Canid hybrid
Encyclopedia
Canid hybrids are the result of interbreeding between different species of the canine (dog) family (Canidae
)
: wolves
, dogs (both common dog
s and dingo
es), coyote
s, and golden jackals
cannot interbreed with members of the wider dog family: the Canidae
, such as South America
n canids, foxes, African wild dogs, bat-eared foxes
or raccoon dog
; or, if they could, their offspring would be infertile.
Members of the genus Canis species can, however, all interbreed to produce fertile offspring, with two exceptions: the side-striped jackal
and black-backed jackal
. Although these two theoretically could interbreed with each other to produce fertile offspring, they cannot hybridize successfully with the rest of the genus Canis.
The reason for this lies in their genetics. The wolf, dingo, dog, coyote, and golden jackal diverged relatively recently, around three to four million years ago, and all have 78 chromosome
s arranged in 39 pairs. This allows them to hybridize freely (barring size or behavioral constraints) and produce fertile offspring. The side-striped jackal
and black-backed jackal
both have 74 chromosomes. Other members of the Canidae family, which diverged seven to ten million years ago, are less closely related to and cannot hybridize with the wolf-like canids; the red fox
has 38 chromosomes, the raccoon dog
has 42 chromosomes, the fennec fox has 64 chromosomes, and the African wild dog has 78 chromosomes.
(Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated form of the gray wolf
(Canis lupus lupus) and therefore belongs to the same species as other wolves, such as the dingo
(Canis lupus dingo). Therefore, crosses between these sub-species are unremarkable and not a hybridization in the same sense as an interbreeding between different species of Canidae.
People wanting to improve domestic dogs or create an exotic pet
may breed domestic dogs to wolves. Gray wolves
have been crossed
with dogs that have a wolf-like appearance, such as Siberian huskies
, and Alaskan malamutes
. The breeding of wolf–dog crosses is controversial, with opponents purporting that it produces an animal unfit as a domestic pet. A number of wolfdog breeds are in development. The first generation crosses (one wolf parent, one dog parent) generally are backcrossed
to domestic dogs to maintain a domestic temperament and consistent conformation. First-generation wolf–dog crosses are popular in the United States
, but they retain many wolf-like traits.
The dingo
(Canis lupus dingo) breeds freely with other domestic dogs. This is now so widespread that in some areas, dingoes are now mostly mixed-breed dog
s, crossed in recent times with dogs from other parts of the world. However, DNA study shows that "the dingo originates from domesticated dogs, originally from East Asia" (which reverted back to the wild) and so interbreeding between dingos and other domestic dogs is also not a hybridization in the same sense as an interbreeding between different species of Canidae.
Some dingo hybrids have been deliberately bred as pets but turned loose due to behavioral problems. These cross-breeds are accepted back into the wild dingo population, where they breed with pure dingoes. In some parts of Australia, up to 80% of dingoes are part domestic dog. Dingoes are distinguishable from domestic dogs through DNA
and through having longer teeth and longer muzzles.
The Australian kelpie
sheepdog
is widely believed to be the result of crossing dingos with English herding dogs, but this (the dingo blood) is not upheld by breed documentation. The Australian cattle dog
breed is known to have been influenced by the dingo.
According to the partwork "Animal Life and the World of Nature" (Vol 1, 1902–1903), Lord Walter Rothschild owned a dingo–wolf cross, bred by Mr. and Mrs. HC Brooke from a tame male dingo and a semi-tame female wolf.
In the United States, there is a variety of dingo known as a Carolina dog
. Brought over by native peoples migrating from Asia, it is almost identical to the Australian dingo. While once very common in the American south, it was collected and bred for herding. Now possibly extinct in the wild, thousands remain in captivity, some of them crossed with dogs of other breeds to experiment with making them smaller.
In the United Kingdom
, an unconfirmed female terrier/fox hybrid was reported and later euthanized
. British gamekeeper
folklore claims that terrier
bitches can produce offspring with male foxes. Other dog breeds claimed to have hybridized with foxes are the Shetland sheepdog
, Alaskan malamute, Siberian husky, and most of the hound
groups.
There has been a reported cross between a domestic dog and a South American maned wolf, but the maned wolf
is only a fox-like canid not closely related to other canids and is the only member of the genus Chrysocyon.
