Wolf vs Coyote: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between wolves and coyotes is size: a gray wolf is far bigger and heavier than a coyote, with a broad muzzle, shorter rounded ears and large feet. Coyotes are slender, with a narrow, pointed face and tall ears. Wolves hunt large hoofed animals in packs, while coyotes usually hunt small prey alone or in pairs and adapt easily to life near people.
| Gray Wolf | Coyote | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Canis lupus | Canis latrans |
| Lifespan | 6–8 years in the wild; a few reach 13 | 6–8 years in the wild; up to about 14 |
| Weight | 23–65 kg (50–145 lb) | 7–21 kg (15–46 lb) |
| Size | 65–85 cm (26–33 in) (shoulder height) | 58–66 cm (23–26 in) (shoulder height) |
| Top speed | 50–60 km/h (31–37 mph) | 56–64 km/h (35–40 mph) |
| Gestation / incubation | about 63 days | 60–63 days |
| Diet | Carnivore | Omnivore |
| Family | Canidae | Canidae |
| Habitat | Forest, Tundra, Grassland, Mountains, Desert | Prairie, Desert, Forest, Farmland, Urban areas |
| IUCN status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Figures shown are for the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the coyote (Canis latrans).
Key differences
Size and build
An adult gray wolf stands much taller at the shoulder and commonly weighs two to three times as much as a coyote. Wolves have a deep chest, long legs and very large paws that leave tracks bigger than almost any dog's. Coyotes are lightly built, closer in size to a medium dog, with small, neat feet.
Face and ears
A wolf's head is broad and blocky, with a wide nose pad and ears that are relatively short and rounded at the tips. A coyote's face is fox-like: a narrow, pointed muzzle with a small nose pad, and tall, pointed ears that look large for its head. This is the most useful feature in photographs.
Hunting and diet
Wolves are cooperative hunters of big game, including deer, elk, moose, caribou and bison, and a pack can bring down prey many times an individual's size. Coyotes mainly eat rabbits, rodents, insects, fruit and carrion, pouncing on mice like a fox. Groups of coyotes sometimes take deer, especially fawns or animals weakened by winter.
Social structure
A wolf pack is an extended family, usually a breeding pair and their offspring from the past few years, that travels and hunts together and defends a large territory. Coyotes are more flexible. They may live alone, as mated pairs or in small family groups, but members often hunt separately.
Range and adaptability
Coyotes are found only in North and Central America, where they have expanded dramatically over the past century and now live in nearly every habitat, including big cities. Gray wolves range across North America, Europe and Asia but need large, wild spaces, and they were eliminated from most of the contiguous United States by the early 1900s.
Voice
A wolf's howl is long, low and smooth, and a pack howling together sounds mournful and harmonic. Coyotes produce a higher-pitched mix of short howls, yips, yaps and barks. A pair of coyotes can sound like a large group, which is why people often overestimate how many they are hearing.
How to tell them apart
- Compare the muzzle: broad and blocky means wolf; narrow and pointed means coyote.
- Coyote ears look tall and pointed relative to the head; wolf ears look smaller and rounded.
- A running coyote usually carries its tail low, below the line of the back; a wolf's tail streams straight out behind it.
- Wolf tracks are much larger than a coyote's neat, oval prints, which resemble a small dog's.
- High-pitched yipping at night means coyotes; a long, deep howl suggests wolves.
What they have in common
Wolves and coyotes are closely related members of the dog genus, Canis, and both have 78 chromosomes. Both are intelligent, territorial and usually form long-term pairs, with both parents feeding pups in a den. Both communicate with scent marks, body language and howls. Each plays an important ecological role, and both have long been persecuted as threats to livestock.
Frequently asked questions
Can wolves and coyotes interbreed?
Yes. Wolves, coyotes and dogs can all produce fertile offspring together. The eastern coyote of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, sometimes called a coywolf, carries wolf and domestic dog ancestry and is larger than western coyotes. Red wolves and eastern wolves also show a history of mixing with coyotes.
Who would win a fight, a wolf or a coyote?
A wolf would win easily, since it is far larger and stronger. This is not just hypothetical: wolves are a leading natural cause of death for coyotes where the two overlap. After wolves returned to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, coyote numbers in parts of the park fell sharply.
Are wolves or coyotes more dangerous to people?
Neither poses much risk, and both generally avoid humans. Coyote bites are more common simply because coyotes live in suburbs and cities and may lose their fear when people feed them; small pets are at greater risk. Wolf attacks are very rare in North America.
How can you tell a coyote from a wolf at a distance?
Look at proportions. A coyote appears slim and leggy with a delicate, pointed face, big ears and a bushy tail held low. A wolf looks massive in the chest and head, with longer legs and bigger feet. Wolves are also rare or absent in most regions where coyotes are common.