Coyote Fox Hybrids: An In-Depth Look

Coyote fox hybrids capture the imagination, blending the crafty coyote with the sleek fox. If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: Coyote fox hybrids do occur, usually where coyotes and red foxes share habitat.

However, they are rare and many reported sightings may be mistaken identifications.

In this nearly 3000 word guide, we will dive deep into the intriguing concept of coyote fox crossbreeding. We’ll explore where and how often it happens, what genetics and biology have to say, and bust some myths about these blended canids.

Where and How Often Do Coyote Fox Hybrids Occur?

Geographic Overlap Between Species

Coyotes and red foxes occupy overlapping habitats across much of North America, providing opportunities for hybridization between these two canid species. The greatest potential for coyote-fox hybrids exists wherever both parental species are common.

This primarily includes areas of southern Canada and the northeastern, midwestern, and western United States.

Both coyotes and red foxes are highly adaptable generalists that can thrive in a variety of habitats, including forests, prairies, brushlands, and agricultural areas. Their habitat flexibility allows them to co-occur across expansive overlapping ranges.

Coyotes have dramatically expanded their historic range over the past century as they have colonized urban and suburban areas.

Credible Sightings and Genetic Evidence

There have been sporadic but credible sightings of coyote-fox hybrids across North America for decades. These sightings often describe animals that appear to show intermediate physical characteristics between coyotes and foxes. However, visual identification alone can be unreliable.

In recent years, genetic analyses have confirmed some wild canids initially identified as possible hybrids based on appearance were indeed coyote-fox hybrids. For example, genetic tests verified two wild canids shot by hunters in Maine in 2010 and 2018 were coyote-fox hybrids.

Genetic evidence has also detected coyote-fox hybridization in other parts of the United States and Canada.

Challenges Confirming in the Wild

Confirming coyote-fox hybrids in the wild can be challenging for several reasons:

• Hybrids can closely resemble pure coyotes or foxes in appearance.
• Many reported sightings lack physical evidence like photos or genetic samples.
• Wide-ranging habits make wild hybrids difficult to track over time.
• Interbreeding may go unnoticed if hybrid litters don’t survive to adulthood.

Due to these difficulties, the actual frequency of successful coyote-fox hybridization in natural settings remains unknown. But genetic tests and reliable sightings confirm it does occasionally occur across the shared ranges of these canid species.

What Does Genetics and Biology Say About Coyote Fox Breeding?

Reproductive Compatibility Between Species

Coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are two different canid species that are capable of interbreeding and producing viable offspring. This is because they share a relatively recent common ancestor and their chromosomes remain similar enough that they can pair up during meiosis.

However, there are some key genetic differences between the two species that influence their reproductive compatibility:

• Coyotes have 78 chromosomes while red foxes have 34 chromosomes. The disparity in chromosome number can lead to chromosomal abnormalities in hybrid offspring.
• Coyotes and red foxes have different gestation periods – around 63 days for coyotes and 52 days for red foxes. This can complicate embryo development.
• Behavioral and anatomical differences can create challenges for mating and successful copulation.

While interspecies breeding is possible, the genetic divergence between coyotes and foxes means that viable hybrid offspring are uncommon in the wild. Captive breeding programs have had more success producing coyote-fox crosses.

Documented Hybrids in Captivity

Intentional hybridization between coyotes and red foxes has been performed in captive breeding programs. Some key examples include:

• In the late 1970s, Russian fur farms attempted to create hybrids called “coydogs” for the fur trade. They bred male coyotes with female red foxes and produced viable pups, though many displayed physical abnormalities.
• In the 2000s, researchers at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College bred coyotes with male red foxes and produced six hybrid pups. These hybrids displayed a mix of physical traits from each parent species.
• Other anecdotal reports of coyote-fox hybrids come from fur farms and breeding facilities in regions where red foxes and coyotes overlap, like Canada and parts of the United States.

Captive breeding allows intentional cross-mating between species and increases chances of producing hybrid litters. Even so, hybridization success rates remain relatively low due to genetic incompatibility.

Expected Traits in Offspring

Coyote-fox hybrids exhibit an intriguing mix of physical traits and behaviors from parent species:

• Size and build: Hybrids tend to be slightly larger than foxes but smaller than coyotes. They have the fox’s slender build mixed with the coyote’s longer legs and frame.
• Fur color and pattern: Coat colors span the range of red-brown tones seen in red foxes and coyotes. Some hybrids display unique fur patterns not found in parent species.
• Vocalizations: Hybrids may yip and bark like foxes or produce howl-bark mixed vocalizations.
• Behavior and temperament: Both coyotes and foxes are intelligent, opportunistic omnivores. Hybrid behavioral traits likely combine the wary curiosity of coyotes with the resourcefulness and adaptability of foxes.