In Saskatchewan
, Canada
, there was another supposed dox, this time the offspring of a female miniature Sheltie and a wild fox. There was a litter of three, but only one survived. The survivor (a female) was barren and resembled a fox with slight variations. However, the variability of dogs in appearance makes it impossible to determine whether an animal is a hybrid based upon its looks. In most reported cases, the dox had gold or yellow eyes, wired hair and black, red and gray coloration.
vs. tiglon
). A major difference between the two is logically the birthplace of the offspring: a female coyote would give birth in the wild and a female dog, unless feral itself, would give birth domestically.
due to a declining coyote population and a burgeoning domestic dog population. Most supposed hybrids were naturally occurring red or blond color variations of the coyote or were feral dogs. The breeding cycles of dogs and coyotes are not synchronized and this makes interbreeding uncommon. If interbreeding had been common, each successive generation of the coyote population would have acquired more and more dog-like traits.
Coyotes are solitary by nature, a trait carried over to coyote–dog hybrids. This can result in problematic and unsociable behavior that makes them generally unsuitable as pets. As a result, they may be abandoned or allowed to stray and be absorbed into the feral dog or coyote population. However, if the coyote (or dogote) is found at a very young age and raised properly, it can become a pet. Much time and effort must be invested for this to occur.
DNA analysis consistently shows that all existing red wolves
carry coyote genes, though it is not known if this is a result of recent habitat destruction by man, or whether Red Wolves have always been hybrids. This has caused a problem for Canid taxonomy, as hybrids are not normally thought of as species, though the convention is to continue to refer to red wolves as a subspecies of wolf, Canis lupus rufus, with no mention of the coyote taxon, latrans.
In recent history, the taxonomic status of the red wolf has been widely debated. Mech (1970) suggested that red wolves may be fertile hybrid offspring from gray wolf (Canis lupus) and coyote (C. latrans) interbreeding. Wayne and Jenks (1991) and Roy et al. (1994b, 1996) supported this suggestion with genetic analysis. Phillips and Henry (1992) present logic supporting the contention that the red wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf. However, recent genetic and morphological evidence suggests that the red wolf is a unique taxon. Wilson et al. (2000) report that gray wolves (Canis lupus lycaon) in southern Ontario appear genetically very similar to the red wolf and that these two canids may be subspecies of one another and not a subspecies of gray wolf. Wilson et al. (2000) propose that red wolves and C. lupus lycaon should be a separate species, C. lycaon, with their minor differences acknowledged via subspecies designation. A recent meeting of North American wolf biologists and geneticists also concluded that C. rufus and C. lupus lycaon were genetically more similar to each other than either was to C. lupus or C. latrans (B.T. Kelly unpubl.). Recent morphometric analyses of skulls also indicate that the red wolf is likely not to be a gray wolf–coyote hybrid (Nowak 2002). Therefore, while the red wolf's taxonomic status remains unclear, there is mounting evidence to support C. rufus as a unique canid taxon.
Many animals commonly referred to as "eastern coyotes" or "northeastern coyotes" have wolf and dog genes, a larger size and a more wolf-like skull shape than other coyotes, and they are generally believed by experts to be hybrids. This has become a problem for taxonomists, as it is unclear what new taxon will be used to refer to this new population of animals.
can interbreed and produce fertile hybrid offspring, which are sometimes known as huskals.
Coyote–jackal hybrids have also been bred as pets by wolfdog enthusiasts.
Dogs have been crossed with golden jackals.
Others: red wolf
, eastern wolf
, maned wolf
, African wild dog, bush dog
, Lycalopex
Canidae
Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...
)
Genetic considerations
Members of the dog genus CanisCanis
Canis is a genus containing 7 to 10 extant species, including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals, and many extinct species.-Wolves, dogs and dingos:Wolves, dogs and dingos are subspecies of Canis lupus...
: wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, dogs (both common dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s and dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
es), coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s, and golden jackals
Golden Jackal
The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
cannot interbreed with members of the wider dog family: the Canidae
Canidae
Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...
, such as South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n canids, foxes, African wild dogs, bat-eared foxes
Bat-eared Fox
The bat-eared fox is a canid of the African savanna, named for its large ears. Fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle Pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago....
or raccoon dog
Raccoon Dog
The raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
; or, if they could, their offspring would be infertile.
