Wisa'ka
20-03-2012, 02:13 PM
Here in the eastern woodlands a new hybrid species is making an appearance. Some are calling this wild canine - Coywolf, as it is a cross between coyote and wolf. Not as large as a wolf, but bigger than a coyote they have been reported to hunt in packs and howl. Living in a rural area I’ve seen three of them so far, one crossed the road in front of me on an early dawn commute to work. I have seen my share of coyote, but these animals were larger, of different color and appearance.
What’s bad these Coywolves have gained the wrath of local people as they are killing livestock and pets along with being a competition threat to deer hunters. So far a bounty has not been declared, but that’s not stopping some people from killing them.
From news.discovery.com -
New DNA evidence reveals that coyotes have bred with wolves in the northeastern United States, turning mice-eating coyotes into much larger animals with a hunger for big prey, such as deer.
The resulting "coywolves" may, however, benefit ecosystems, since they appear to be filling niches once occupied by wolves that were eradicated by humans.
"We are finding repeatedly that hybridization is more common than we used to think," lead author Roland Kays told Discovery News
"This is an evolutionary mechanism to generate new variation that can work faster than genetic mutation," added Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum
Kays and colleagues Abigail Curtis and Jeremy Kirchman took mitochondrial DNA samples from 686 eastern coyotes housed in museums, or obtained by donations from hunters, fur trappers and various government agencies. The scientists also measured 196 coyote skulls.
The study, outlined in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, reveals that some of the largest specimens were indeed coyote and wolf hybrids.
Given where these animals came from and the degree of documented genetic diversity, the researchers can tell that a few coyote females mated with male wolves north of the Great Lakes.
Subsequent coywolf population expanded into western New York and western Pennsylvania, which also have populations of pure coyotes.
Coywolves aren't too hard to pick out from pure coyotes.
"They are larger, both in terms of body size and skull dimension," Kays explained. "Their skulls are especially wide compared with their length."
"Male coywolves are larger than females, while coyotes are not," he added. "Coywolves also tend to be more variable in terms of color, with red, dark and light morphs."
He said coywolves tend to hunt larger prey than coyotes do, scavenging or actively seeking deer, for example, which is possible given the coywolves' larger size.
What’s bad these Coywolves have gained the wrath of local people as they are killing livestock and pets along with being a competition threat to deer hunters. So far a bounty has not been declared, but that’s not stopping some people from killing them.
From news.discovery.com -
New DNA evidence reveals that coyotes have bred with wolves in the northeastern United States, turning mice-eating coyotes into much larger animals with a hunger for big prey, such as deer.
The resulting "coywolves" may, however, benefit ecosystems, since they appear to be filling niches once occupied by wolves that were eradicated by humans.
"We are finding repeatedly that hybridization is more common than we used to think," lead author Roland Kays told Discovery News
"This is an evolutionary mechanism to generate new variation that can work faster than genetic mutation," added Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum
Kays and colleagues Abigail Curtis and Jeremy Kirchman took mitochondrial DNA samples from 686 eastern coyotes housed in museums, or obtained by donations from hunters, fur trappers and various government agencies. The scientists also measured 196 coyote skulls.
The study, outlined in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, reveals that some of the largest specimens were indeed coyote and wolf hybrids.
Given where these animals came from and the degree of documented genetic diversity, the researchers can tell that a few coyote females mated with male wolves north of the Great Lakes.
Subsequent coywolf population expanded into western New York and western Pennsylvania, which also have populations of pure coyotes.
Coywolves aren't too hard to pick out from pure coyotes.
"They are larger, both in terms of body size and skull dimension," Kays explained. "Their skulls are especially wide compared with their length."
"Male coywolves are larger than females, while coyotes are not," he added. "Coywolves also tend to be more variable in terms of color, with red, dark and light morphs."
He said coywolves tend to hunt larger prey than coyotes do, scavenging or actively seeking deer, for example, which is possible given the coywolves' larger size.