The name coyote comes from the Aztec name Coyoti. The Latin name for the coyote is Canis latrans which means barking dog. A member of the family Canidae, the coyote is also called God's Dog, brush wolf, prairie wolf, and the Songdog.

Coyotes are especially important to biologists and others studying wildlife and the environment both because of their ability to control their own population and because of their effect upon other wildlife populations, especially that of the white-tailed deer.

The coyote is roughly the size of a small German Shepherd, weighing from 20–35 lb (9–14 kg) and 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m) long, although some can grow as large as 50 lb (23 kg) in the northern and northeastern part of their range. The coat of a coyote can be gray or brownish gray, depending on the season and habitat, with a bushy tail that is tipped with black. Coyote fur is long and...