coydog

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Coydog
A Coyote-German Shepherd hybrid
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Canis
Species:	C. latrans × lupus

A coydog is the hybrid offspring of a male coyote (Canis latrans) and a female dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Together they are genetically capable of producing fertile young. The dogote, a similar hybrid, is the result of breeding a male domestic dog with a female coyote. Where the cross-breeding of animals is concerned, the father's species gives the first part of the offspring's name.

History

Coydogs were once believed to be present in large numbers in Pennsylvania, due to coyotes being in decline and domestic dogs being available as mates. Most were probably naturally occurring red or blond coyotes or were feral dogs. If interbreeding between the species were common, the coyote population would be expected to acquire more dog-like traits with each successive generation. Coyotes have also been crossed with Australian dingoes^{[citation needed]}.

Breeding experiments in Germany with poodles and coyotes, as well as with wolves, jackals and later on with the resulting dog-coyote hybrids showed a decrease in fertility and significant communication problems as well as an increase of genetic diseases after three generations of interbeeding between the hybrids, unlike with wolfdogs.^[1]

Rarity

Dogotes are fairly rare in the wild, in part because female coyotes are fertile for only about 60 days out of the year. Wild coydogs and dogotes can cause problems for humans, as they allegedly have the cunning of coyotes but lack their natural fear of humans.

Breeding habits

Coyotes also breed with wolves, resulting in coywolves. Coyote/red wolf hybrids have also been found. Some zoologists do not consider the American red wolf to be a true species since it can hybridize with both the gray wolf and the coyote. The argument that it is a gray wolf/coyote hybrid prevents conservation efforts.

See also

• Canid hybrid

References

1. ^ Doris Feddersen-Petersen, Hundepsychologie, 4. Auflage, 2004, Franck-Kosmos-Verlag 2004

External links

• Molecular evolution of the dog family - with specifics on chromosome number and hybridization of coyotes and wolves.