Can coyotes and wolves co-exist in the Northeast?
It depends. I think red/eastern wolves would hybridize with eastern coyotes if state fish-and-game agencies allow them to return. I think that if gray wolves were restored in numbers (i.e., reintroduced), they would exclude eastern coyotes from the wolf’s core areas. Do you think wolves are already living in the Adirondacks and/or New England? No. Any “wolves” are likely hybrids just as all eastern coyotes are and could be called coywolves. Any eastern wolves that make it to the Adirondacks or New England are probably killed or mate with coyotes (adding a little more wolf to the already existing hybrid gene pool). By the way, the geneticists say the eastern coyote is relatively pure-i.e., they match with each other genetically, but not with western coyotes or red/eastern wolves. What is your book Suburban Howls about? It’s a 300-page account of the experiences and findings of a biologist (me) who has studied this predator in urbanized environments. Eastern coyote. Photo by Larry Master
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- Can coyotes and wolves co-exist in the Northeast?
