Female Coyotes Can Have Mixed Wolf-Coyote Pups

[wolfbait]

Female Coyotes Can Have Mixed Wolf-Coyote Pups

Scientists have successfully produced hybrid pups between a male western gray wolf and a female western coyote in captivity. By artificially inseminating a female western coyote with western gray wolf sperm, U.S. Geological Survey scientists and partners from the St. Louis Zoo, University of California, Davis, and Wildlife Science Center recently demonstrated that coyotes are able to bear and nurture healthy hybrid offspring.

During the 2012 and 2013 study, the scientists attempted to inseminate nine captive western coyotes with sperm from eight different gray wolves at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Predator Research Facility in Logan, Utah. Three coyotes became pregnant, and one successfully birthed and nursed six live, healthy pups, currently housed at the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, Minn., north of the Twin Cities.

Some geneticists have suggested recognizing the eastern wolf as a new species of wolf, and potentially adding it to the Endangered Species List. This proposal is based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)—a type of DNA that can only be passed on to offspring by the mother—that has been found in wolves from Manitoba, Canada, through the Great Lakes into southeast Canada. Those wolves could have gotten their coyote-like mtDNA either from hybridization with coyotes or by hybridizing with the eastern wolf. The latter view is that of the geneticists who claim that the coyote-like mtDNA is from the eastern wolf, which is closely related to the coyote.

Scientists who propose that the coyote-like mtDNA came from female coyotes that bred with male, western wolves long ago believe that the eastern wolf is merely a smaller race of the wolf of the West.

http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2014/11/case_knives_at_125_coyote_hybr.html

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[Watimberghost]

Interesting. I've also seen a documentary that suggests that western coyotes are successfully breeding with eastern wolves producing a hybrid they are calling the coywolf. Again, it was interesting...

[wildweeds]

Sad thing is they spent money on trying to see if it was feasible,all they had to do was go to the animal shelter and see the gamut of cross bred dogs to see that it's true.My buddys wife had her first trainwreck last week,she "Didn't think it was possible" for her miniature weiner dog to get her Red setter knocked up.Well it happend and now she is the proud owner of 8 pups.It's also no wonder that Wolf production U. only managed one litter, AI is tricky buisness with dogs for some reason,that's were the science lies.There's no substitute for a  hounds nose,it's got science beat by a mile.

[T Pearce]

The ranch dogs enjoyed the coyote girls when they came to visit. I dont remember any pups..... I think both parents raise the young in a coyote family. Dont recall any of the cow dogs dragging a bag of feed across the pasture.... bums.