coyotes and wolves the same speicies?

[cudamaster13]

scientists are now saying they think coyotes and wolves are the same species but just different appearence or are subspeices of each other i mean in the mountians coyotes get thick fur and grow to almost 60 pounds and they do hunt in packs so ??

 

[MN_Rebel]

No they are not same species or subspecies either. Coyotes in mountains have to get thick fur to keep themselves warm. And live in packs mean getting food easily when work together. A lone wolf cant kill a bull moose alone but packs can, so why not coyotes cant? Coyotes are very clever and will to work together to take on any big game from fullgrown deer to young bison/black bears. Its enviroment adaption. Same thing with whitetail deer, up north they can reach more than 200 pounds easily while in southern like Texas reach only 120 to 150 pounds and some islands such as Keys reach only 50 to 100 pounds. So coyotes need to adapt to its enviroment where they lives.

 

[Dan F]

I hadn't heard that, but it could be possible as coyote-wolf (as well as coyote-dog and wolf-dog) hybrids occur. Obviously they all share an evolutionary ancestor in the not-so-distant past.

I attached a coyote photo. I like the photo (I took it ) but I don't approve of wantonly killing coyotes. In fact, as a Christmas-Tree grower I'm all for coyotes - they are great pest-control! They used to eat our chickens like crazy, but I fixed that by not replacing the chickens...

 

[cudamaster13]

coyote wolf hybrids such as the red wolf are very odd creatures and coyotes in the mountians of california get inbetween 40-50 pounds have large teeth and strong jaws and thick fur they travel in large packs to take down mule deer that get much larger than whitetailed deer most mule deer getting inbetween 300-400 pounds and small black bears as well as the newly introduced russian boar wich now runs wild through out parts of the san bernardino mountians

 

[cudamaster13]

below are more pics

 

[MN_Rebel]

One problem: There are no red or grey wolves lived in California. Red wolves live East coast of United States and are not hybrids between coyotes and grey wolves but in reality they are coyotes/RED wolf hybrids. Pure red wolves live in protected areas where the coyotes dont existed. Russian wild boars in California are mostly likely to be feral hogs as these days and not purebred russian wild boars. Again as I said its environment changed coyotes' behavior and body to adapt to its environment for surviving. Coyotes in mountains are often larger and more heavily. Grey wolves will NEVER mate a coyote in the wild, they kill or eat coyotes. Coyotes dont prey on healthy adult black bears but they will take cubs or injured bears.

So where you heard from when they said coyotes are same species as grey wolves? I think you are just confused and dont understand what the scientists saying.

 

[channarox]

One problem: There are no red or grey wolves lived in California. Red wolves live East coast of United States and are not hybrids between coyotes and grey wolves but in reality they are coyotes/RED wolf hybrids. Pure red wolves live in protected areas where the coyotes dont existed. Russian wild boars in California are mostly likely to be feral hogs as these days and not purebred russian wild boars. Again as I said its environment changed coyotes' behavior and body to adapt to its environment for surviving. Coyotes in mountains are often larger and more heavily. Grey wolves will NEVER mate a coyote in the wild, they kill or eat coyotes. Coyotes dont prey on healthy adult black bears but they will take cubs or injured bears.

So where you heard from when they said coyotes are same species as grey wolves? I think you are just confused and dont understand what the scientists saying.

who ever said they were the same species??

 

[MN_Rebel]

Yellowstone park are good example. Both coyotes and grey wolves live there and its not uncommon for both packs fighting each other over food sources and breeding grounds and kill each other. Coyotes was once top dog in Yellowstone Park and prey on any game animal from deer to full grown bison that is until wolves returned to the Yellowstone Park. Even today, the coyotes and the wolves still fighting over for whos top dog in the park.

If they are same species then why wolves still wont mate to the coyotes in same park?

 

[cudamaster13]

Yellowstone park are good example. Both coyotes and grey wolves live there and its not uncommon for both packs fighting each other over food sources and breeding grounds and kill each other. Coyotes was once top dog in Yellowstone Park and prey on any game animal from deer to full grown bison that is until wolves returned to the Yellowstone Park. Even today, the coyotes and the wolves still fighting over for whos top dog in the park.

If they are same species then why wolves still wont mate to the coyotes in same park?

this could just be a wild canine thing becuase dingos and jackals also kill each other but only usaully the males and offspring they ussauly force the females to join their pack and mountain coyotes kill and eat smaller coyote subspecies all the time by my cabin in big bear packs of mountain coyotes fight each other all the time for territory,mates,food or just for entertainment most of the time one pack will conqure territory from other packs the most likely reason for alot of the fights coyotes are also cannibals i dont think wolves are tho

 

[DiverDan]

interesting subject. I'm going to have to go with these coyotes & wolves are very different.

Just looking at their capabilities & what they can prey upon, I think the weakest wolf would take down the strongest coyote. They've just evolved differently so I'd have to say diff species.