The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the dog family, Canidae. It occurs in most parts of Canada, except in the Arctic tundra, thanks to the great reduction in wolves in areas occupied by man. The coyote looks like a medium-sized dog. The coat is tawny grey, the throat and belly off-white, and nearly all coyotes have a uniform grey area on the side of the nose midway between the eyes and nose pad. Coyotes mate with dogs to produce coy-dogs. Often the best way to identify coy-dogs is from the nose colour, which is not the uniform grey of the coyote nose. The long guard hairs both on the body and tail of the coyote are tipped with black. A frightened coyote runs with its tail low or tucked between its legs, in contrast to a wolf, which carries its tail higher. Coyotes bark and howl. If other coyotes are in hearing distance, they will join to form a chorus.

The coyote is usually most active during twilight or at night. It feeds on small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and carrion. Even though it sometimes attacks cattle, the coyote helps farmers by eating large numbers of destructive rodents. (It also feeds on berries and fruit.) Coyotes hunt alone, with a partner, or in a pack. Packs may attack deer, dogs, and domestic livestock. Mating takes place between late January and late March. After three months, three to ten pups are born. Both parents attend the young. The pups usually disperse in the fall, but if resident coyotes evict them from neighbouring areas they may return to the parental territory and become part of a pack. They do not customarily mate until they have their own territory. Most females give birth near their first birthday; a few do not mate until they are nearly two. (Source - BigGame.ca)