Wolves, Coyotes and Foxes in Yellowstone

Wolves, coyotes and foxes, all members of the dog (Canidae) family, can be viewed in Yellowstone National Park. Coyotes are the most abundant and can be seen throughout the park and throughout the day. The three types of canids can be identified by their size and appearance. Wolves are the largest, then coyotes, and foxes are the smallest. Coyotes and foxes are usually seen alone, while wolves can be alone or travel in a pack.

Wolf in Lamar Valley, the tallest of the Yellowstone Canidae (dog family)

Coyote in Winter in Lamar Valley

Red fox

Wolves

Wolf, the largest of the dog family in Yellowstone

Although wolf packs once roamed from the Arctic tundra to Mexico, loss of habitat and extermination programs led to their demise throughout most of the United States by early in the 1900s. In 1973, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the northern Rocky Mountain wolf (Canis lupus) as an endangered species and designated Greater Yellowstone as one of three recovery areas. From 1995 to 1997, 41 wild wolves from Canada and northwest Montana were released in Yellowstone National Park. As expected, wolves from the growing population dispersed to establish territories outside the park where they are less protected from human-caused mortalities. The park helps ensure the species’ long-term viability in Greater Yellowstone and has provided a place for research on how wolves may affect many aspects of the ecosystem.

Currently, their are about 500 wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. As of December 2013, there were 95 wolves counted in the park, 34 in the northern range, and 61 in the interior. Ten packs were noted. Home range for a wolf pack within the park is 185–310 square miles. This varies with pack size, food availability, and by season. As of January 2013, 22% of wolves in the park wear a radio collar.

Wolf

Wolves stand at 26–36 inches tall at the shoulder. They are 4–6 feet long from nose to tail tip. Males weigh 100–130 pounds and females weigh 80–110 pounds. Wolves typically live 3–4 years in wild, but have been known to live up to 11 years in wild. There are three color phases: gray is the most common; white is usually in the high Arctic; and black is common only in the Rockies. Wolves mate in February and give birth to an average of five pups in April. The young wolves emerge from the den at 10–14 days of age. The pack remains at the den area for 3–10 weeks unless disturbed. Wolves prey primarily on hoofed animals. In Yellowstone, 90% of their winter diet is elk. In the summer, prey consists more of deer and smaller mammals. Human-caused death is the highest mortality factor for wolves outside the park; the leading cause inside the park is wolves killing other wolves.

Black wolf along Northeast Entrance Road

Locating Wolves:

Wolves inhabit most of the park. The best times to spot them is around dawn and dusk. The northern range of Yellowstone is one of the best places in the world to watch wolves. I have spotted them in both Hayden and Lamar Valleys. The area along the Northeast Entrance Road has been very productive. There are many people who volunteer to spot and track wolf behavior. They are out daily with spotting scopes and radios to communicate among themselves. They are good people to ask about recent wolf activity. There is usually a current Wolf Pack Guide available from the Visitor Center stores that details the most recent information about the number of current packs, number of wolves in each pack, and the general area of each pack’s territory.

Wolf in Lamar Valley

Coyotes

Coyote with lunch to go (ground squirrel) in mouth

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are intelligent and adaptable. They can be found throughout North and Central America, thriving in major urban areas as well as in remote wilderness. This adaptability helped coyotes resist widespread efforts early in the 1900s to exterminate them in the West, including Yellowstone National Park, where other mid-size and large carnivores such as cougars and wolves were eradicated. The coyote is a common predator in Greater Yellowstone, often seen traveling through open meadows and valleys.

Coyote in winter

Coyotes weigh in at 25–35 pounds and stand 16–20 inches high at the shoulder. The average life span for a coyote is 6 years with some living up to 13 years in the park. A coyote’s home range varies from 3–15 square miles. They primarily eat voles, mice, rabbits, other small animals, and carrion. In the spring, they will sometimes be able to catch very young elk calves. In April, coyotes give birth to 4–8 pups in dens. Pups emerge from the dens in May. Coyotes exist in abundant numbers in Yellowstone. Their coats range from a yellow tan to darker with gray mixed in.

Coyote in Winter

Locating Coyotes

Coyotes can be found throughout Yellowstone. Look for them in meadows, fields, other grasslands, and foraging for small mammals along roadways. You will also see them in the developed areas. They will commonly be seen near any carcasses.

Foxes

Fox standing on a rock in Yellowstone

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been documented in Yellowstone since the 1880s. In relation to other canids in the park, red foxes are the smallest. Red foxes occur in several color phases, but they are usually distinguished from coyotes by their reddish yellow coat that is somewhat darker on the back and shoulders, with black “socks” on their lower legs. “Cross” phases of the red fox (a dark cross on their shoulders) have been reported a few times in recent years near Canyon and Lamar Valley. Also, a lighter-colored red fox has been seen at higher elevations.

Foxes exist in unknown numbers, but they are not nearly as numerous as coyotes. Adult males weigh 11–12 pounds and females weigh average 10 pounds. Foxes average 43 inches in length. They have an average life span of 3–7 years, but can live up to 11 years in Yellowstone. In the northern range, home ranges averages 3.75 square miles, with males having a slightly larger range than females. Foxes have several color phases, but usually have red fur with white-tipped tail, and dark legs. Foxes have a slender, long snout. Foxes can be distinguished from coyote by size, color, and they a bushier tail. Foxes are known to bark, they rarely howl or sing.

Fox sitting, viewed near Yellowstone River Picnic area

Foxes are solitary. They can be found in mated pairs, or with a female from a previous litter. They prey on voles, mice, rabbits, birds, amphibians, other small animals. They also eat carrion and some plants. They are most commonly killed by coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions.