A coyote is a wild canine found mainly in North America, smaller than a wolf and known for its howling and adaptability.
From Mexican Spanish “coyote,” from Nahuatl “coyōtl,” the name used by Indigenous peoples of central Mexico. The word traveled north along with stories and encounters with the animal.
Coyotes have learned to live near cities, eating everything from rodents to garbage, which makes them one of the great urban survivors. Their name carries Indigenous roots, reminding us that animals had names and stories long before English labeled them.
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