Members of the genus Canis species can, however, all interbreed to produce fertile offspring, with two exceptions: the side-striped jackal
Side-striped Jackal
The side-striped jackal is a species of jackal, native to central and southern Africa. Unlike its cousin, the smaller black-backed jackal, which dwells in open plains, the side-striped jackal primarily dwells in woodland and scrub areas....
and black-backed jackal
Black-backed Jackal
The black-backed jackal , also known as the silver-backed or red jackal, is a species of jackal which inhabits two areas of the African continent separated by roughly 900 km. One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe...
. Although these two theoretically could interbreed with each other to produce fertile offspring, they cannot hybridize successfully with the rest of the genus Canis.
The reason for this lies in their genetics. The wolf, dingo, dog, coyote, and golden jackal diverged relatively recently, around three to four million years ago, and all have 78 chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
s arranged in 39 pairs. This allows them to hybridize freely (barring size or behavioral constraints) and produce fertile offspring. The side-striped jackal
Side-striped Jackal
The side-striped jackal is a species of jackal, native to central and southern Africa. Unlike its cousin, the smaller black-backed jackal, which dwells in open plains, the side-striped jackal primarily dwells in woodland and scrub areas....
and black-backed jackal
Black-backed Jackal
The black-backed jackal , also known as the silver-backed or red jackal, is a species of jackal which inhabits two areas of the African continent separated by roughly 900 km. One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe...
both have 74 chromosomes. Other members of the Canidae family, which diverged seven to ten million years ago, are less closely related to and cannot hybridize with the wolf-like canids; the red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
has 38 chromosomes, the raccoon dog
Raccoon Dog
The raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
has 42 chromosomes, the fennec fox has 64 chromosomes, and the African wild dog has 78 chromosomes.
Legal implications of hybrids
Dog hybrids kept as pets are prohibited in certain jurisdictions, or are classed as wild animals and must be housed in the same way as purebred wolves.Wolf–dog hybrid
The domestic dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
(Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated form of the gray wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
(Canis lupus lupus) and therefore belongs to the same species as other wolves, such as the dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
(Canis lupus dingo). Therefore, crosses between these sub-species are unremarkable and not a hybridization in the same sense as an interbreeding between different species of Canidae.
People wanting to improve domestic dogs or create an exotic pet
Exotic pet
An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet, or an animal kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet.The definition is an evolving one; some rodents, reptiles, and amphibians have become firmly enough established in the world of animal fancy to no longer be considered exotic...
may breed domestic dogs to wolves. Gray wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
have been crossed
Crossbreed
A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding refers to the process of breeding such an animal, often with the intention to create offspring that share the traits of both parent lineages, or producing...
with dogs that have a wolf-like appearance, such as Siberian huskies
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
, and Alaskan malamutes
Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a generally large breed of domestic dog originally bred for use as a utilitarian dog and later an Alaskan sled dog. They are sometimes mistaken for a Siberian Husky, but in fact are quite different in many ways...
. The breeding of wolf–dog crosses is controversial, with opponents purporting that it produces an animal unfit as a domestic pet. A number of wolfdog breeds are in development. The first generation crosses (one wolf parent, one dog parent) generally are backcrossed
Backcrossing
Backcrossing is a crossing of a hybrid with one of its parents or an individual genetically similar to its parent, in order to achieve offspring with a genetic identity which is closer to that of the parent...
to domestic dogs to maintain a domestic temperament and consistent conformation. First-generation wolf–dog crosses are popular in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but they retain many wolf-like traits.
Dingo hybrids
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
(Canis lupus dingo) breeds freely with other domestic dogs. This is now so widespread that in some areas, dingoes are now mostly mixed-breed dog
Mixed-breed dog
A mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
s, crossed in recent times with dogs from other parts of the world. However, DNA study shows that "the dingo originates from domesticated dogs, originally from East Asia" (which reverted back to the wild) and so interbreeding between dingos and other domestic dogs is also not a hybridization in the same sense as an interbreeding between different species of Canidae.
Some dingo hybrids have been deliberately bred as pets but turned loose due to behavioral problems. These cross-breeds are accepted back into the wild dingo population, where they breed with pure dingoes. In some parts of Australia, up to 80% of dingoes are part domestic dog. Dingoes are distinguishable from domestic dogs through DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and through having longer teeth and longer muzzles.
