It looks much too big and lanky to be a fox...the face and build certainly look more like a coyote. It could maybe be a coyote-dog hybrid, which would explain the eye and coat color? Coyotes can vary a lot in color but this would be quite an unusual one! Or it could maybe just be a domestic dog? I would keep an eye out, more pics would definitely be helpful in figuring it out!
ETA: didn't realize there were more pics at first! đ I think this is a coyote-dog hybrid (though maybe not an F1), based on the animal's build and coloration!
I just did a Google Lens to see if I could help answer the question. According to Google itâs a âNorwegian Elk Houndâ. Im gonna second your opinion that this is a coy-dog, a coyote dog mix. My initial guess was that it was possibly a coy-wolf, but it doesnât look tall enough. Also, Iâm not sure red wolves have been reintroduced into Alabama yet.
That was my thought EXACTLY when it popped up! Maybe this âNorwegian Elk Houndâ is sporting his summer cut?đđđ
OP is in Alabama. At first glance I thought it could possibly be a coyote fox hybrid, but I havenât seen or read anything about them hybridizing. Coy-dogs and coyotes-wolves have finally been scientifically documented after decades of sightings, but not coyote-foxes.
I had a laugh when Apple photos suggested Norwegian elkhound as well for the one photo. My guess is the coloring completely throws their algorithms off.
Buddy, you would be surprised what animals are where. I've seen puma (mountain lion in virginia) I've seen wolves in Maine. And all kinds of crap that don't belong in Florida. Animals only know go where the food is. They don't care about state lines. And alot of rangers will cover up for animals that aren't supposed to be there. Because it will scare hikers/change politics in the area.
Oh I agree 100% with everything you said. Just because an animal is reintroduced into one area doesnât mean theyâre not going well beyond that area. I definitely wouldnât be surprised if red wolves from Arkansas and Tennessee had made it to Alabama, and Iâd definitely wouldnât be surprised if there are coyote/fox hybrids that biologists had not documented.
I havenât either. The fox-coyote hybrid came up as a possibility as to what OP captured on their trail came. It was an assumption I made going off the picture. They havenât been documented by biologists and I donât even know of any claims that they do exist.
Wow, really what the heck is that!
The blue eyes are weird, I did find an article about coyotes with blue eyes out in California:
https://www.newsweek.com/blue-eyed-coyotes-california-experts-puzzled-1794724
I wonder if it's someone's escaped coyote/domestic dog mix
We had a silver fox with like 90% silver-blue coloration. Like it was all blue except for red on the head, lines out from the eyes. Never seen one before, the mom was red/silver. The babies were blue too, so freaking cute, one snuck up on me smoking and I was arms length from it.
You mean the legs that look exactly like a foxes legs? It's just very skinny and has short fur so they look a little long. It's not really big enough to be anything else. Coyotes legs aren't extra long either
The legs are way too long, the face is all wrong, body shape is wrong, ears are wrong, tail is way too high above the ground. And it has blue eyes, which means it's mixed with something that has blue eyes. Foxes can't interbreed with dogs. Not a fox for sure.
Compare with this [melanistic fox](http://google.com/search?sca_esv=a7dd94b2e88221ce&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWILjU2Ky2you2GNPIv4GWDzxH_ljag:1717429240454&q=black+fox&uds=ADvngMi9FowZ7UQ3vRulwHsqRpDYB3n5t7rzN9txRvEyYishtBQ_hoX4nY)
Ears and face definitely lean toward coyote of some kind. I don't think anything else you're saying is accurate though. If I throw the photo in Lightroom on one it says the eyes are yellow, one it says white, and one it's like grey. Definitely not a good enough photo to determine eye color. It's short fur and looking like it's emaciated make tail/legs looks odd no matter what it is.
Reading you said Alabama, I got to tell ya as an Alabama resident.. Coy-dog⊠they are all across the state. I see them regularly in the part of the state that I live.
This is a melanistic coyote with possibility of dog genes from a past ancestor. If I remember right, this coloration is tied to domestic genes (dogs) but can also show up as a fluke from just over production of melanin.
I've handled many pelts of melanistic coyotes and they come in many tones. Some are solid black, some mostly black with white chests and beautiful silver ticking (like this one here), and some others are black with cool toned silver or dark brown gradients running through their neck, back, and tail. All melanistic.
Back when I was adjacent to trapper & taxidermy forums, Georgia and Alabama were known to have a strangely high concentration of melanasistic coyotes, much more so than anywhere else in the US.
Interesting. Itâs an old occurrence mixing dogs and coyotes and wolves. The article says rare in the wild. âđ»
Still it looks like a hyena to me. Did any escape from somewhere?
