![]() ![]() Ĭompared with pure coyotes, eastern wolf × coyote hybrids form more cooperative social groups and are generally less aggressive with each other while playing. Executive Director Peggy Callahan at the facility states that the howls of these hybrids are said to start off much like regular gray wolves with a deep strong vocalization, but changes partway into a coyote-like high pitched yipping. At six months of age, these hybrids were closely monitored at the Wildlife Science Center. Despite being delivered by a female coyote, the hybrid pups at birth were much larger and heavier than regular coyote pups born and measured around the same time. In one captive hybrid experiment, six F 1 hybrid pups from a male northwestern gray wolf and a female coyote were measured shortly after birth with an average on their weights, total lengths, head lengths, body lengths, hind foot lengths, shoulder circumferences, and head circumferences compared with those on pure coyote pups at birth. Hybrids of any combination tend to be larger than coyotes but smaller than wolves they show behaviors intermediate between coyotes and the other parent's species. Another term for these hybrids is sometimes wolfote. Genomic studies indicate that nearly all North American gray wolf populations possess some degree of admixture with coyotes following a geographic cline, with the lowest levels occurring in Alaska, and the highest in Ontario and Quebec, as well as Atlantic Canada. One genetic study indicates that these two species genetically diverged relatively recently (around 55,000–117,000 years ago). All members of the genus Canis are closely genetically related with 78 chromosomes and therefore can interbreed. Captive-bred F 1 gray wolf × coyote hybrids, Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, MinnesotaĬoywolf is an informal term for a canid hybrid descended from coyotes, eastern wolves, gray wolves, and dogs. ![]()
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