Urban Coyotes Are 100% Monogamous, A New Study Finds

When most people think of coyotes they think of howling at the moon, a ferocious desert killer, and a hapless fool with a weird roadrunner fixation that borders on a masochistic fetish. But apparently, they’re also urban lovers. A new study by Cecilia A. Hennessy, Jean Dubach AND Stanley D. Gehrt in the Journal of Mammalogy shows coyotes to be 100% monogamous (see the full study below).

Scientists spent six years studying the mating patterns of Chicago-area coyotes. They conducted the study by collecting blood and tissue samples from coyotes and then putting radio collars on some of the adults before releasing them back into the wild, in order to track their movements.

The researchers found no evidence of polygamy from genetic tests of the blood and tissue samples and the collars showed coyote couples sticking together through multiple mating seasons. This led researchers to conclude that urban coyotes stay faithful to their partners and stay with them for life.

Hennessy Et Al. – JM 93(3), 732-742