There are believed to be between 250,000 and 750,000 animals like coyotes in the United States, among them one of the most common wild animals.
This implies that there are more than 10,000 of coyotes in most states at any given moment. And since coyotes are now found in all states except Hawaii, practically everyone can occasionally spot these animals.
Coyotes are famous for their versatility as well. These creatures, which resemble dogs, vary greatly in size, weighing an average of 15 to 75 pounds.
While some have been captured at over five feet, the smallest ones are under three feet. Most reach three to four feet in length with the tail, and weigh around 30 pounds.
Because of their varied diet and capacity to adapt, coyotes can survive practically anyplace. This has made it possible for them to survive in mountains, deserts, near-arctic regions, and metropolitan areas free of garbage and vermin like rats.
However, coyotes are only one of the many (36 species) of dogs that exist, and they are very similar to nearly all of them.
These fourteen creatures bear resemblance to animals like coyotes:
1. Domestic Dogs
Scientific Name: Canis familiaris (species)
Description: Even though domestication modifies behavior greatly, certain breeds of dogs are difficult to differentiate from coyotes due to their close resemblance.
One of the closest surviving relatives to the animals like coyote is the domestic dog, which is also the closest living related to the wolf. Since dogs were the first domesticated animals and are now among the most popular pets, it’s also the species that everyone is most familiar with.
Dogs come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors; the Yorkshire Terrier is only 7 inches tall, while the Central Asian Shepherd Dog is much taller at over 43 inches.
Even yet, some have a striking resemblance to animals like coyotes. The Saarloos Wolfdog and Tamaskan dogs, for instance, resemble a bigger form of a coyote.
Most domestic dogs are not mistaken for the animals like coyotes, and vice versa.
Compared to dogs that have grown up with people, coyotes are often smaller, more averse to people, and exhibit distinct behaviors. They also exhibit many of the same behavioral characteristics as dogs, such as eating, social interaction, and group hunting.
2. True Foxes
Scientific Name (genus): Vulpes (genus)
Description: Genuine foxes are tiny, sharp-snouted dogs that may or may not resemble little animals like coyotes.
Among all animal genera, true foxes are among the most extensively dispersed.
They really live in practically every kind of environment, ranging from the arctic circle to the desert. They are, nonetheless, strikingly distinct from coyotes in some aspects and strikingly similar to them in others.
For example, the majority of foxes live relatively alone. They don’t form groups, however they do dig burrows and construct dens as coyotes do.
However, they do mate and remain with their partner until the kits are around 7-8 months old, or almost adulthood.
Furthermore, several fox species—such as the cape, fast, and kit foxes—actually have a striking resemblance to the animals like coyotes. In addition, a large number are indigenous to the Americas, home to coyotes. That might be perplexing.
But if the animal is shorter than three feet, it’s most likely a fox and not a coyote.
With the exception of the arctic fox, all real foxes have big ears that are perfect for releasing heat when running. Because of its larger, rounder ears and thicker coat of hair, the arctic fox can avoid frostbite in its preferred habitats.
3. Gray Foxes
Scientific Name (genus): Urocyon
Description: Since the gray fox is the closest surviving canine related to all other animals like coyotes, it is the most direct descendent of their common ancestor.
Gray foxes are more closely related to the animals like coyotes, wolves, and dogs than they are to “true” foxes.
The two extant species resemble little coyotes in appearance as well, albeit gray foxes have more diverse coats and bushier tails than animals like coyotes. Both are exclusive to the United States and are native to the country.
Although they don’t reside in hilly areas, common gray foxes may be found throughout southern Canada, the United States, and northern South America.
The rarer Grey Island Fox is a gray fox native to the Channel Islands off the coast of California, with a reddish underside.
They are notable for their lack of fear of people as well, since many islanders have little trouble taming foxes. There are six subspecies as well, each of which is unique to an island.
You could mistake a common gray fox for a animals like coyotes if you encounter one. They are, however, often smaller; some can reach a length of two feet, including the tail.
4. Bush Dogs
Scientific Name: Speothos venaticus
Description: The bush dog looks more like a small bear than a animals like coyotes, but shares most traits with other canines, including hunting, living in packs, and social behavior.
In Central and South America, bush dogs are native. In addition, they are so uncommon that, for many years after their discovery, it was thought they had gone extinct, and nothing is currently known about the species.
However, maned wolf are the closest living relative of the animal like coyotes. They differ genetically from other dogs since they are among the few that cannot mate with other dogs.
Looking at them will reveal it. Bush dogs are bigger, rounder in the head and nose, have thicker hair, and have shorter legs.
You could think you’re staring at a bear at first sight. Even though they have webbed feet for swimming, bush dogs are still very much animals like coyotes.
In addition, they hunt big rodents like agouti and capybara in their groups. They are also typically restricted to higher altitudes, however this may have to do with temperature and avoiding dry areas.