The Australian kelpie
Australian Kelpie
The Kelpie is an Australian sheep dog successful at mustering and droving with little or no command guidance. They are medium-sized dogs and come in a variety of colours...
sheepdog
Herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding...
is widely believed to be the result of crossing dingos with English herding dogs, but this (the dingo blood) is not upheld by breed documentation. The Australian cattle dog
Australian Cattle Dog
The Australian Cattle Dog is a breed of herding dog originally developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. In the 19th century, New South Wales cattle farmer Thomas Hall crossed the dogs used by drovers in his parents' home county, Northumberland, with...
breed is known to have been influenced by the dingo.
According to the partwork "Animal Life and the World of Nature" (Vol 1, 1902–1903), Lord Walter Rothschild owned a dingo–wolf cross, bred by Mr. and Mrs. HC Brooke from a tame male dingo and a semi-tame female wolf.
In the United States, there is a variety of dingo known as a Carolina dog
Carolina Dog
The Carolina Dog, or American Dingo, is a landrace or naturally selected type of dog which was discovered living as a wild dog or free roaming dog by Dr Lehr.J. Brisbin. CDs are now bred and kept in captive collections or packs. They were discovered during the 1970s living in isolated stretches...
. Brought over by native peoples migrating from Asia, it is almost identical to the Australian dingo. While once very common in the American south, it was collected and bred for herding. Now possibly extinct in the wild, thousands remain in captivity, some of them crossed with dogs of other breeds to experiment with making them smaller.
Dog–fox hybrids
No reliable reports or genetic testing prove the existence of dog–fox hybrids (called doxes), though there are many unsubstantiated reports of such hybrids.In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, an unconfirmed female terrier/fox hybrid was reported and later euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
. British gamekeeper
Gamekeeper
A gamekeeper is a person who manages an area of countryside to make sure there is enough game for shooting, or fish for angling, and who actively manages areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland for the benefit of game birds, deer, fish and wildlife in general.Typically, a gamekeeper is...
folklore claims that terrier
Terrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
bitches can produce offspring with male foxes. Other dog breeds claimed to have hybridized with foxes are the Shetland sheepdog
Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie, is a breed of herding dog.They are small to medium dogs, and come in a variety of colors, such as sable/white, tri-color, and blue merle. They are vocal, excitable, energetic dogs who are always willing to please and work hard...
, Alaskan malamute, Siberian husky, and most of the hound
Hound
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry...
groups.
There has been a reported cross between a domestic dog and a South American maned wolf, but the maned wolf
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
is only a fox-like canid not closely related to other canids and is the only member of the genus Chrysocyon.
In Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, there was another supposed dox, this time the offspring of a female miniature Sheltie and a wild fox. There was a litter of three, but only one survived. The survivor (a female) was barren and resembled a fox with slight variations. However, the variability of dogs in appearance makes it impossible to determine whether an animal is a hybrid based upon its looks. In most reported cases, the dox had gold or yellow eyes, wired hair and black, red and gray coloration.
Coyote–domestic dog hybrid
There is no genetic difference between a male coyote/female dog breeding and a male dog/female coyote breeding, but two separate terms have been invented, coydog and dogote, as the customary naming for hybrid animals is to derive the first portion of the name from the father and the second from the mother (cf. ligerLiger
The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress . Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all known cats and extant felines.Ligers enjoy swimming, which is a characteristic of tigers, and...
vs. tiglon
Tiglon
A tiglon , tigon, and tion is a hybrid cross between a male tiger and a lioness . Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. The tiglon is not currently as common as the converse hybrid, the liger; however, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tiglons were more...
). A major difference between the two is logically the birthplace of the offspring: a female coyote would give birth in the wild and a female dog, unless feral itself, would give birth domestically.
Coydog
Coydogs (the offspring of a male coyote and female dog) were once believed to be present in large numbers in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
due to a declining coyote population and a burgeoning domestic dog population. Most supposed hybrids were naturally occurring red or blond color variations of the coyote or were feral dogs. The breeding cycles of dogs and coyotes are not synchronized and this makes interbreeding uncommon. If interbreeding had been common, each successive generation of the coyote population would have acquired more and more dog-like traits.
Coyotes are solitary by nature, a trait carried over to coyote–dog hybrids. This can result in problematic and unsociable behavior that makes them generally unsuitable as pets. As a result, they may be abandoned or allowed to stray and be absorbed into the feral dog or coyote population. However, if the coyote (or dogote) is found at a very young age and raised properly, it can become a pet. Much time and effort must be invested for this to occur.
