Black coyotes are being spotted more often across the South and beyond and the mystery behind their dark coats goes much deeper than most people realize.
In this wildlife investigation, Chester Moore explores the hidden connection between black coyotes and the history of the American red wolf. For decades, biologists have known that coyotes in certain regions carry old wolf genes.
But why are black coyotes showing up more frequently?
And could this be tied to the lingering genetic legacy of the red wolf — once nearly wiped out from the wild?
In this episode, we examine:
*Rising black coyote sightings Game camera footage revealing unusual behaviors
*The science behind melanism in coyotes How red wolf DNA persists in modern coyote populations
*What this means for wildlife genetics and conservation
*Why the “ghost wolf” may not be as gone as once believed
This is one of the most fascinating wildlife mysteries happening right now and the clues are showing up in backyards, ranches, forests, and trail cams across the country.
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For some, it’s a symbol of wilderness. For others, it’s a predator to be feared. For many, it’s a creature that hovers between memory and myth. Few animals embody that tension more than the dire wolf, long believed to have vanished more than 12,000 years ago.
Now, through the work of Colossal Biosciences, the dire wolf has reappeared in the form of three pups named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi. The project has sparked fascination and debate, drawing headlines that place the ancient predator back into public imagination.
One of the pups in the facility in Dallas (Courtesy Colossal Bioscience)
At the center of this effort is Matt James, Chief Animal Officer of Colossal Biosciences and Executive Director of the Colossal Foundation.
His comments offer a window into how scientists are approaching not just the prospect of de-extinction but how some in the science community believe it can impact wildlife conservation.
“The big vision of Colossal Biosciences is simply to make extinction a thing of the past. The dire wolf project is proof of concept, but it’s also about creating tools that can prevent other animals from following the same fate.”
Reconstructing the Dire Wolf
The project began not with intact remains but with fragments: a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull. From those samples, Colossal’s team sequenced far more genetic information than had ever been available before.
“We got 500 times more data than we’d ever had on the dire wolf genome, That allowed us to identify the key areas that make a dire wolf unique, and then make those edits into the gray wolf genome.”
Rather than cloning a full dire wolf from ancient tissue, which is not possible given DNA degradation over thousands of years, the team relied on gray wolves as a genetic baseline. Specific edits were introduced to recreate traits associated with the dire wolf: physical size, coat coloration, and other features tied to its identity as a distinct species.
The animals are growing quickly at the facility near Dallas. (Courtesy Colossal Bioscience)
The pups now live in a large preserve, not destined for release but for study.
It’s important to note these animals are not literal re-creations of the extinct species.
Some scientists describe them as genetically edited gray wolves — animals engineered with about 20 targeted changes to mimic key dire wolf traits. As such, the pups are considered proxies that approximate the appearance and biology of dire wolves, rather than true members of a species gone for more than 13,000 years.
According to James, the focus now has been on monitoring their development while keeping animal welfare at the forefront.
“People ask, why not make 20,000 edits? But this is about welfare, We made 20 carefully chosen edits to get the core phenotypes while ensuring the animals’ health.”
Wolves in Popular Culture and Science
The dire wolf carries unusual resonance in the public imagination.
From the Rancho La Brea tar pits to fantasy novels and television series, the animal has long been a point of fascination.
Colossal’s announcement drew attention not only because of its scientific novelty but also because of those cultural associations.
“Everybody knows Game of Thrones. Everybody knows dire wolves. That recognition was intentional. It puts de-extinction, wolf conservation, and biodiversity loss into the zeitgeist.”
The strategy appears to have worked. Discussions of de-extinction are often cloistered within scientific circles, but the dire wolf project placed cloning and gene editing into the spotlight like nothing else in recent years.
Turning Toward the Red Wolf
For James and his colleagues, the dire wolf project was not an end but a beginning.
The next chapter focuses on an animal still alive, though barely: the red wolf (Canis rufus).
Once roaming across the southeastern United States, the red wolf dwindled to near extinction in the 20th century. In the 1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service captured the last known wild individuals in Texas and Louisiana. Only 14 animals were taken into captivity, and just a subset of those produced offspring. Every red wolf alive today in North Carolina or in captive breeding facilities descends from that narrow genetic base.
James underscored the challenge.
“There are about 250 animals in the captive breeding population, and they all came out of 14 animals. Only 12 of those ever bred, and really only about eight lines continue. That’s not a lot of diversity,” he said. “We need to inject new diversity into that group if we’re going to see a robust recovery.”
