Marshland mashup: Red wolf-coyote hybrids adapt to coastal Louisiana

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Hybrid coyotes with strong red wolf genetics are thriving in Louisiana’s coastal marshes.

Researchers from multiple organizations are trapping and studying the animals’ DNA and adaptations.

The hybrids’ physical traits help them navigate wetland terrain and prey on nutria and feral hogs.

Protected wildlife refuges and limited human interaction allow the hybrids to maintain red wolf ancestry .

A new kind of creature is making its home where the prairies of Southwest Louisiana turn into brackish coastal marshes.

It’s a coyote, kind of, with bigger ears and longer legs that have adapted to live among the tall wetland grasses in Cameron Parish . Believed to be unique to this corner of the Gulf Coast, they have evolved to cope with manmade changes to their environment t