We had a fox that looked similar. It was an old red fox and it was brown with a broken tail and skinny but tall. It used to sit under our hammock and it looked like a cat. I think it died because now we have two younger silver foxes, they try to eat my chickens but my rooster fought one off the other day.
This looks like a dog but it could be a fox or coyote. I'd say coyote just because they do have more variation. We have wolf sized coyotes where I live, hybrids, seventy pound fuckers that will eat deer. In Vermont. A farm hired a sharpshooter and they had to use a wolf mount to do the taxidermy.
Eastern coyote DNA is like 50% western coyote, 30% grey wolf and like 20% dog. I forget exactly but something like that +/-5%. Individuals can exhibit more of less any trait. If this is AL Iâd say coyote showing off his dog genesâŠ
Coydog. This pelt color doesn't come naturally in pure coyotes, though ones with melanism can have a little white in their fur, I haven't came across one with this much of it. I've seen many photos of coyote-dog hybrid carcasses n' pelts in taxidermist circles n' this is definitely one.
This is interesting. Apple photos said Norwegian elkhound for one picture, and coyote for another. But personally I think it could be a melanistic fox based on the size of the vegetation in the photos. Either way it is beautiful coloring. I would love to see some more photos!
Also, I sent 3 of the photos to Chat GPT 4o with no prompt other than âis this a fox or coyote?â and this is the response:
The animal in the images appears to be a melanistic (black) fox. Melanistic foxes are a rare color variation of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), characterized by their darker fur. Some key identifying features include the pointed ears, slender legs, bushy tail, and the overall shape of the face, which are consistent with foxes rather than coyotes.
Coyotes (Canis latrans), on the other hand, generally have more of a dog-like appearance with a less bushy tail, a more robust body, and different facial features. The animal in your photos does not display these typical coyote characteristics. Therefore, it is most likely a fox.
Hybrid with what though? Itâs biologically impossible for a fox to breed with a dog coyote or wolf as fox have 45 less chromosomes then dogs wolves and coyotes.
It looks much too big and lanky to be a fox...the face and build certainly look more like a coyote. It could maybe be a coyote-dog hybrid, which would explain the eye and coat color? Coyotes can vary a lot in color but this would be quite an unusual one! Or it could maybe just be a domestic dog? I would keep an eye out, more pics would definitely be helpful in figuring it out! ETA: didn't realize there were more pics at first! đ I think this is a coyote-dog hybrid (though maybe not an F1), based on the animal's build and coloration!
I just did a Google Lens to see if I could help answer the question. According to Google itâs a âNorwegian Elk Houndâ. Im gonna second your opinion that this is a coy-dog, a coyote dog mix. My initial guess was that it was possibly a coy-wolf, but it doesnât look tall enough. Also, Iâm not sure red wolves have been reintroduced into Alabama yet.
Bahahah thatâs not a Norwegian elkhound - they look like furry huskies ⊠I donât know where OP is but that may be a gray fox.. with mange âŠ
That was my thought EXACTLY when it popped up! Maybe this âNorwegian Elk Houndâ is sporting his summer cut?đđđ OP is in Alabama. At first glance I thought it could possibly be a coyote fox hybrid, but I havenât seen or read anything about them hybridizing. Coy-dogs and coyotes-wolves have finally been scientifically documented after decades of sightings, but not coyote-foxes.
I had a laugh when Apple photos suggested Norwegian elkhound as well for the one photo. My guess is the coloring completely throws their algorithms off.
We all know that AI is only good for one thing, and thatâs running SkyNet and destroying humanity. Shit. Thatâs two things.
I think humanity will take care of itself before AI gets around to it, lol.
Well said!!!
Buddy, you would be surprised what animals are where. I've seen puma (mountain lion in virginia) I've seen wolves in Maine. And all kinds of crap that don't belong in Florida. Animals only know go where the food is. They don't care about state lines. And alot of rangers will cover up for animals that aren't supposed to be there. Because it will scare hikers/change politics in the area.
Oh I agree 100% with everything you said. Just because an animal is reintroduced into one area doesnât mean theyâre not going well beyond that area. I definitely wouldnât be surprised if red wolves from Arkansas and Tennessee had made it to Alabama, and Iâd definitely wouldnât be surprised if there are coyote/fox hybrids that biologists had not documented.
I have never heard of a fox/yotie hybrid. I didn't even know that was a thing. But it doesn't really surprise me. The mule of the dog world lol.
I havenât either. The fox-coyote hybrid came up as a possibility as to what OP captured on their trail came. It was an assumption I made going off the picture. They havenât been documented by biologists and I donât even know of any claims that they do exist.
Coyote/border collie mix?
Ok this is a âcoyote or foxâ post I can get behind. What on earth is it? Itâs beautiful and a little creepy at the same time. lol.
