What animals are coyotes closely related to?
The coyote (Canis latrans) is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf.
There are several ways to approach this question. We can look at it from the relationship that exists between the three animals and how they communicate among themselves. We can also consider it based on how social each canid is. Finally, we can explore the one thing that separates dogs, wolves, and coyotes – domestication.
All of this information means that dogs, wolves, and coyotes share a lot in common. The fact that they can interbreed suggests that they understand each other. However, behavioral differences often get in the way. Researchers have found that wolves can have a negative effect on coyote populations and can curb their numbers. That can, in turn, change the ecological dynamics in the environment.
Domestication has opened up dogs to new experiences that wild canids never encounter. However, the fact remains that our pets are hardwired for a world that existed thousands of years ago. They will still chase an animal that runs away from them. They know how to defend their territory or food. We can then conclude that our dogs have wolf and coyote traits, supplemented by domestication.
We can safely say that coyotes and wolves understand dogs since they can figure out that they are a potential threat and act accordingly. It’s not unusual with other predators, such as bears. They will also take small pets if left unattended. We can conclude that dogs understand the hierarchy between them and coyotes and wolves enough to defend their territory if threatened.
Domestication is the wild card. Of course, dogs are the only one of the trio to have this relationship with humans. Bear in mind that we are talking about thousands of years of contact. That fact will affect the domesticated dog’s diet, personality, and variation that exists between breeds. Our pets fill so many roles that wild canids do not. That means they may not understand each other on some levels.
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