The Genesis of ‘Coywolves:’ A Story of Survival

A statement by Earthjustice explaining the evolutionary origin of 'coywolves' as a hybrid of eastern gray wolves and western coyotes resulting from human-driven habitat loss, while warning that proposed budget riders may remove endangered species protections for gray wolves in several US states.

• The 'coywolf' is a hybrid species that emerged when eastern gray wolves, facing population decline due to European settlement, deforestation, hunting, and poison traps, began mating with western coyotes moving from the southwest. This hybrid is uniquely adapted to survive in human-disturbed environments, including urban and suburban areas, and maintains an opportunistic diet consisting of deer, rabbits, small rodents, and produce.
• Earthjustice warns that a budget bill awaiting President Obama's signature may contain policy 'riders' that would remove gray wolves from the endangered species list in Wyoming, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. These riders would also block citizens from legally challenging the de-listing, potentially exposing pure-bred wolves to unregulated killing through state management plans.

APA

Earthjustice (2015). The Genesis of ‘Coywolves:’ A Story of Survival. https://earthjustice.org/article/the-genesis-of-coywolves-a-story-of-survival

Chicago

Earthjustice. The Genesis of ‘Coywolves:’ A Story of Survival. 2015. https://earthjustice.org/article/the-genesis-of-coywolves-a-story-of-survival.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=The Genesis of ‘Coywolves:’ A Story of Survival |date=9 December 2015 |url=https://earthjustice.org/article/the-genesis-of-coywolves-a-story-of-survival |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2015genesis, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{The Genesis of ‘Coywolves:’ A Story of Survival}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://earthjustice.org/article/the-genesis-of-coywolves-a-story-of-survival}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }