“Can you ID this caught on a trail came in Polk County, TX this morning?”
I received that text yesterday along with the following photo.
This is a melanistic -black coyote.
Black (melanistic) coyotes, distinguished by their striking black coats, are a rare and captivating occurrence within coyote populations, particularly in the eastern half of the coyote’s range.
This unique coloration results from a genetic mutation that increases the production of eumelanin, the pigment responsible for black and brown pigments in mammals.
Back in 2021, I wrote of a black coyotes after my friend Todd Jurasek captured a video of one in Southeastern Oklahoma. I wrote the following.
With recent evidence showing red wolf DNA in coyote-like canids on the Texas Coast, it would be interesting to have a DNA sample from this black one.
The red wolf which was native from Texas/Oklahoma to the eastern seaboard had a subspecies called the “black wolf”.(Canis niger). Niger means black in Latin.
In fact, “black wolf” was a term commonly used throughout the South for what is now known as the red wolf due to the presence of black individuals.
This is a red wolf from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service captive breeding program. It’s a little confusing whether Canis niger was considered a subspecies or was actually the name of the red wolf. Either way the link is undeniable.
I have a copy of the 1946-47 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biennial Report that goes into detail about wolves in the Bayou State.
Under the headline “Predator Control” the following information is given.
“The Legislature of 1946 increased hunting license fees to $2.00. Twenty five percent of these funds (the increase) were dedicated to predator control.”
Interestingly, the article shows the above photo of a predator control officer with a dead “black wolf”.
The red wolf was declared extinct in the wild in 1980 due to hybridization with coyotes.
In a 2024 article over at deerassociation.com the author notes the first discovery of black coyotes.
During the 1950s, Arthur Halloran of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was the first to document the appearance of black coyotes in Oklahoma as coyotes replaced the extirpated red wolf.
The article goes on to say that Philip S. Gipson, then with the University of Nebraska, was the first person to investigate melanism in eastern coyotes during the mid-1970s, when they were first making inroads into Arkansas.
Gipson reported that nearly 8% of coyotes in Arkansas were melanistic, with most black coyotes occurring in the northern areas of the state. Because many of the black canids could not be differentiated from typical coyotes, Gipson attributed some of the occurrence of melanism to hybridization with red wolves in Oklahoma and Texas.
It seems my theory from a years ago about black coyotes having a red wolf link way down the line may hold some water. At least it seems the extirpation of red wolves paved the way for melanistic coyotes.
Fascinatingly, in a study you can read here, researchers say that behaviorally, melanistic coyotes exhibit notable differences from their lighter counterparts. Research has shown that black coyotes have larger home ranges, averaging 10.5 square miles compared to 6.7 square miles for standard coyotes. They also demonstrate a stronger preference for areas with substantial canopy cover and shadows.
I saw a black coyote about two miles from my home with (oddly enough) Todd Jurasek who captured the aforementioned black coyote video in Oklahoma.
I had heard about it being spotted near a refinery and we saw it one night on the side of the road near that refinery.
A few weeks later, I was giving a wildlife seminar and a man who lived about 1/2 mile from this spot walked up with a picture of what was no doubt that same animal dead. He had shot it in his backyard (which is perfectly legal by the way.)
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Here’s the truly interesting part.
This all happened within about three miles of a location where some of the last “pure” red wolves were captured from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s captive breeding program in 1979-80 timeframe.
I started my career writing my first published column about red-wolf like animals in the area back in the 1990s.
It seems the presence of red wolves at least in the past and black coyotes is one we can no longer igmore. It’s a fascinating look into the removal of the red wolf and show’s that nature is very resilient.
Seeing a black coyote is a real treat and I am glad I got to see this Texas specimen taken by trail camera.
Have you ever seen a black coyote? Do you have photos? I would love to see them. Email chester@chestermoore.com.
Chester Moore
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