of other carnivores.
Some of these predators like wolverines are smaller in size when compared with the coyotes. However, these animals employ various means like stalking and vulnerability to kill and eat a coyote.
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