In many ways, a coyote is like a small wolf. In fact, when it was first discovered, it was actually called a prairie wolf. You can find coyotes throughout North America, particularly in the southern part of Canada, and as far down as Central America.
Considered as among the fiercest predators in the region, coyotes are not actually the top dogs as they can be easy prey to bigger carnivores. So what eat coyote? Following are the top coyote predators.
Mountain Lions
The large mountain lions are among the top predators in America. They can be as long as 8 long, from nose to tail, and weigh around 136 lbs. There was a time when they ranged freely almost everywhere in the US. Today, however, they can mainly be found in remote, highly forested areas.
Expert Tip: Mountain lions are powerful hunters, specializing in smaller mammals like coyotes, deer, and rodents. They are stealth stalkers and use their great speed to pounce and dispose of the prey with a bite on the nape.
Wolves
A relative of the coyote, a wolf is larger at almost 7 from nose to tail. It weighs anywhere between 40 and 175 lbs, most of the wolves in North America can be found in Canada and the far northern states of the US.
Similar to coyotes, wolves also hunt in packs. They bring down large prey like elk and moose and make mincemeat of smaller mammals. Although wolves don’t consider coyotes as preferred prey, they hunt their smaller cousins down to eliminate the competition for food, and may actually eat them as well.
American Alligators
American alligators are huge predators. Adult alligators can be as long as 15 feet, and weigh at least 1,000 lbs. They usually live in the bayous, swamps, and waterways of Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and Texas, and in some other states.
They are extremely skilled ambush predators that feed primarily on small mammals, snakes, turtles, and fish from the rivers where they live.
Expert Tip: The alligator is likewise opportunistic, it challenges almost anything that makes the mistake of drinking from the water where it is lurking. These poor creatures include coyotes and humans.
Brown Bears
Brown bears are among the top predators on land. These include the grizzly subspecies. They stand around 8’ tall and weigh as much as 700 lbs. They can mostly be found in the southwestern parts of Canada and the northwestern regions of the United States.
Bears have a diverse diet, they sometimes forage for nuts, fruits, and berries. They also scavenge for carcasses, fish for salmon, and even hunt bigger mammals.
Bears prey for almost anything from small rodents to elk or moose. While coyotes may not be their favorite meal, if given the opportunity and they are hungry, bears will also slay and eat them.
Final Word
Coyotes may be fierce predators, but they can also easily fall prey to larger predators like mountain lions, wolves, American alligators, and brown bears. This is how the food chain works.
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