Melanism is rare in Canis latrans (Coyote), but we detected the phenotypic trait several times in northwest Georgia. We observed up to 9 melanistic Coyotes during a 9-year period, 2003–2012: 5 from trail-camera photographs, 2 from live-captures during a radio-telemetry study, and 2 from hunter-kills. The ancestry of southeastern Coyotes is unclear, and we suggest that a genetic study including melanistic individuals could increase understanding of the potential influence of C. lupus (Gray Wolf), C. rufus (Red Wolf) and/or C. lupus familiaris (Domestic Dog) on the Coyote's genetic makeup and evolutionary history.
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1 June 2014
Melanistic Coyotes in Northwest Georgia
Christopher B. Mowry,
Justin L. Edge
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Southeastern Naturalist
Vol. 13 • No. 2
June 2014
Vol. 13 • No. 2
June 2014