118 



Order CARNIVORA 



Probably the coyote in Illinois feeds princ'pally on rabbits and 

 rodents, as is the case westward, but no one has studied its food 

 habits in this state. It feeds also on insects, vegetable matter, 

 birds, and carrion. Some individuals kill poultry and livestock. 

 A coyote-dog hybrid from along the Illinois River south of 

 Hennepin had mice and traces of rabbit in its stomach. 



In Illinois, as elsewhere in central United States, the female 

 coyote has probably one litter each year, with an average of 

 about half a dozen young. The young are whelped in a den 

 and spend their first few weeks there. As soon as they are old 

 enough to eat solid food, they are fed by both parents. When 3 

 or 4 weeks old the pups play at the entrance to the den and at 

 10 weeks of age they may abandon the den completely. 



The coyote, known also as the prairie wolf or brush wolf, is an 

 inhabitant of open country rather than woods. An early writer 

 on Illinois (Anonymous 1837:40) commented, "The prairie 

 wolf . . . takes its name from its habit of residing entirely upon 



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Fig. 71.— Coyote. 



