Coyotes use a wide variety of sounds to communicate, and their vocalizations can convey things like identity, age, sex, and even emotional state. Coyotes are known for howling at the moon, but they make other sounds at night as well. Here are some of the sounds that coyotes make:

• Howls: Coyotes howl to communicate with other coyotes. They can produce a variety of tones, pitches, modulations, inflections, and even warbles, lilts, crescendos, and trills. According to researchers, coyotes can make 11 different sounds, including howling.

• Yips: Coyotes use yips to communicate with each other over short distances. Yips can sound like laughter.

• Barks: Coyotes bark to communicate with each other over short distances. Barks can be used to warn other coyotes of danger or to signal aggression.

• Growls: Coyotes growl when they are upset or angry. Growls can be used to communicate dominance or to warn other coyotes to stay away.

• Screams: Coyotes scream when they are in distress. Screams can sound like a woman screaming and can be frightening to hear in the middle of the night.

Coyotes can also make other sounds, such as whines and whistles, and they can quickly learn to mimic the sounds they hear.