Lionel+Medal+(Coyote)

Coyote (Canis latrans) __** Wolfs are found throughout USA, Canada and Mexico. They live in the hot desert of Arizona and the cold mountains of Canada. Coyotes were only known to live in the West side if the USA but because humans weren’t hunting for them and they also travel in packs they grew to live in almost all the states in the US and up to Canada. The Coyote is a smart mammal that can adapt to any environment to survive. Coyote tend to prefer open grass land which is an advantage when hunting.
 * __ Lionel Medal
 * __ Location and Habitat: __**


 * __ Niche Characteristics: __**

__ Diet: __ Coyotes are is an omnivore animal that primarily eats mice, rats, ground squirrels, gophers, lagomorphs, and carrion. Occasionally they will eat birds and their eggs, deer and sheep. They travel in packs and hunt in packs. They usually have 6 adult coyotes per pack, where all members in the pack are family.

__ Size: __ Coyotes are the size of a small dog. They’re 30-34 inches long. With an extra 12-16 inches to include the size of their tail. They can reach up to 40 mph when hunting for small animals. An adult Coyote can weight up to 40 lbs.

__ Housing/Climate Requirements: __ Coyotes don’t have many living requirements. They prefer open range areas such as desert because it gives them an advantage when hunting. They don’t have any climax requirements. They can live in the hot desert and in the cold mountains in Canada. The difference between the Coyotes that live in the cold mountain and the hot desert is that their fur is thicker. The Coyotes that live in the mountains have thicker fur to stay warm. While the Coyotes that live in the desert have thinner fur to stay cool. They are seasonal animals that are very smart and can adapt to different environments.

__ Reproduction: __ After 1 year from birth coyotes reach sexual maturity and will be able to reproduce. Mating season is between January-March. Then the pups are born between April-May. When coyote pups are born they are blind for the first 8-14 days. During this period their parents need to bring them their food. Once fall arrives the parents leave and the pups are left on their own.

The Gila Monster is a animal that is endangered due to being killed from humans. It lives in the desert of Arizona. While the Coyote also lives the same habitat. The Gila Monster is a carnivore it likes to eat small birds, eggs and rabbit. This is the same diet as the Coyote. The only difference is that the Coyotes have more preys to feed form due to its larger size than the Gila Monster.
 * __ Population Expansion: __**

While the Gila Monster is endangered and doesn’t live in any other place than the Arizona desert they don’t have a large population. While the Coyote lives in almost all the states in the US and in Canada it would be easy for the coyote to take over the Gila Monster niche if it where to ever go instinct. They feed from the same prey and live in the same habitat.
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__Web Site__ Arizona Coyotes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Arizona Leisure website: []   __Web Site__ Coyote. (n.d.). Animals. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from National Geographic Society website: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/ coyote.html  __ Web Site__ Coyote (Canis latrans). (n.d.). Mammals. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Conservation Commission of Missouri website: http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/ mammals/coyote/  __ Book__ Swinburne, S. R. (1999). Coyote North America's Dog (Vol. 32). Honesdale, Pennsyvania: Bords Mills Press, Inc. A Highlight Company.  __ Book__ Vogel, J. (2007). Coyote (Vol. 47). Minnetinka, MN: North Word Books for Young Readers.
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