The “Ghost Wolves” of Galveston
In recent years, genetic surveys of canids along the Texas Gulf Coast produced surprising results. Animals thought to be coyotes tested with significant red wolf ancestry, in some cases upwards of 70 percent have been found on Galveton Island, TX.
Colossal refers to these animals as “ghost wolves,” a term that has since gained traction locally.
“Despite a complete lack of management, those genes have survived. What we’re doing is starting to clone animals from that population to create a captive group. The idea is to enhance red wolf representation and reduce coyote integration, creating a tool the Fish and Wildlife Service could use.”
The discovery of red wolf genetic material persisting outside managed populations raises questions about how past conservation choices were made.
In the 1970s, selection for captive breeding relied on physical appearance (muzzle length, coat color, and body size) rather than genetic analysis, which was not possible at the time.
As a result, many animals carrying valuable red wolf genes were overlooked.
The Red Wolf Controversy
No discussion of red wolves can avoid the controversy that has followed the species for decades.
The reintroduction of red wolves to North Carolina in the 1980s was initially hailed as a breakthrough. But over time, the program drew criticism from multiple sides. Landowners voiced concerns about predator presence on private property. Hunters worried about impacts on deer populations. Others questioned whether animals released were “true” red wolves or hybrids.
Management decisions further complicated matters. As wolves bred with coyotes, debates erupted over whether hybrid animals should be protected or removed. Court cases, shifting policies, and fluctuating support left the program in constant flux.
At times, the wild population fell to fewer than two dozen individuals. Periodic releases from captivity attempted to stabilize numbers, but the long-term future of the species in the wild has remained uncertain.
Against this backdrop, the discovery of “ghost wolves” in Texas and Louisiana has reignited discussion.
For some, it’s evidence that the species’ genetic legacy never truly disappeared. For others, it raises fresh questions about what defines a species and whether restoring it is achievable or desirable.
A Species at the Crossroads
Field observations suggest ghost wolves behave differently than typical coyotes. More social, less skittish, and morphologically closer to the red wolf, they occupy a gray area between categories. Some closely resemble captive red wolves.
For James, this points to a possible path forward, though it is one with uncertainties. By carefully selecting and cloning individuals with high red wolf ancestry, managers could potentially strengthen the species’ genetic base. That effort would require coordination with federal agencies and a cautious timeline.
“We’re talking about maybe ten years of captive management before these tools could be directly integrated into the recovery program. There are many stakeholders, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leads that program, so our role is to show what’s possible.”
Conservation Implications
In North Carolina, where red wolf reintroduction has long been contentious, local acceptance has been a hurdle. James contrasted that with the situation in Texas.
“The citizens of Galveston have embraced the ghost wolf. They’ve become stewards of both the animal and the land. It could be a model for coexistence,” he said.
Whether that model could translate to other regions remains to be seen. But the persistence of red wolf genes in Gulf Coast canids has reframed conversations about the species’ status and potential and the ties to cloning and gene editing technology open up doors that inspire some and concern others.
Between Past and Future
The juxtaposition is striking: on one side, dire wolves engineered from fragments of Ice Age remains; on the other, red wolves clinging to survival in marshes and barrier islands.
One project looks back thousands of years, the other barely half a century. Both highlight the tools now being applied to conservation — genetic sequencing, cloning, selective editing and the debates surrounding their use.
For some, these approaches represent hope: new ways to reverse biodiversity loss and strengthen species at risk. For others, they raise ethical and ecological questions about intervention, priorities, and unintended consequences.
Colossal’s work with wolves underscores the complexity of those choices. The dire wolf pups are a scientific milestone. The ghost wolves of Galveston are a reminder that nature often holds on in unexpected ways.
Conservation has entered a new realm through rapidly advancing technology and it’s up to us to determine if this new path is something we need to go down or walk away from.
Chester Moore
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I’ll never forget staring into the eyes of a big male Mexican gray wolf.
Its piercing eyes reflected a wild lineage that roamed the Southwest until the white man moved in with guns, traps and poison.
This was early in my career and the animal resided at a captive breeding facility where remnants of the highly endangered subspecies were being bred for release into the wild.
I shot tons of photos but they were lost in Hurricane flood damage-along with many others.
Since that time there have been numerous releases in New Mexico and even pups born in the wild there.
So, when Jaclyn Booth sent me this photo I took notice because the animal looked very much like the wolves I had seen at the facility so many years ago.
But before we get into this let me tell you about something that can save your life in the great outdoors.
In remote areas, finding an unusual amount of foot traffic is a real warning sign of finding illegal growers and meth operations. Believe me-It happened to me.
