December 09, 2009

A new species is emerging in Canada and New England: the coywolf
posted by dilettante 14 years ago
  • Doesn't seem to be acting very 'coy', maybe 'wolfote' would've been better... or maybe not. Too bad this example of "evolution in action" is happening in area where most folks already accept the theory of evolution. Some other regions of the U.S.ofA. need some real-life educatin'.
  • Wile E. Wolf? *meep meep*
  • If the coyotes these beasties are descended from were like Wile E., we'd have a lot less to worry about from them. (W.E.C. was a poor excuse for a predator) Besides, Chuck Jones also did a few toons with a sheepdog and a wolf who was pretty much Wile E.'s twin. (okay, he had a red nose, but that's the only difference)
  • "there will be pets eaten in Rouge Valley" I love that statement.... and...that is one attractive puppy... I want one of those!
  • Eh, nothing new. Coy-wolf crosses have been around forever. Oldtimers here in Idaho talk about them all the time, and they think they are even worse than coyotes or wolves. For one thing, they're hella smart. Originally there wasn't much of a niche for them to fill with the wolf as top canine predator. Now the pressure's hard on the wolves, and the coywolf has been able to come into that niche without drawing much attention to itself till its numbers have grown to the point it's hard to hide. Now that we've whacked the wolves back beyond a genetically viable population, COYWOLVES AS A SPECIES MUST DIE! Heavens forbid somebody's poo-piddle gets eaten in Rouge. Wendell, don' chew know 'nuthin? This isn't evolution, this is SATAN'S EVIL SPAWN. I'm gonna git ma' gun.
  • Do coywolves eat monkeys? Hello all you monkeys out there ltns.
  • I must agree that wolfote is the proper term. also that pic...damn that doggie looks scary!
  • Fascinating - thanks, dilettante. I live in a province where a human was recently attacked and killed by coyotes, and I wonder if maybe it was these guys wot did it. Googling shows that they have indeed reached the Far East here.
  • fish tick, I think I saw some speculation about that at the time - that it may have been coywolves rather than coyotes.
  • Yep, upon searching I see a lot of hinting in that direction, but no firm statements from reputable sources, alas.
  • One night, in *The Valley* of South Texas fame, we watched the fire turn its coals into miniature coyotes while the real ones sang... (Not sure if the Mexican wolves had penetrated that far into the north again to interbreed, but it did SOUND that way, for what it's worth!)