Litters may average 8 or 9 pups where coyote populations are sparse, but on the other hand, this phenomenon may reflect healthier coyotes due to an abundance of food. Also, the male coy-dogs do not bring food for the females after the birthing process, and neither do the males help the female feed or raise the young. Some juvenile female coyotes accept mates at 9 or 10 months of age, but most coyotes do not pair up with mates until they are 20-22 months old. Habits Coyotes are territorial during the bulk of the year. Territory sizes vary a great deal, and territories are far larger in areas where food is sparce.
Males range much farther than females.
It appears that female territories do not overlap, but a male coyote territory may overlap the territories of several other male and female coytoes. Female coyotes will usually stay within 5 to 8 miles in their ranging habits. Malture males may have territiories as large as 30 to 40 square miles which are patrolled on a somewhat regular basis. Territories are often abandoned during shortages of food. Several family units may concentrate in an area with an abundant food supply for a short period of time.