Dogote
The mating of a male dog and a female coyote results in a dogote. There has been one report of a dogote arising from a male German shepherd/female coyote mating in the wild. Hybrid pups were found after the female coyote was shot. The adult dogotes resembled German shepherds in color.Coyote-wolf hybrid
Hybridization between wolf and coyote has long been recognized.Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
carry coyote genes, though it is not known if this is a result of recent habitat destruction by man, or whether Red Wolves have always been hybrids. This has caused a problem for Canid taxonomy, as hybrids are not normally thought of as species, though the convention is to continue to refer to red wolves as a subspecies of wolf, Canis lupus rufus, with no mention of the coyote taxon, latrans.
In recent history, the taxonomic status of the red wolf has been widely debated. Mech (1970) suggested that red wolves may be fertile hybrid offspring from gray wolf (Canis lupus) and coyote (C. latrans) interbreeding. Wayne and Jenks (1991) and Roy et al. (1994b, 1996) supported this suggestion with genetic analysis. Phillips and Henry (1992) present logic supporting the contention that the red wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf. However, recent genetic and morphological evidence suggests that the red wolf is a unique taxon. Wilson et al. (2000) report that gray wolves (Canis lupus lycaon) in southern Ontario appear genetically very similar to the red wolf and that these two canids may be subspecies of one another and not a subspecies of gray wolf. Wilson et al. (2000) propose that red wolves and C. lupus lycaon should be a separate species, C. lycaon, with their minor differences acknowledged via subspecies designation. A recent meeting of North American wolf biologists and geneticists also concluded that C. rufus and C. lupus lycaon were genetically more similar to each other than either was to C. lupus or C. latrans (B.T. Kelly unpubl.). Recent morphometric analyses of skulls also indicate that the red wolf is likely not to be a gray wolf–coyote hybrid (Nowak 2002). Therefore, while the red wolf's taxonomic status remains unclear, there is mounting evidence to support C. rufus as a unique canid taxon.
Many animals commonly referred to as "eastern coyotes" or "northeastern coyotes" have wolf and dog genes, a larger size and a more wolf-like skull shape than other coyotes, and they are generally believed by experts to be hybrids. This has become a problem for taxonomists, as it is unclear what new taxon will be used to refer to this new population of animals.
Jackal hybrids
The wolf and golden jackalGolden Jackal
The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
can interbreed and produce fertile hybrid offspring, which are sometimes known as huskals.
Coyote–jackal hybrids have also been bred as pets by wolfdog enthusiasts.
Dogs have been crossed with golden jackals.
- It is also thought that Pharoanic EgyptiansAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
crossbred domestic dogs with jackals, producing a jackal-dog that resembled the god Anubis.
- In The Variation of Animals and Plants under DomesticationThe Variation of Animals and Plants under DomesticationThe Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication is a book written by Charles Darwin that was first published in January 1868.A large proportion of the book contains detailed information on the domestication of animals and plants but it also contains in Chapter XXVII a description of...
Charles Darwin wrote:
Several years ago I saw confined in the Zoological Gardens of London a female hybrid from an English dog and jackal, which even in this the first generation was so sterile that, as I was assured by her keeper, she did not fully exhibit her proper periods; but this case, from numerous instances have occurred of fertile hybrids from these two animals, was certainly exceptional.
- Robert Armitage SterndaleRobert Armitage SterndaleSir Robert Armitage Sterndale was a naturalist and statesman. He was governor general of St. Helena in 1897.He wrote several books on natural history including on the mammals of India. He was one of the first editors of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society...
mentioned experimental golden jackal/dog hybrids from British IndiaBritish RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in his Natural History of Mammals in India and Ceylon, noting that glaring jackal traits could be exhibited in hybrids even after three generations of crossing them with dogs
- In RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, golden jackal/Lapponian herderLapponian herderThe Lapponian herder is a breed of dog from Finland, one of three Lapphund breeds developed from a type of dog used by the Sami people for herding and guarding their reindeer....
hybrids were bred as sniffer dogs because jackals have a superior sense of smell and Lapponian herders are good cold climate dogs. Also, fox terrierFox TerrierFox Terrier refers primarily to two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of British terriers, and are related to other modern...
