Abby Hart
Article Summary – 1
2/26/14
The Coywolf, or Eastern Coyote, is an example of evolution. Before Europeans settled North America, the eastern wolf dominated the region. The eastern wolf population declined as deforestation, hunting and poisoning occurred. With the decline in the eastern wolf population, the coyotes from America’s southwest region moved into the eastern wolf’s habitat. The new coyotes were now a potential mate for the eastern wolf. Around 1919, the first eastern coyote/Coywolf appeared in Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. Today the Coywolf can be found in suburban areas and cities; specifically Toronto, Chicago and New York. They can also be found in large parks that have wooden areas or even cemeteries or even small parks that have little human involvement. They are a social animal and live in families of 3-5 when not threatened with a lack of food. They are known to travel 10-15 miles a day, often along railroad tracks. The Coywolf diet consists of white tailed deer, rabbits, small rodents, fruits and berries and rarely human garbage. Their biggest threats are getting hit by cars or starvation but they are thriving remarkably well.
Glowacky, Robert. "Your Field Guide to Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Coywolf, or Eastern Coyote - from a Trip through the Coywolf’s Modern Day Habitat to Its Very Recent Evolutionary History." PBS. PBS, 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
