Wolf vs Coyote: Key Differences in Size, Looks and Behavior

Key differences at a glance

Gray wolves and coyotes are close relatives in the genus Canis, along with domestic dogs and jackals, and at a distance they can look alike. Up close, almost everything about them differs: body size, face shape, voice, social life and the prey they hunt. The gray wolf is a big-game specialist that lives in family packs, while the coyote is a smaller, highly adaptable generalist that thrives everywhere from deserts to big cities.

The table at the top of this page sums up the main differences. The sections below explain each one, with tips for telling them apart in the field.

How much bigger is a wolf than a coyote?

Most adult gray wolves weigh 23–55 kg (50–120 lb), and big northern males can be heavier still. Coyotes usually weigh 7–21 kg (15–46 lb), with northern coyotes larger than those in Mexico. A wolf stands about 66–85 cm (26–33 in) at the shoulder, about the height of a large German shepherd or more, while a coyote stands roughly 40–56 cm (16–22 in), closer to a medium-sized dog.

Size alone can mislead, though. Eastern coyotes in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada are noticeably larger than western coyotes, and a young or small wolf can be confused with a big coyote, especially in snow or poor light. Biologists therefore look at several features together.

Face, ears, legs and tail

The head is the most reliable clue. A wolf has a wide forehead, a broad, blocky muzzle and relatively short, rounded ears. A coyote’s face is narrow and almost fox-like, with a slim, pointed muzzle and tall, pointed ears that look large for its head.

Wolves also have longer legs, larger feet and a deeper chest relative to their body, which gives them a powerful, long-striding look. Coyotes look lighter and more delicate. When running, a coyote usually carries its bushy tail low, pointing down, while a wolf tends to hold its tail level or straight out behind.

Color is less useful. Both species are usually a grizzled mix of gray, buff and brown with paler undersides, although wolves vary more and can be almost white or completely black.

Tracks and signs

Tracks are a good way to tell which animal has passed. A wolf’s front track is about 10–13 cm (4–5 in) long, while a coyote’s is about 6–8 cm (2.5–3 in), roughly half the size. Both show four toes with claw marks and an oval outline. Coyote tracks are more elongated and less rounded than those of most dogs of similar size.

Scale matters for droppings and trails too: wolf scat is thicker and often full of the hair and bone fragments of large prey such as deer and elk, while coyote scat is smaller and often contains rodent fur, fruit seeds or insects.

Howls and other sounds

Wolves produce long, deep, steady howls that can carry for kilometers, and a pack often howls in chorus to stay in touch and announce its territory; read more in why do wolves howl? Coyotes are among the most vocal wild mammals in North America. Their scientific name, Canis latrans, means “barking dog”, and at least 11 different calls are known. The classic coyote sound is a high-pitched, broken mix of yips, barks and wavering howls, often given by a family group at dusk.

Pack life, diet and hunting

Wolves live in family packs, usually a breeding pair and their young, and work together to hunt large hoofed animals such as elk, moose, deer and bison. Coyotes are far more flexible. They live in pairs or small family groups, often hunt alone, and eat whatever is available: mice, voles, rabbits, hares, birds, reptiles, insects, fruit and carrion, as well as deer, especially fawns. About 90% of their diet is meat, but they will also take garbage and pet food left outside.

This flexibility explains why coyotes live in suburbs and cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, while wolves avoid densely populated areas.

Where do wolves and coyotes live?

Coyotes live only in the Americas. Originally animals of the western plains, deserts and Mexico, they spread north and east during the 19th and 20th centuries as forests were cleared and wolves were killed off. Today they are found in every US state except Hawaii, across most of Canada, and south through Mexico and Central America to Panama.

Gray wolves live in Canada, Alaska, the western Great Lakes states, the northern Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Southwest and Mexico, as well as across Europe and Asia, where there are no coyotes. Where the two species meet, wolves dominate. They often kill coyotes, and after wolves returned to Yellowstone National Park, coyote numbers fell noticeably in parts of the park. Some studies suggest that by keeping coyotes in check, wolves can indirectly help smaller predators such as the red fox.

Can wolves and coyotes interbreed?

Yes. Wolves, coyotes and dogs share the same number of chromosomes and can produce fertile hybrids. Because gray wolves usually treat coyotes as rivals, hybrids are uncommon where both species are plentiful. In eastern North America, however, wolves became scarce while coyotes spread east, and the two mixed.

The result is the eastern coyote, sometimes called the coywolf. Genetic studies suggest it carries, on average, roughly a quarter wolf ancestry, mostly from the eastern wolf, and around a tenth dog ancestry, which helps explain its larger size. The eastern wolf of Ontario and the red wolf of the southeastern United States also show mixed wolf and coyote ancestry, and scientists still debate whether they should be treated as separate species.

Which is more dangerous to people?

Both animals rarely harm people. Between 2002 and 2020, two people were killed by wolves in North America, and healthy wild wolves generally avoid humans; see are wolves dangerous? for the evidence. Coyotes bite people more often in some suburbs, especially in southern California, usually after they have been fed and lost their fear of humans, but most injuries are minor. Only two fatal coyote attacks on people have been confirmed: a young child in Glendale, California, in 1981 and a young woman in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia, in 2009.

The same rules work for both: never feed them, keep small children and dogs close, and keep your distance. If anyone is bitten, seek emergency medical help immediately: call 911 (US), 112 (EU) or 999 (UK).

For farmers, coyotes cause more losses than wolves overall in the United States because there are so many more of them, while wolves can kill larger animals such as cattle. Both species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Wild wolves live about five to six years on average, and coyotes have been recorded living up to about 10 years in the wild; see how long do wolves live?