The CoyWolf / Eastern Coyote / Dog Hybrid now numbers in the millions

[Tom Rankin]

"Interbreeding between animal species usually leads to offspring less vigorous than either parent — if they survive at all. But the combination of wolf, coyote and dog DNA that resulted from this reproductive necessity generated an exception. The consequence has been booming numbers of an extraordinarily fit new animal spreading through the eastern part of North America. Some call this creature the eastern coyote. Others, though, have dubbed it the “coywolf”. Whatever name it goes by, Roland Kays of North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, reckons it now numbers in the millions."

Full article

 

[JoshandBaron]

Ran into one bushwhacking up Jumping Brook. Largest one I've ever seen. They are literally everywhere.

 

[Stan]

No natural enemies ... not yet.

 

[skiguy]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MhtuHXInt88

 

[weatherman]

Wow, glad I and my dogs are further West... the coyotes here are only 2/3 the size, though more common. Would not trust even my big dog (a small female Irish Wolfhound) around those eastern guys.

 

[Raven]

Hybrids are interesting. Sometimes the hybrid offspring of two species shows "hybrid vigor" and is "superior" in some ways to the parents. A mule comes to mind. Mules are the offspring of a horse and donkey. Mules don't have mules. They are sterile. In plants it can be similar. Apple and tomato varieties come to mind. But the seeds of the hybrid often are not very vigorous and sometimes they simply don't produce good plants. Much like the 'seed' of the mule, the plant seeds of hybrids are also often weak.

It appears these coydogs may be an example of hybrid vigor.