Another interesting question came our way in response to our
post on melanistic coyotes the other day: Was that a coyote or a coydog?
“What the heck is a coydog?” you might ask with a little
skepticism. Well, it’s just like it sounds. A coydog is a hybrid of a wild
coyote and a domestic dog and, though fairly rare, these
hybrids can be quite interesting. Hybridization can occur in any place coyotes
and domestic dogs come into contact. Given the coyote’s wide range and
proximity to humans (and their dogs), coydogs can be found all over the United
States.
Coydogs’ size and appearances vary widely. When one
considers the huge variability of domestic dog breeds, this isn’t surprising.
Colors from black to red to your standard coyote coloration have been reported.
Head shape and stature vary depending on the breed of the parent dog.
Generally, they tend to have shorter legs than coyotes and either shaggier or
shorter hair.
Their behavior varies between that of a dog and a coyote as
well. Coydogs tend to be a touch more aggressive than their domestic parents
when found in the wild
,
but have also been known to make good pets
,
but have also been known to make good pets
Coydogs are not present in terribly large numbers in any
part of their range for several reasons. Like domestic dogs, coydogs do not
exhibit any male parental care like coyotes do, which could hinder pup
survival. Coydogs breed significantly earlier in the wild than coyotes, making
continued breeding of hybrids with coyotes unlikely. They also have a harder
time with hard winters than coyotes. All of these considered, coydog
populations simply don’t compete well with native coyotes.That said, individuals can survive quite well in the wild. Several
harvested coydogs have been estimated to be more than ten years old based on
tooth wear.
So, back to the question at hand: coydog or coyote? The
short answer is it’s hard to tell. The long answer is that it is often difficult
for even trained wildlife biologists to distinguish atypical coyotes from hybrids
by pictures alone. Given the closeness of stature and general appearance to a
coyote, I think the earlier ruling stands. But I could be wrong…
*Photo Credit: Dog Breed Info Center www.dogbreedinfo.com/coydog.htm
References:
Kennedy, Michael L., "TAXONOMIC STATUS OF WILD CANIDS
IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES" (1987). Third Eastern Wildlife Damage
Control Conference, 1987. Paper 32.
Mahan, Brian R., Philip S. Gipson, Ronald M. Case “Characteristics
and Distribution of Coyote X Dog Hybrids Collected in Nebraska” (1978).
American Midland Naturalist, 100(2)
408-415
Mengel, Robert M. “MammalogistsA Study of Dog-Coyote Hybrids
and Implications concerning Hybridization in Canis” (1971). Journal of
Mammalogy, 52(2) 316-336