The Taxonomic Status of Wild Canis (Canidae) in the South Central United States

Abstract

The relationship based on skull morphology of populations known as Canis latrans and C. niger in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas is con- sidered. Available evidence indicates that C. niger has become extinct except in isolated areas of Louisiana. Elsewhere, C. latrans has replaced C. niger as a primary predator. Probable previous hybridization between C. latrans and C. niger is dis- cussed. Two species of wild canines, red wolves, (Canis niger) and coyotes (C. latrans) have been reported in recent years from Arkansas (Sea- lander, 1956), Louisiana (Lowery, 1943), eastern Oklahoma (Blair, 1939; McCarley, 1952) and eastern Texas (McCarley, 1959). Both species, as presently defined, show a considerable amount of geo- graphic variation and morphological overlap of both skeletal and pelage characteristics. Considerable confusion exists in species identifi- cation in areas where both may occur. This paper is an analysis of the relationship that currently exists between coyotes and red wolves in the south central United States (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas) based largely on skull morphology. The study of variation in red wolves by Young and Goldman (1944), resulted in the naming of three subspecies of red wolves, largely on the basis of size. The largest of the subspecies, Canis n. niger (Bartram) has a geographic range in the southeastern United States east of the Mississippi River. This form is now presumed to be extinct and, because its range is beyond the confines of the present study, will not be considered further. The smallest of the red wolf populations was assigned to the subspecies C. n. rufus Audubon and Bachman with a geographic range in central Texas, central Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. A form described as C. n. gregoryi Gold- man has been characterized as intermediate in size between niger and rufus and has a geographic range between that of niger and rufus, i.e., the area eastward from eastern Oklahoma and Texas to, the Mississippi River and thence northward into Illinois and Indiana. Thus a west to east cline of increase in size is apparent.