coydog

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

Coydog
A Coyote-German Shepherd hybrid
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Canis
Species:	Canis latrans x Canis lupus familiaris
Binomial name
Canis latrans x Canis lupus familiaris

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

The prevalence of naturally occurring coydogs is problematic. If interbreeding between the species were common, the coyote population would be expected to acquire more dog-like traits with each successive generation.

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. This suggests that genetic mutations could be the problem.^[1]

Prevalence in the wild

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation casts doubt on the existence of naturally occurring coydogs in any significant number, at least in New York State, despite the widespread presence of coyotes: "Coyotes and dogs theoretically can interbreed to produce what is called a 'coydog'. However, these crossbreeds have a reproductive cycle of dogs, not coyotes, and will give birth at times of the year when the pups cannot possibly survive (i.e., January). In addition, there are behavioral differences between dogs and coyotes which prevent crossbreeding from occurring. Coyotes want to mate with other coyotes and not with dogs. [...] Coydogs occurred at the leading edge of coyote range expansion during the 1950 to early 1970's. The occurrence of a coydog would be an extremely rare event in New York today."^[2]

The Crane Creek Wildlife Experiment Station of the Ohio Division of Wildlife conducted an analysis of skulls taken from encounters with wild canids in Ohio,cited in The Ohio Journal of Science. "From 1982 to 1988, skull collections were made in 71 counties, yielding 379 (87%) coyotes, 10 (2%) coydogs, and 25 (6%) feral dogs." The figures do not add to 100% because of skull damage hindering positive identification. "The incidence of coydog hybrids was high only in areas of expanding, widely dispersed coyote populations. [...] Mengel (1971) reviewed behavioral and physiological reasons why coydogs are adapted for survival less well than coyotes. These included inappropriate whelping time, lack of parental care by the male, and decreased fertility."^[3][PDF]

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, but a hybrid between the gray wolf and the coyote. The argument is that a gray wolf/coyote hybrid prevents conservation efforts. The west coast of Costa Rica has the largest known population of Coyodogs, known locally as "Avellanas." The Avellanas population is very commonplace in Costa Rica and many families enjoy these animals as domesticated pets.

See also

	Dogs portal
	Mammals portal

• Canid hybrid
• Jackal-Dog Hybrid
• Wolf-dog hybrid

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AA_young_Coyodog._Coyote-_Husky_Mix_Costa_Rican_%22Avellana%22.JPG

References

1. ^ Doris Feddersen-Petersen, Hundepsychologie, 4. Auflage, 2004, Franck-Kosmos-Verlag 2004
2. ^ http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9359.html
3. ^ https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/23411/1/V090N5_142.pdf

External links

• The complicated science of studying coyotes and hybrid species: Mysteries That Howl and Hunt
• Molecular evolution of the dog family - with specifics on chromosome number and hybridization of coyotes and wolves.