Wolf vs. Coyote

Main Difference

The main difference between Wolf and Coyote is that Wolf is a large-sized canis with small rounded ears, whereas Coyote is a small-sized canis with large pointed ears.

Difference Between Wolf and Coyote

Comparison Chart

Wolf vs. Coyote

Wolf is a grayish-black large-sized animal. Coyote is a grayish brown small animal. Wolf is about 2.5 feet tall, and body length is round about 5-6 feet. The coyote is 1.5 feet tall and 4 feet in body length. The ears of the wolf are small and round. The coyote has large pointed ears.

The wolf weighs about 80-120 pounds, whereas the coyote weighs about 20-50 pounds. The wolf has a broad snout. The coyote has a narrow nose. The wolf attacks animals and eats their meat; thus, they are carnivores. The coyotes are carnivores, but they also eat herbs, vegetables, and grasses.

The wolf’s howls in a group and has a low pitched voice. The coyotes howl high-pitched. The wolves howl in long without breakouts, whereas the coyotes howl consists of fragmented voice. Wolf has huge feet; the coyotes have small feet. The wolf does not enter in urban areas and is less disturbing to humans. The coyotes enter urban areas and search for food.

The wolf is more dangerous and aggressive as compared to the coyotes. The wolf is mostly sticky to woods, but the coyotes visit different areas. The wolf can run faster than that of a coyote at the speed of 43 miles/ hour. The wolf can live for 13 years. The life of coyote is less and live up to 10 years.

The wolf cannot survive in the human-populated area. They are not adapted to this environmental circle. The coyotes are aware of humans and can adapt to urban areas. The wolf shows no benefit to the humans; only create risk for them on the flip side; the coyote cleans the crops of farmers by eating small rodents and insects.

What is Wolf?

The wolf is the largest of the family to which it belongs. These species are present in Eurasia and North America. Wolf is a large and heavy animal, has short ears, possesses a long tail the snout is broader. The body is slender, and the neck is heavily muscled, whereas long legs enable the species to cover long snowy areas, which is the character of the geographical area.

Males of this family have a higher weight than females. The wolf has fluffy fur in winter. The guard hairs are long and are specialized to tolerate the cold season of winter. The skin color of wolves varies from white to gray, black, and brown. Wolf is a carnivore and feeds on large prey.

One wolf can catch a dear but often hunts in packs. When hunts in packs, kill many animals at a time. The typical victim is moose, red deer, wild ungulates, and wild boar. The wolf digests food in a few hours and can feed many times. The fat is stored in different areas of the body in winter and works as insulation.

The wolves are very social, live in packs, and have affection for their families. They can fight and dies for their family members. Wolves live in packs, hunt, and have robust cooperation in packs. Wolves have low-pitched howl, which they used for communication with other wolves. The wolves are highly territorial animals, even covering a large area more than their needs.

Wolf species carry infections, which include viral, parasitic, and bacterial infections. Viral disorders include rabies and canis hepatitis. Wolf carries many ectoparasites and endoparasites such as ticks, fleas, mites, lice, and many protozoans. The average lifespan of wolves is 10-16 years. The wolves are wild animals and harmful to humans. They cannot adapt to living in populated areas.

What is Coyote?

The coyotes are species of North America, related mainly to the grey wolf. They are smaller than wolves. They have long, pointed hairs. Coyotes are grayish-black to brown and possess short fluffy and fine guard hairs. Coyotes love to live at elevation. The males weigh about 15-20 kg, and the weight of females is 10-18 kg.

The height and tail length of females varies from males. The coyotes hunt alone or can be in the form of small groups. Their diet is mice, rodents, birds, deer, sheep, rabbits, hares, and little squirrels. Herbivores’ food includes carrots, watermelons, berries, and other fruits and vegetables.

Their hunt mode depends significantly on vision and smell. Coyotes are vocal animals that make howls at night to communicate with other members. When they hunt for mammals, they hunt at night. When they hunt for large prey, they attack in groups.

Coyotes are excellent swimmers. Their offspring when born is blind. Coyotes are solitary animals but can live in a group and offer social behavior to their families. Coyotes can live and adapt in human-populated areas.

They attack humans and cause small injuries. They are predators of livestock and pets. However, they are beneficial for humans in a way; they are predators of rodents. The coyotes’ attack rodents and crops are safe from rodents’ damage.

The average lifespan of coyotes is 6-8 years. Like wolves, the coyotes also carry parasitic and viral infections; these infections spread in their offspring can be life-threatening. Like other animals, the coyotes also compete with some species. The small coyotes can be as harmful as foxes.

Conclusion

Wolf and coyote both belong to the family Canidae of kingdom Animalia. Wolves are large-sized canis with huge paws and low-frequency voices. Coyotes are small canis with small paws and high-frequency voice