The breeding season of coyotes is usually from December to March, depending upon the location. Large packs of coyotes will be seen at this time, usually ranging in size from 3-12. A female will be courted by several males, but will only select one and the two will leave to select a territory. The alpha pair is the main breeding pair, though occasionally subordinates will mate. The survival rates of subordinate pups is much less than that of the dominant pair. This alpha pair is monogamous throughout the year, and will usually stay together for several years afterwards, but there is no evidence of the animals mating for life.
When deciding on a territory the pair will choose a location with several potential dens. This is because the female will constantly change den sites if the pups are threatened. When she makes the decision to move she carries them to the new den under cover of darkness. Prior to the birth of the pups, the female will clean out the den sites. Coyotes do not dig their own dens, but expand on those already made by badgers, porcupines, and rabbits. Dens are kept very clean. There is no urination, defecation, or prey remains around the den.
The pups are born about 60-63 days after mating. Litter size ranges from 5-7 pups though there has been documentation of up to 19. The food supply affects the litter size. At 3 weeks the young emerge from the den, but rarely leave the denning area. At about 8-10 weeks the pups are moved to a rendezvous site where adult attention continuously declines until the pups are independent.
Care and raising of the pups is a pack activity. The alpha male and female share all parental care, except nursing which is exclusively female. The male is attentive to the female during the nursing period, since she is rarely able to leave the den. He will bring food only to her, not even his offspring can induce him to give it up. The rest of the pack also participates by baby-sitting the pups when they emerge from the den, and regurgitating food for them when they are able to eat meat. Female coyotes apparently attempted to compensate for absences of their mates through increased foraging or maintenance of the territory (Sacks 124).
Courtesy of Natureworks
