Have you ever heard of a coywolf?
A Coywolf Lounging
A major threat to the red wolves is the hybridization of their species.This may seem like a scary word, but its definition is essentially simple: breeding two genetically similar, yet still different, species, causing the formation of a new species. The red wolves, unfortunately, often end up breeding with coyotes, causing the birth of a new canine called a Coywolf, which is similar, yet different, from either parent species. This ends up reducing the red wolf population, for if reproduction within their species stops, there will no longer be pure red wolves in the wild (Hinton, 2013).
Coywolf
These animals are the cross between coyotes and wolves, with coyotes giving about 60% of their DNA, and wolves contributing the other 40% (Deweerdt, 2015).
Canis Latrans var.
Red Wolf
The red wolves are already threatened by coyotes taking over their ecological role, but the coy wolf takes this even further, due to their adaptability as a result of their varied genetics (Deweerdt, 2015).
Canis Rufus
Coyote
Coyotes are carnivorous pack animals that range from 20 to 50 pounds and are around 32 to 37 inches tall at full height. Coyotes are prominent across North America, and have a status of least concern on the IUCN red list (Coyote, 2019).
Canis Latrans