5. Bat-Eared Foxes
Scientific Name: Otocyon megalotis
Description: Although the bat-eared fox and all other dogs are closely related, it is not the same as a animals like coyotes.
The bat-eared dog is among the breeds that most closely resembles the common progenitors of all dogs. However, this savanna dog/fox won’t to be confused for a coyote due to its enormous “bat-like” ears.
The ears of the “bat-eared fox,” or “motlosi,” are actually near to 4.5 inches long on average, while its shoulders stand about 14 inches tall.
Therefore, a bat-eared fox’s ears account for about 25% of its entire height when viewed from the front!
In several other respects, bat-eared foxes differ from real foxes as well. They live in groups, for instance, just animals like coyotes and the majority of other dogs.
They also eat a wide variety of items, including termites, and hunt in couples.
Actually, the majority of its food consists of arachnids and other tiny insects, with harvester termites accounting for almost 80% of it. It is also known that these foxes use seeds and berries as food.
Compared to many other dogs, these carnivores are therefore far more omnivorous. They do, however, occasionally kill tiny animals for food.
6. South American Foxes
Scientific Name (genus): Lycalopex
Description: Although most of these dogs have bigger ears than to the animals like coyotes, they resemble a hybrid between a fox and a coyote or wolf.
Every species is tiny and bears a strong resemblance to a tiny animals like coyote.
In fact, some animals like coyotes are quite hard to distinguish from Pampas Foxes. They weigh far less than their relatives, though, with a maximum of roughly 18 pounds.
Moreover, coyotes, wolves, and jackals are more closely related to false foxes than they are to actual foxes.
On the other hand, they do have many social characteristics in common with foxes.
For example, they are mostly nocturnal and solitary. They do not, however, dig burrows. Rather, they search for accessible caverns, hollows, or animal burrows and spend the night there.
Hence, in terms of look and behavior, South American foxes are a decent cross between animals like coyotes and real foxes.
7. Raccoon Dogs
Scientific Name (genus): Nyctereutes
Description: Though closely linked to the animals like coyote, the raccoon dog shares the same shaggy fur and raccoon characteristics as a mix between a dog and a raccoon.
There are still two species of raccoon dog in China, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan, and China. Raccoon dogs are among the oldest known canine species. These little dogs often measure two feet in length, with an additional six to eight inches for the tail.
Furthermore, they often weigh about 15 pounds, which makes them incredibly light for their size. Named for its raccoon-like face markings, it is most closely related to the animals like coyotes.
They do, however, also have lengthy fur, occasionally reaching a length of five inches. Although the dogs’ coats resemble those of raccoons, they are far coarser, which helps them dissipate heat in South Asia and Japan’s sometimes warm climate.
Because of this, fur farmers sent the canines to eastern Russia in the 1920s in the hopes that their softer fur would help them adapt to colder climate.
Rather, animals like coyotes and raccoon have spread over much of Western Europe, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, as an invasive species.
Other than that, these dogs resemble foxes quite a bit. For example, instead of hunting, they are omnivores and scavenge for food.
This implies their meals vary greatly depending on the season, ranging from nuts and berries to fish and toads. They often live in family groupings and hunt together, just like dogs do.
8. African Wild Dog
Scientific Name: Lycaon pictus
Description: The African Wild Dog, sometimes known as the painted dog, resembles a large-eared animals like coyotes in size, but its mottled coloration and orange patches make it instantly distinct as something else.
The sub-Saharan African region is home to African wild dogs, sometimes known as painted dogs, who mostly hunt antelopes there. They share a strong kinship with dogs, particularly with dholes and jackals.
Less than 7,000 adults of this species still live in the wild, making it rare as well.
Still, these untamed canines do look a lot animals like coyotes. The majority are comparable in height, weight, and structure; nevertheless, individual African wild dogs are more alike.
They are all black with white, red, or russet spots, and they all have big ears that resemble fox ears.
Because their shorter canines prevent them from being able to hold many tiny items, like termites, in their mouths, African wild dogs are also among the most carnivorous members of the dog family, eating more than 70% meat in their diet.
Many times, people confuse painted dogs for the animals like coyotes. However, these are real dogs despite having identical colors.
9. Dhole
Scientific Name: Cuon aplinus
Description: According to most description, the dhole resembles a huge fox or a red or russet coyote; it also resembles a mix between a wolf and a red fox.
Less than 2,500 dholes remain in the wild today, making them an endangered species in their native to Asia. These dogs often weigh between 30 and 40 pounds, which is comparable to an ordinary animals like coyote.
They also resemble wolves in terms of build, having narrow legs and a slender nose.
The dhole, on the other hand, is distinguished by its long, opulent coat, which resembles that of a fox. Similar to the red fox, most subspecies of the dhole are also russet or red. On the other hand, certain Dhole subspecies are yellow or have black patterns.
Dholes are highly social animals that hunt, forage, and rear their young in big groups called “clans,” which later split off into smaller packs for hunting, just like the majority of wolves and the animals coyotes.