, Norwegian lundehundNorwegian LundehundThe Norwegian Lundehund is a small dog breed of the Spitz type that originates from Norway. Its name is composed of the prefix Lunde, from the Norwegian lundefugl , and the suffix hund, meaning dog...
, and SpitzSpitzSpitz-type dogs are a type of dog, characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles...
blood were combined to create the Sulimov dogSulimov dogThe Sulimov Dog is a Russian Jackal-Dog Hybrid originating from an initial hybrid between two Lapponian Herders and two Turkmen golden jackals. The breed was developed by Klim Sulimov for Aeroflot airline security. He is described as a Senior Research Assistant at the D.S...
. As well as a superior sense of smell, important at low temperatures where substances are less volatile and therefore less pungent, Sulimov dogs are small-sized and can work in confined spaces. When tired, their normally curled tails droop, making it clear to the handler that the dog needs to be rested. The jackal hybrids were bred by Klim Sulimov, senior research assistant at the D.S. Likhachev Scientific Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Environmental Protection in Russia. Male jackal pups had to be fostered on a husky bitch in order to imprint the jackals on dogs. Female jackals accepted male huskies more readily. The half-bred jackal-dogs were difficult to train and were bred back to huskies to produce quarter-bred hybrids (quadroons). These hybrids were small, agile, trainable and had an excellent sense of smell. Twenty-five jackal-dog hybrids are used by AeroflotAeroflotOJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
at Sheremetyevo International AirportSheremetyevo International AirportSheremetyevo International Airport , is an international airport located in the Moscow Oblast, Russia, north-west of central Moscow. It is a hub for the passenger operations of the Russian international airline Aeroflot, and one of the three major airports serving Moscow along with Domodedovo...
in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
for functions including bomb-sniffing. Their breeding program dates back to 1975, but it was not applied to bomb detection until 2002.
Canid interfertility chart
| Dog | Wolf | Dingo | Coyote | Golden jackal | Side-striped jackal | Black-backed jackal | Dhole | Fox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Dog The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in... (Canis lupus, et al.) |
Wolfdog | Dingo hybrids | Coydog / dogote | Jackal hybrids | Unknown | Dox (Unlikely) |
|||
| Wolf Gray Wolf The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family... (Canis lupus, et al.) |
Wolfdog | Coywolf Coywolf The coywolf or eastern coyote is a canid hybrid having a mixture of genetic stock from western coyote and either the Gray wolf or the Red wolf . They come from a constantly evolving gene pool and are viewed by some scientists as an emerging species... |
|||||||
| Dingo Dingo The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to... (Canis lupus dingo) |
Dingo hybrids | Coydingo | Possible | Unknown | |||||
| Coyote Coyote The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada... (Canis latrans) |
Coydog / dogote | Coywolf Coywolf The coywolf or eastern coyote is a canid hybrid having a mixture of genetic stock from western coyote and either the Gray wolf or the Red wolf . They come from a constantly evolving gene pool and are viewed by some scientists as an emerging species... |
Coydingo | Possible | Unknown | ||||
| Golden jackal Golden Jackal The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia... (Canis aureus) |
Jackal hybrids | Possible | Possible | Unknown | Unknown | ||||
| Side-striped jackal Side-striped Jackal The side-striped jackal is a species of jackal, native to central and southern Africa. Unlike its cousin, the smaller black-backed jackal, which dwells in open plains, the side-striped jackal primarily dwells in woodland and scrub areas.... (Canis adustus)) |
Possible | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Black-backed jackal Black-backed Jackal The black-backed jackal , also known as the silver-backed or red jackal, is a species of jackal which inhabits two areas of the African continent separated by roughly 900 km. One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe... (Canis mesomelas) |
Possible | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Dhole Dhole The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats... (Cuon alpinus) |
Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| Fox Fox Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to... (Vulpes vulpes, et al.) |
Dox (Unlikely) |
Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Others: red wolf
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
, eastern wolf
Eastern Wolf
The Eastern Wolf , also known as Eastern Canadian Wolf or Eastern Canadian Red Wolf, may be a subspecies of gray wolf or a distinct species of canid native to the eastern part of North America since the Pleistocene era. It seems to be closely related to the Red Wolf...
, maned wolf
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
, African wild dog, bush dog
Bush Dog
The bush dog is a canid found in Central and South America, including Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru , Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, northeast Argentina and Brazil...
, Lycalopex