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The coyote (Canis latrans, meaning "barking dog") also prairie wolf [1]) is a member of the Canidae (dog) family and a close relative of the Gray Wolf. There are 19 recognized subspecies of coyotes (Voigt and Berg, 1999). Coyotes are native to North America and are found from Alaska to Panama. European explorers first encountered these canines during their travels in the American Southwest. They may occasionally assemble in small packs, but generally hunt alone. Coyotes live an average of 6 to 10 years. The word "coyote" was borrowed from Mexican Spanish, which itself borrowed the term from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word coyōtl (IPA ). The collective name for a group of coyotes is a band, a pack, or a rout.[2]