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Author
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Topic: Coywolves
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted January 03, 2012 05:36 PM
Here is some reading material...
updated 9/22/2009 9:57:23 PM ET
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New DNA evidence reveals that coyotes have bred with wolves in the 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 issue of 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.
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Subsequent coywolf population expanded into western New York and western Pennsylvania, which also have populations of pure coyotes.
Bigger than coyotes, smaller than wolves
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." World's oddest animals
"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.
Coywolves even sound different.
"Their vocalizations are deeper than western coyotes," he said. "They readily make use of forest habitat, while western coyotes tend to avoid it and prefer open areas."
Not mating per usual
While hybridization happens and "is a natural process," according to Kays, it's also not mating per usual. Wolves often "persecute coyotes rather than breed with them," he said, so it's still rare for these distinct, yet related, species to make love and not war.
The same holds true for dogs and coyotes.
"Generally coyotes kill dogs; dogs avoid coyotes," he said, but interbreeding does sometimes occur, although he and his team found very little DNA evidence for it in their sizable sample from the Northeast. He believes "coy-dogs" are more common in the Southeast.
Earlier this year, University of Calgary professor and wolf expert Marco Musiani determined that human breeding of dogs led to a dominant gene for dark fur to be spread, through interbreeding, to wolves. Black fur is now commonplace in wolf packs.
Climate change has diminished snow in northern environments. White wolves used to benefit when snow was more plentiful, but now black fur provides them with greater stealth when the wolves hunt in snowless places.
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Musiani said: "It is somewhat ironic that a trait that was created by humans may now prove to be beneficial for wolves as they deal with human-caused changes to their habitat."
Kays said a proposal to re-introduce wolves into the Adirondacks "has basically been put on hold while we figure out the eastern wolf taxonomy."
Although the coywolf is moving into the wolf's former ecological niche, he said that "wolves are much larger," so they are still the optimal keystone predator for former wolf-dominated regions.
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5613 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted January 03, 2012 08:05 PM
THIS GLOBAL WARMING IS GETTING OUT OF HAND.
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted January 03, 2012 08:31 PM
"Male coywolves are larger than females while coyotes are not".
Male coyotes are not larger than female coyotes???? I did not know that.
Is that lynx scat I smell????
Edit 4 spelin'
[ January 03, 2012, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Kokopelli ]
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 8231 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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Possumal
HONORARY CALLS FORUM MODERATOR edit: AND TOKEN LIBERAL
Member # 823
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posted January 03, 2012 09:12 PM
Don't know about other parts of the country, but the big old male coyotes around here are bigger than the females. There has been a marked increase in size over the past 15 years and I don't believe it was due to breeding with wolves. Evolution within the species to fit the task at hand is more likely, in my opinion.
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Al Prather
Foxpro Field Staff
Posts: 781 | From: Nicholasville, Ky. | Registered: Mar 2006
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted January 04, 2012 08:00 AM
Make no mistake; if the forces of evil can make a credible case to attach `wolf` to anything coyote, they can...............
Apply for grant money.
Demand protection for this important new species while it's being studied.
Stop the hunting of coyotes that may be carrying the wolf genes.
Limit the harvest of prey animals that this exciting new species needs to survive.
Create no entry wilderness areas to protect the new symbol of the wilderness.
Raise a lot of money with an emotional ad campaign.
No good can come of this.
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 8231 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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JD
HONORARY OKIE .... and Tim's at fault!
Member # 768
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posted January 04, 2012 09:30 AM
Koko, I wish you were just being paranoid but I belive you are 100% correct. I've seen similar articles and discussions for 10 years, once they convince the public and a few law makers of the unfortunate plight of this endangered species you and I will be shooting at paper coyotes at an indoor range for fun. The first thing I thought of was that Lynx debacle a while back too.
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Jason
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What do Obama & TA17Rem have in common........both are clueless asshats!!!
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4949shooter
SECOND PLACE HIGGINS (MAGNUM P.I.) LOOK A LIKE CONTEST
Member # 3530
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posted January 04, 2012 02:18 PM
Where is Leonard?
I figured he would be all over this one.
Posts: 2274 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Dec 2009
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted January 04, 2012 03:36 PM
You know Gunsmiths can be pretty busy at times..
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5613 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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knockemdown
Our staff photo editing Guru, par excellence
Member # 3588
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posted January 06, 2012 05:50 AM
Did any of you guys see the "Killed by Coyotes?" show on NatGeoWild channel?
LINKY to the news report of hiker kilt by coyotes in Nova Scotia
It was an interesting sit in front of the idiot box. After the killing, park officials killed eight coyotes in that area. One had human remains in it's stomach. One had lead shot from two different shotGUN loads, from the Mountie & the guy who kilt it. And yet another was identified from photos taken on the trail just before the girl was attacked...
The photos were taken by another couple walking on the trail. The coyotes show NO fear of them, in the least.
[ January 06, 2012, 05:55 AM: Message edited by: knockemdown ]
Posts: 2202 | From: behind fascist lines | Registered: Mar 2010
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Possumal
HONORARY CALLS FORUM MODERATOR edit: AND TOKEN LIBERAL
Member # 823
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posted January 06, 2012 11:05 AM
Interesting read, Knockemdown. My wife has always said the coyotes were gonna get me sometime just to get even for all their cousins I have put down. (LOL) I have had a couple nearly land in my lap when mouth calling, but no such occurence when using an ecaller.
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Al Prather
Foxpro Field Staff
Posts: 781 | From: Nicholasville, Ky. | Registered: Mar 2006
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knockemdown
Our staff photo editing Guru, par excellence
Member # 3588
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posted January 06, 2012 02:28 PM
If you can catch the show on repeat, its worth an hour.
Considering all the available evidence, the "experts" summarily agreed that this was a 100% predatory attack by multiple coyotes on a healthy, adult human. Just seeing the photos taken of those two coyotes on the same hiking trail just minutes before the attack will make your toes curl...
Posts: 2202 | From: behind fascist lines | Registered: Mar 2010
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted January 06, 2012 04:52 PM
Any idea when it will rerun, Fred? I really need to see that.
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32361 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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knockemdown
Our staff photo editing Guru, par excellence
Member # 3588
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posted January 09, 2012 07:30 AM
I'll try searching it out on the box tonight...
Posts: 2202 | From: behind fascist lines | Registered: Mar 2010
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