coyote
1. a predatory canine mammal, Canis latrans, related to but smaller than the wolf, roaming the deserts and prairies of North America
2. (in American Indian legends of the West) a trickster and culture hero represented as a man or as an animal
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
coyote
[′kī‚ōd·ē] (vertebrate zoology)
Canis latrans. A small wolf native to western North America but found as far eastward as New York State. Also known as prairie wolf.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
coyote
foiled in attempts to enjoy prey. [Am. Ind. Folklore: Mercatante, 77–78]
Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Coyote
(Canis latrans) a predatory mammal of the family Canidae. Body length, approximately 90 cm; tail length, approximately 30 cm; weight, up to 13 kg. The fur is brown with specks of black and gray. The species is found in the New World from Alaska to Central America. Coyotes inhabit open spaces and live in pairs. Mating occurs in January. The gestation period is between 60 and 65 days; the female bears five to ten pups in a burrow. Hares, rodents, and carrion are the coyote’s principal food; it rarely attacks sheep or goats. Because the coyote adapts well to changes in its habitat, its range is expanding.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.