Coyote Teeth: Everything You Need to Know

Coyotes belong to the Canidae family and are closely related to wolves, foxes, jackals, and domesticated dogs. Coyotes are incredibly adaptable and are found across nearly all of North and Central America, from Alaska and Canada down to Panama. Coyotes closely resemble foxes and wolves in appearance, which can make identification tricky. In addition to their similar looks, coyotes also share a similar dental structure with foxes and wolves. Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about coyote teeth.

What Kind of Teeth Do Coyotes Have?

Coyotes have the same dental formula as most wild and domesticated dogs. Coyotes have four types of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars, known as heterodont teeth. Coyote teeth are made of enamel, dentin, and cementum. The outer layer of a coyote’s tooth crown (the part above the gum line) is enamel, an extremely hard substance that protects the underlying dentin. The root, below the gums, is covered in cementum, which anchors the tooth in the mouth.

Coyotes have two sets of teeth: deciduous (baby) teeth that erupt in puppyhood and are replaced by a set of permanent adult teeth. Coyote pups typically possess a full set of permanent teeth by approximately six months of age.

How Many Teeth Do Coyotes Have?

Coyotes have a total of 42 teeth, which include three incisors, one canine, four premolars, and two to three molars in each quadrant. Their dental formula is: incisors 3/3, canines 1/1, premolars 4/4, and molars 2/3 = 42.

How Coyotes Use Their Teeth

A coyote’s incisors are at the very front of its mouth. Coyotes have 12 incisors: three on each side of the top jaw and three on each side of the bottom jaw. These small, chisel-like teeth allow them to gnaw and groom.

Coyotes have four canine teeth: two upper and two lower, one per side. A coyote’s canine teeth are sharp and curved, functioning like hooks to grab, hold, and tear flesh from prey. These fang-like teeth are typically between 1.25 and 1.5 inches long.

A coyote’s jaw is lined with premolars and molars. Coyotes have 16 premolars in total, with four on each side of both the upper and lower jaws. The premolars have sharp edges, called cuspids, which are used for tearing chunks of flesh, slicing meat, and crushing bones.

Coyotes have a total of 10 molars: two on each side of the upper jaw and three on each side of the lower jaw. Coyote molars are strong and broad for crushing bones and grinding plant matter.

Coyotes use their teeth for a variety of tasks, including scrubbing their coat of bugs, scooping up their young, and tearing smaller prey apart.

As omnivores, coyotes eat both small mammals and plant matter. Their cusped molars are useful for crushing hard food such as nuts and insects. 

Can Coyote Teeth Tell Their Age?

A coyote’s teeth can reveal a lot about its age. By counting the annual growth rings (cementum annuli) in a cross-section of the canine tooth’s root, scientists can obtain an accurate age. Each year, coyotes produce a new coating of cementum, which allows for accurately determining a coyote’s age.

Another method for determining a coyote’s age using its teeth is by measuring the pulp cavity. The pulp cavity shrinks as the animal ages, making it a reliable indicator for age estimation. In younger coyotes, a large pulp cavity suggests a juvenile, while a smaller cavity indicates maturity.

How Strong Is a Coyote’s Bite?

Although coyotes have a surprisingly strong bite force for their size, it is significantly weaker than that of many domestic dog breeds.

Reports suggest that a coyote’s bite force is between 88 and 100 pounds per square inch (PSI), while large dogs and wolves can exceed 300 to 700 PSI. Large dogs and wolves can exceed 300-700 PSI.

Coyotes are adapted for hunting smaller prey and for cooperative hunting, which gives them a surprisingly high Bite Force Quotient (BFQ) for their size.