Throughout the east coast of North America, people have started to notice a new threat to small pets — the so-called “coywolf.” The media has latched onto the inaccurate name of the animal, hyping it up as a new species that could wreak havoc. While not entirely accurate, there is a new presence on the East Coast that combines the genes from coyotes, wolves and dogs.
Roland Kays, a research associate professor in the NC State Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, said we should not call the genetic blending within the Canidae family the “coywolf” — doing so gives the impression that they are a new species. Using such an inaccurate name leads to confusion.
But L. Scott Mills, a professor who focuses on fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology in the same department as Kays , has different opinion.
“The name is descriptive, but it doesn’t really resolve anything for management of the animals,” Mills said. “Calling them coywolves or coydogs is fine, as long as the name is not used to make it seem as though they are inferior.”
Hybridization of species is not a new concept, and Mills said we should remember that hybridization is natural, normal and something that has always happened.
“They are not freaks of nature, and there is no bad blood,” Mills said. “We are certain hybridization has occurred, but it does not make them less biologically important or relevant.”
The genetic hybridizations between dogs, wolves and coyotes have consistent genetic, behavioral and physical differences. The three species rarely breed together, and when they do it is a last-ditch effort to perpetuate their genes.
“Hybridization occurs when one species is really rare and can’t find any of their type to mate with, so they look to similar species as a sort of last-chance prom date, the best they can get,” Kays said.
Kays prefers to call the predator the “eastern coyote” as it has colonized the east coast from Florida up into Canada. Eastern coyotes are a mix of dog, wolf and coyote, though the ratio of each species varies depending on the test used and the geographic location of the animal. Kays does not believe the three species are still hybridizing — he said the populations of the three have been stable and large enough that they would not need to interbreed.
“If there has been hybridization within a species, such as between dogs and coyotes, the first generation offspring is genetically 50/50,” Kays said. “The eastern coyote is about 8 percent dog — it is a tiny amount that has been diluted and spread across the population.”
Kays believes the best way to describe the eastern coyote is by calling it a sub-species, as it is a variation of coyotes. Mills is uncertain if the eastern coyote will ever become a new species.
“Sometimes it does happen,” Mills said. “Species are complex entities—there is the question of when does it have a distinct enough lineage that we should care about it [as a species].”
The eastern coyote is an adaptable animal. According to Kays, eastern coyotes are generalists that prefer a mix of forest and fields, though they are starting to move into cities.
“Right now, they are in every county of North Carolina, and all coyotes here have the genetic mixing, probably 90 percent coyote and a smattering of the other two species,” Kays said.
Despite their growing presence in cities, Mills does not believe them currently to be a threat. The coyote is one of the most adaptable species, and wolves do well in the wild. For Mills, it is a question of human tolerance of the eastern coyote.
“They are not a threat to humans — wolves are virtually never a threat,” Mills said. “Elephants, spiders and tigers are more of a threat than the eastern coyote.”
Mills said a global panel of experts will meet in April to discuss the emergence of the eastern coyote.
