Lower Rio Grande Valley Coyote (''Canis latrans microdon'')

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  1.   1.  Common Names
  2.   2.  'Souls Range
  3.   3.  Appearance
  4.   4.  Other Characteristics
    1.   4.1  Social Structure
    2.   4.2  Survival
    3.   4.3  Luperci
  5.   5.  More Images
  6.   6.  Citations


Coyote Subspecies Map
See also: world species map

1.  Common Names

Lower Rio Grande Valley Coyote

2.  'Souls Range

Southern Texas and northern Tamaulipas.

3.  Appearance

The Lower Rio Grande Valley coyote is the smallest of all coyote subspecies, easily distinguished from its neighbor, the Texas Plains Coyote by size alone. These coyotes tend to have similar coloration, being dusky gray-yellow in color, with typical coyote patterns of a darker backside and lower underside. They are petite and very small, usually weighing no more than 30 pounds (13.6 kg).

4.  Other Characteristics

A Canis latrans microdon in north central Texas. From texaseagle@Flickr

4.1  Social Structure

Strangely enough, these coyotes are the most sociable and the most strongly pack-oriented subspecies of Canis latrans. Perhaps due to their size, the Lower Rio Grande Valley coyote certainly appreciates safety in numbers, generally keeping to groups of between five and twenty individuals. Though their social structure isn't nearly as organized or strict as wolves', they are easily the social butterflies of the coyote world.

4.2  Survival

These coyotes were in quite good shape prior to 1988; though they had yet to develop the close-knit behavior they possess today, they had already adapted quite well to human areas and living right next door to people. Following 1988, they began to display far more territorial and pack behavior as a survival mechanism, as other competitive canines moved into their home range.

4.3  Luperci

Some of these coyotes are Luperci; regardless, they prefer feral lifestyles, keeping primarily to their four-legged forms and refraining from use of human technology. Some human adaptations have begun to flow from the East Coast as well as up from Mexico, however, and these coyotes are slowing finding themselves at a crossroads of two cultures, absorbing both the European-influences on the Northeastern Coyote and the culture of the Mexican Coyote.

5.  More Images

Lower Rio Grande Valley Coyote in Texas, from taosmax@Flickr Lower Rio Grande Valley Coyote in Texas, from TXZeiss@Flickr Lower Rio Grande Valley Coyote in New Mexico, from stuartwildlife@Flickr Lower Rio Grande Valley Coyote in New Mexico, from stuartwildlife@Flickr

6.  Citations

  1. Wikipedia.org


Categories: Coyote | Fauna | Resources