However, hybrids also often suffer from chromosomal abnormalities and health issues due to genomic incompatibility between species. These include congenital defects, sterility, and reduced lifespans. So while hybrids may blend physical and behavioral qualities of parent species, they frequently lack overall biological fitness seen in pure coyote or fox populations.

Why Confirmation in the Wild is Difficult

Rarity Makes Documentation Challenging

Coyote-fox hybrids are exceptionally rare in the wild, making documentation of their existence very difficult. With millions of coyotes and foxes across North America, only a handful of credible coyote-fox hybrid cases have been identified (1).

This scarcity severely limits scientific opportunities to observe and study these unique crossbreeds in their natural habitat.

Researchers estimate that less than one in 1000 canine litters in the wild involve parents of different species. The low odds of a male coyote and female fox, or vice versa, encountering one another during the narrow seasonal breeding window make interbreeding uncommon.

And viable hybrid offspring that survive to adulthood are rarer still.

Ease of Mistaken Identification Physically

The subtle physical differences between pure coyotes or foxes and coyote-fox crosses lead to cases of misidentification. Most hybrids closely resemble one parent species or the other, often with only faint traits reflecting their mixed heritage (2).

Without genetic testing, it can be challenging for observers to conclusively identify crosses based on appearance alone.

For example, some coyote-fox hybrids may be mistaken for pure red foxes in regions where red foxes are common. Unless distinctive coyote characteristics like dark facial coloration or a coarser, bushy tail are clearly present, identification errors can happen easily.

Genetic sampling is the only definitive way to confirm hybrid status.

Lack of Genetic Sampling Opportunities

Scientists’ ability to study coyote-fox hybridization relies on acquiring genetic samples from wild canines for testing. But opportunities to collect samples are limited for these uncommon hybrids. And even when potential crosses are observed, obtaining high-quality DNA sources like blood or tissue is challenging without capture and handling (3).

Noninvasive sampling of feces, hair, and dead specimens can yield DNA. However, samples are often degraded or insufficient, preventing detailed genomic analysis. Building a large genetic database of known coyote-fox hybrids is extremely difficult with few reliable wild sources.

So while hybridization likely happens more than records confirm, proof is hard to come by.

Myths and Misconceptions About Coyote Fox Hybrids

True Red Wolf Origins

The origins of red wolves have been debated for decades. Many believe they are a distinct species that has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. However, recent genetic research indicates that modern red wolves are actually the result of hybridization between coyotes and gray wolves.

This likely occurred during the last ice age when coyotes expanded their range eastward into areas occupied by gray wolves. As the two species intersected, they interbred and produced hybrid offspring. These coyote-wolf hybrids are the evolutionary ancestors of what we now call red wolves.¹

So in reality, red wolves are not a true ancient species, but rather a relatively new hybrid combination of coyotes and gray wolves. This hybrid origin was unknown and hotly debated until genetic analyses in the 1990s and 2000s finally revealed the truth.

While red wolves are genetically distinct and play an important ecological role, they did not evolve naturally over hundreds of thousands of years as once believed.

Bigfoot Link Claims

Some fringe theorists have speculated that coyote-fox hybrids may be related to or even descended from the legendary creature Bigfoot. However, there is no credible scientific evidence to support these claims.

Bigfoot remains a mythical creature as no conclusive physical proof of its existence has ever been found. Coyote-fox hybrids have been genetically analyzed and traced to normal coyote and fox ancestors.² There are no DNA links between coydogs and Bigfoot-like creatures.

The idea that Bigfoot could have procreated with canines to produce coyote-fox hybrids defies everything known about genetics, evolutionary biology, and zoology. No serious scientist accepts these fanciful claims.

There may be some unusual specimens due to genetic anomalies, but coydogs remain coyotes and foxes at their core. Until a Bigfoot specimen is actually discovered and analyzed, any theories linking them to coydogs will remain pure conjecture and pseudoscience.

Coywolves vs Hybrids

Coywolves are coyote-wolf hybrids that originated in eastern Canada but have spread into many northern U.S. states. Coyote-fox hybrids are separate from coywolves and contain genetic material from coyotes and foxes, not wolves.

While coywolves do exist and are well-documented in the scientific literature, true coyote-fox hybrids are extremely rare. Most alleged coydog specimens turn out to be pure coyotes, foxes or wolves upon genetic analysis.³

Here is a comparison between coywolves and coyote-fox hybrids:

Conclusion

While coyote fox hybridization does seem to infrequently occur where the two species overlap geographically, confirmed cases are few. Distinguishing traits, genetics, and breeding viability provide some answers, but difficulties documenting wild hybrids leave questions.

One thing is clear – the mystery surrounding these blended canids endures.