Why is that animal black?

We had an  excellent question come in the other day from an interested Texan: what on earth was this thing that looked like a wolf, caught on a game camera. Now, there haven't been any wolves in this part of Texas in a long, long time. There are no species of wolf that are naturally black, either. So, what in the Sam Hill was going on? It was a melanistic coyote.

Most folks know about albinisim, where fur or skin is all-white and the eyes are light in color. Few know about melanism, the opposite of albinism, which is an extreme darkening of pigmentation. Melanism occurs for many reasons, and is a genetic recessive trait. This adaptation, however, makes an animal more efficient at hunting or evading at night. This make sense, when you consider how hard it is to see something dark-colored at night. This can occur in a variety of animals, from mammals to snakes.

Melanism is rare, there's no doubt, but some populations may show it more often than others, if a high number of these individuals survive and interbreed. If you see a melanistic animal--as these folks did--enjoy the sight! You may never see one again.


*Photos Courtesy of Don and Cindy Travis of Milam Co., Texas