Canis Latrans

I was hoping for Bigfoot but I got Canis Latrans instead. This late January trail camera photo is of one of our local coyotes. This fellow has come to dine on what is left of the deer carcass to the left.

In Latin, Canis Latran means "barking dog". Here in the East, coyotes are becoming more widespread. Most are hybrids, having mated with domesticated dogs and wolves. Hence the "Canis Soupus" label is applied. Biologists get a kick out of that joke. Some think eastern coyotes are hybridized western coyote/wolves since the original eastern coyotes may have been completely killed off. Some think the red wolf is a wolf/coyote and not a separate species.

These guys are out there roaming around at night. The camera recorded this at 2:06am. I've only seen one during the day. That was 3 years ago. It crossed the timber road I was on, had a rabbit in its mouth.