The coywolf is a term used to refer to hybrids between a Coyote (Canis latrans) and the Gray wolf (Canis lupus) or the Red wolf (Canis rufus). Some zoologists consider the Red wolf not to be a true species because it can hybridize with both the Gray Wolf and the Coyote. There is an argument that Gray Wolf/Coyote hybrids hamper conservation efforts. Their existence in the wild threatened the wolf's existence in North Carolina.
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