I give my safety tips and tell some crazy outdoors dangers stories including a guy who had an attack dog set loose on him when he came across a grow in Arkansas. Listen to this episode at the link below.
Now back to the wolf-something far safer to encounter in the wild! Remember-people are the most dangerous thing.
The photo came through my “The Wildlife Journalist” Facebook and had no information on where it came from.
My thought was “Wow, that’s a gray wolf, probably a Mexican gray wolf.”
I messaged her to find out what state the photo came from and when she said it came from her ranch in Hall County, TX I was in shock.
The photo below is a coyote from the same ranch and in fact at different angles of the same log. Compare this coyote and the canid in the above photo.
Now compare with this one of a Mexican gray wolf taken at the Alameda Park Zoo below. Notice the extreme likeness.
In 2013 I had a professional trapper who has trapped and killed thousands of coyotes tell me of seeing a Mexican gray wolf near Alpine, TX the year previous. He was adamant at what he saw.
Is there a possibility of having Mexican gray wolf-coyote hybrids (that maybe lean heavily on wolf appearance) in the region?
Absolutely. It has been proven that coyotes and gray wolves hybridize by numerous researchers.
The jury is still out but on a ranch in Hall County there is definitely an animal that looks a whole lot like one. If you have any wolf photos or videos from Texas or animals you might suspect are carrying wolf DNA email to chester@chestermoore.com.
Chester Moore
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“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
Follow Chester Moore and Higher Calling Wildlife® on the following social media platforms
Melanism (think reverse of albinism) is present in many animals including canids.
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”. It was later called the Floria black wolf and was believed to be a long-extinct subspecies of red wolf.
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.
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 was declared extinct in the wild in 1980 due to hybridization with coyotes.
Whatever this particular coyote’s genetic heritage, it is a strikingly beautiful animal and we are grateful to Todd Jurasek for sharing it with us.
Do you have videos or photos of black coyotes or other wild canids? If so, email them to chester@chestermoore.com.
Chester Moore
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I found this photo searching for some other images and thought you might enjoy seeing this rare image from the past.
Chester Moore
You can subscribe to this blog by entering your email address at the subscribe prompt at the top right of this page. You can contact Chester Moore by emailing chester@chestermoore.com. Subscribe to the podcast by visiting thehighercalling.podbean.com.
I’ll never forget staring into the eyes of a big male Mexican gray wolf.
Its piercing eyes reflected a wild lineage that roamed the Southwest until the white man moved in with guns, traps and poison.
This was early in my career and the animal resided at a captive breeding facility where remnants of the highly endangered subspecies were being bred for release into the wild.
I shot tons of photos but they were lost in Hurricane flood damage-along with many others.
Since that time there have been numerous releases in New Mexico and even pups born in the wild there.
So, when Jaclyn Booth sent me this photo I took notice because the animal looked very much like the wolves I had seen at the facility so many years ago.
The photo came through our “The Wildlife Journalist” Facebook and had no information on where it came from.
Photo courtesy Jaclyn Booth
My thought was “Wow, thats a gray wolf, probably a Mexican gray wolf.”
I messaged her to find out what state the photo came from and when she said it came from her ranch in Hall County, TX I was in shock.
The photo below is a coyote from the same ranch and in fact at different angles of the same log. Compare this coyote and the canid in the above photo.
Photo courtesy Jaclyn Booth
Now compare with this one of a Mexican gray wolf taken at the Alameda Park Zoo below. Notice the extreme likeness.
Public Domain Photo
Photo courtesy Jaclyn Booth
Wiped Out On Purpose
The Mexican gray wolf is indigenous to this part of the world but like all other representative of Canis lupus was wiped out due to government predator control and unregulated killing on ranches.
Is there a remnant pocket of these hailing from the captive breeding program in New Mexico? Or maybe a rogue wanderer?
It is possible but unlikely.
After all a gray wolf radio collared in Michigan was killed by a bowhunter in Missouri in 2001. That’s a much longer journey that New Mexico to Hall County, TX.
Is there a remnant pocket of Mexican gray wolves in North Texas and perhaps even in the Trans Pecos?
In 2013 I had a professional trapper who has trapped and killed thousands of coyotes tell me of seeing a Mexican gray wolf near Alpine, TX the year previous. He was adamant at what he saw.
Is there a possibility of having Mexican gray wolf-coyote hybrids (that maybe lean heavily on wolf appearance) in the region?
Absolutely. It has been proven that coyotes and gray wolves hybridize by numerous researchers.
I will be writing a lot about wild canids of the United States this year and will be posting photos, videos and research.
