What is the difference between coyotes and foxes?
Coyotes and foxes belong to the same family Canidae. At a glance the to look similar and it may be difficult for one to tell the difference between them.
When you look closely, you may notice the difference whereby the coyotes will appear much larger than foxes.
The main difference between coyote and fox is that coyote is larger and taller as compared to foxes.
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Comparison Table (Coyotes vs Foxes)
| Characteristics | Coyotes | Foxes |
| Size | They are comparatively large in body size. | They are small in body size. |
| Ability to killdeer | Because of their large body size, they are able to killdeer. | They are not able to killdeer. |
| What they feed on | They feed on both small and large animals. | They mostly feed on small animals such as rabbits, lizards, snakes, and other reptiles. |
| Tail | They have a short tails in relation to the body. | They have long bushy tails. |
| Behavior | They are social animals. | They are solitary animals. |
| Gestation period | It takes 60 days. | It takes 52 days. |
| Activity | They are diurnal; They hunt during the day. | They are nocturnal; they hunt during the night. |
What is Coyote?
It is an animal from the class Canidae. As compared to foxes, they have a larger body size. Their tails are shorter in relation to their body size.
Because of their size, they are able to hunt for larger animals such as deer. They feed on both large and small animals.
They are described as red, light gray, white, and black-colored fur. The difference in color depends on their geographical locations.
They live in packs. They mate from mid-January to February and the gestation period takes 60 days. The females give birth between 2 to 10 pups.
They are diurnal. They mostly hunt at night although they may also hunt at night. They are more active during the day.
Coyotes may prey on foxes and their cubs. This explains why coyotes and foxes cannot occupy similar habitats. Foxes fear being attacked by the coyotes.
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What is a Fox?
They are animals in the family of Canidae. They are mostly found in North America, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and even Africa.
They occupy various habitats such as grasslands, deserts, mountains, or forests. As they fear coyotes may invade their territory, they may even look for habitats near humans.
They are noticeable with a pointy tale and thick muzzles. They are the smallest in the family of Canidae and they weigh between 8 to 20 pounds.
They live solitary lives and they come together during mating time. They mate during the winter season and the females give birth between 2 to 12 pups. Their gestation period is 52 days.
After birth, the pups are kept in the den for three weeks while being fed. In the fourth week, they pop out of the den but under their parents’ watch. They start living independently after 6 months.
They feed on both small animals and fruits. They hunt for rabbits, lizards, reptiles, insects, and other small mammals. Because of their size, they cannot hunt big animals such as deer.
When they have eaten enough, they save the remains of their food to feed on the next day. White foxes and gray foxes only differ in coloration but they have the same characteristics.
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Main Differences between Coyotes and Foxes
- Coyotes are comparatively large in body size while foxes are smaller in body size.
- Coyotes are diurnal while foxes are nocturnal.
- Due to coyote’s body size, they have the ability to kill deer while foxes are not able to killdeer.
- Coyotes feed on both small and big animals while foxes feed on small animals alone.
- Coyotes have a short tails in relation to their body size while foxes have long bushy tails.
- Coyotes are social animals while foxes are solitary animals.
Similarities between Coyotes and Foxes
- They both feed on other animals.
- They belong to the same family Canidae.
- They are similar in appearance.
In Conclusion
Coyotes and foxes appear similar but the two are different in character and inhabit. Coyotes are active during the day while foxes are active during the night. Coyotes are social animals but foxes only come together during mating time.
The main feature that makes coyotes different from foxes is the size of the body.
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