The coywolf, a product of evolution
The wolf was not the gray wolf, however, it was the Eastern wolf — canis lycaon-
Dr. Jon Way has been telling us this for some time. I see he has changed his suburban coyote page to the “coywolf page.”
Broken link now fixed. Coywolves’ a product of evolution. By Lawrence Pyne. Burlington Free Press.

Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
7 Responses to The coywolf, a product of evolution
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Recent Posts
- Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Wildlands January 18, 2021
- An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit January 5, 2021
- Ochoco Forest Deceptions For Logging January 3, 2021
- Scientists Critique BLM Tri-State Fuel Breaks Proposal December 29, 2020
- Critique of “Fire Suppression” Mythology December 24, 2020
Recent Comments
- Maggie Frazier on Does Cattle Grazing Preclude Large Blazes?
- Maggie Frazier on Does Cattle Grazing Preclude Large Blazes?
- Maggie Frazier on Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Wildlands
- Ida Lupine on Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Wildlands
- Ida Lupine on Wolverine ESA Listing Effort Demonstrates Political Influence
- Maggie Frazier on Livestock industry’s campaign to get rid of wild horses is a scam to cheat the taxpayers
- Maggie Frazier on Livestock industry’s campaign to get rid of wild horses is a scam to cheat the taxpayers
- Maggie Frazier on Livestock industry’s campaign to get rid of wild horses is a scam to cheat the taxpayers
- Maggie Frazier on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
- Greta Anderson on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
- Maggie Frazier on Scientists Critique BLM Tri-State Fuel Breaks Proposal
- rastadoggie on Ochoco Forest Deceptions For Logging
- Jean taylor on Ochoco Forest Deceptions For Logging
- Beeline on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
- Laurie Ness on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091130/COLUMNISTS01/91130003
link does not work…
I will publish my peer-reviewed account of the coywolf here in the NE once when I get the galley proof. For those interested, it will show (in detailed fashion) why we shouldn’t be calling them coyotes here in the Northeast.
Note: the article above refers to a companion study by Kays et al. that independently found the same thing. Our study uses mt and Nuclear/microsatellite DNA to show that they are western coyote x red/eastern wolf hybrids.
Jon Way
Try this link. It worked for me:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091130/COLUMNISTS01/91130003
We have these animals in south Louisiana. My question revolves around the fact we dont have wolves here yet we have coydog/coywolf animals all over the place. Have they migrated here ?
Bret,
when the last red wolves were getting killed off they hybridized with colonizing coyotes. We called them many things (coyotes, coydogs) but these are not accurate terms. The animals have DNA from both the original wolf living on the east coast and coyotes. They should be called coywolves but they are the same animals that have been here for 20-50 years… I am talking about the NE but the same thing happened in your area and, in fact, the last remaining pure red wolves that were used to be reintroduced into North Carolina were captured in the LA/TX area. The ones not captured (or killed) likely hybridized with coyotes. So, “coyotes” in the east can legally be killed in most states for any reason despite harboring native wolf genes. Doesn’t make much sense.
Note: the link in this story was broken. Now I have fixed it.
We have packs of these red wolf/coyote hybrids in my neighborhood in south Louisiana. We live very near Lake Ponchartrain on the north shore — in Mandeville. They are a big problem. They have eliminated the rabbits and many cats and small dogs are missing. I have seen them many times and they are very fearless. We also have a large deer population. I have not heard of any dead deer around, however.