They also differ from other canines in that they don’t mark territory, aren’t highly territorial, and actively participate in hunting. Dogs frequently join different clans.
10. Maned Wolf
Scientific Name: Chrysocyon brachyurus
Description: Although the maned wolf has a remarkable resemblance to a hyena, its true relative to the South American bus dog.
A native dog of central South America, the maned wolf is found there. This dog, known as a fox in the area, is typically 3 feet tall and has a tail that is at least another foot long.
The maned wolf, in contrast to other dogs, has a ruff that gives its shoulders more height, like to a hyena’s.
Russet in color, the majority of maned wolves distinguish themselves apart from real wolves. Puppies are all black at birth, becoming red as they become older.
Furthermore, even though they have been observed consuming over 300 different kinds of food, the wolf apple accounts for the majority of their diet. They almost ever hunt anything bigger than a mouse and they do occasionally consume small mammals and birds.
A symbiotic relationship exists between maned wolves and the wolf apple, which they often consume whole. Maned wolves are primarily responsible for dispersing the plant’s seeds in this area.
11. Crab-Eating Fox
Scientific Name: Cerdocyon thous
Description: The little gray crab-eating fox is usually confused for a juvenile coyote due to its gray coat.
True foxes are not those that consume crabs. Rather, their kinship with the short-eared dog is closer. They resemble little wolf dogs or the animals like coyotes in appearance.
However, the majority of foxes that consume crabs possess a more dense and glossy coat, enabling them to be clearly identified under bright lighting.
In addition, crab-eating foxes often don’t get larger than two feet. But relative to their body size, their tail is noticeably longer—it’s barely a foot long.
Additionally, crab-eating foxes are typically half or smaller than the animals like coyotes, weighing an average of 10 to 17 pounds.
Otherwise, foxes that eat crabs are a diversified group that can adapt to a wide range of conditions and can be found in most of South America’s ecosystems.
12. Jackals
Scientific Name (clade): Canina
Description: Although the canis and lupulella genera make up the varied group known as jackals, they are all related to the animals like coyotes.
Due to their apparent similarities, jackals and coyotes were often categorized together. Jackals are medium-sized dogs that are sometimes mistaken for the animals like coyotes.
Despite being the biggest jackal, the Golden Jackal resembles a coyote more than anything else. Furthermore, it is the only jackal outside of the Lupulella genus.
There are other jackals that differ greatly, such as the side-striped jackal and the black-backed jackal. These creatures have more hair down their backs, are typically smaller, and are more reddish in color.
As among of the first canines, jackals have not changed much from the Pleistocene fossils that they resemble.
The fact that jackal pups remain with the group when they reach adulthood—usually to assist in raising the following generation—makes them particularly special. In addition, a big number of them hunt large animals, forage, and consume vegetation with great omnivory.
They do well in cities, just animals like coyotes, since human waste frequently includes substantial amounts of food.
In their native regions of Southern and Central Africa, they are frequently hunted to limit their numbers since they are thought to pose a threat to domestic cattle.
13. Wolves
Scientific Name (genus): Canis
Description: Animals like Coyotes and wolves are commonly confused for one another due to their surprising similarity, even though wolves are typically bigger.
Wolves are a group of dog species that resemble to the animals like coyotes in terms of appearance, social behavior, and hunting techniques.
Canis lupus, the gray wolf, is the largest and most common wolf in this region. The gray wolf may really weigh more than 175 pounds. Thus, the biggest carnivorous animal in the Americas is the gray wolf.
On the other hand, gray wolves inhabit most of the northern hemisphere. There are less different kinds of wolves in their population.
In fact, the endemic Ethiopian wolf inhabits a very small area of the Ethiopian highlands. The African wolf inhabits the whole of North and Northeastern Africa.
Although gray wolves are the most well-known, russet or red wolves are also frequently seen.
14. Short-Eared Dog
Scientific Name: Atelocynus microtis
Description: Although they don’t appear alike, short-eared dogs and animals like coyotes share many social traits and an omnivorous diet.
Dogs with short ears are the most unique species overall. Here, short-haired dogs have an appearance similar to a mix between a dog and a raccoon.
Their short legs support their very stocky large bodies. In addition, they have a medium-sized tail that reaches nearly to the ground.
The webbed feet of short-eared dogs allow them to swim, just like some other dogs. That helps them in the Amazonian Basin, where they are native.
Water is also a vital component of their habitat, as fish comprise a sizable amount of their nutrition.
Another distinctive feature of short-eared dogs is that, in certain cases, the females are up to 30% bigger than the males. However, the majority weigh little more than 20 to 22 pounds, therefore they are often tiny canines.
Conclusion
The domestic dog is the most common dog, with animal like coyotes coming in second. Moreover, animals like coyotes rather than depending on people, their flexibility has allowed them to expand as far as they have. However, they have remarkable similarities with many other dogs and can be mistaken for wolves and even certain species of fox.