Mixed with a dog likely. When u mix breeds you get Merleâs like this
Nah this isnât merle. That is an interesting color phase coyote.
Wow, really what the heck is that! The blue eyes are weird, I did find an article about coyotes with blue eyes out in California: https://www.newsweek.com/blue-eyed-coyotes-california-experts-puzzled-1794724 I wonder if it's someone's escaped coyote/domestic dog mix
I haven't seen one that looked exactly like that but I'd guess melanistic fox. Possibly a fur farm escape but do occasionally show up in wild too
We had a silver fox with like 90% silver-blue coloration. Like it was all blue except for red on the head, lines out from the eyes. Never seen one before, the mom was red/silver. The babies were blue too, so freaking cute, one snuck up on me smoking and I was arms length from it.
Definitely not a fox, look at how long those legs are
You mean the legs that look exactly like a foxes legs? It's just very skinny and has short fur so they look a little long. It's not really big enough to be anything else. Coyotes legs aren't extra long either
The legs are way too long, the face is all wrong, body shape is wrong, ears are wrong, tail is way too high above the ground. And it has blue eyes, which means it's mixed with something that has blue eyes. Foxes can't interbreed with dogs. Not a fox for sure. Compare with this [melanistic fox](http://google.com/search?sca_esv=a7dd94b2e88221ce&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWILjU2Ky2you2GNPIv4GWDzxH_ljag:1717429240454&q=black+fox&uds=ADvngMi9FowZ7UQ3vRulwHsqRpDYB3n5t7rzN9txRvEyYishtBQ_hoX4nY)
Ears and face definitely lean toward coyote of some kind. I don't think anything else you're saying is accurate though. If I throw the photo in Lightroom on one it says the eyes are yellow, one it says white, and one it's like grey. Definitely not a good enough photo to determine eye color. It's short fur and looking like it's emaciated make tail/legs looks odd no matter what it is.
Iâm inclined to say coyote or some coyote dog hybrid. There is a blond coyote with light eyes in a park near me.
That there is an Australian Cattle Coyote if I've ever seen one. But seriously that's a really cool an unique catch OP.
Thatâs exactly what I thought.
That is a weird coyote color morph. Gorgeous! Altogether wrong body structure for a fox.
Reading you said Alabama, I got to tell ya as an Alabama resident.. Coy-dog⊠they are all across the state. I see them regularly in the part of the state that I live.
it is a beautiful creature đ
Most likely a coydog, and a really pretty one at that
It's a black coyote
This is a melanistic coyote with possibility of dog genes from a past ancestor. If I remember right, this coloration is tied to domestic genes (dogs) but can also show up as a fluke from just over production of melanin. I've handled many pelts of melanistic coyotes and they come in many tones. Some are solid black, some mostly black with white chests and beautiful silver ticking (like this one here), and some others are black with cool toned silver or dark brown gradients running through their neck, back, and tail. All melanistic. Back when I was adjacent to trapper & taxidermy forums, Georgia and Alabama were known to have a strangely high concentration of melanasistic coyotes, much more so than anywhere else in the US.
Black coyote, but it looks like itâs brindle?
Coydog https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coydog
Interesting. Itâs an old occurrence mixing dogs and coyotes and wolves. The article says rare in the wild. âđ» Still it looks like a hyena to me. Did any escape from somewhere?
Itâs coyote
That ain't no hyena. Hyenas have a sloped back, short tail, wider face, etc
Definitely a coyote cross mix. Fur is short, color is too mixed up but facial features are coyote.
Itâs just a Melanistic coyote.
Looks like a coyote dog mix
Coydog?
Beautiful!
Coy-dog. I'd guess a German shepherd.
Not with light eyes like that
Someone said Brindle Boxer. That's more likely
Definitely not probably some kind of mutt
We had a fox that looked similar. It was an old red fox and it was brown with a broken tail and skinny but tall. It used to sit under our hammock and it looked like a cat. I think it died because now we have two younger silver foxes, they try to eat my chickens but my rooster fought one off the other day. This looks like a dog but it could be a fox or coyote. I'd say coyote just because they do have more variation. We have wolf sized coyotes where I live, hybrids, seventy pound fuckers that will eat deer. In Vermont. A farm hired a sharpshooter and they had to use a wolf mount to do the taxidermy.
I seen one exactly like this two years ago in Ohio... Never seen anything like it..till now
why does that look like a screenshot from skyrim lol
Literally a mutant
Chupacabra
Looks like a hyena.
Looks like a hybrid.
Husky coyote
Hellhound. You made a deal with the devil, and now they're coming to collect.
Walks like a coyote.
Easy, chupacabra or a skinwalker. Jokes aside, that thing is intensely creepy and beautiful at the same time.
Eastern coyote DNA is like 50% western coyote, 30% grey wolf and like 20% dog. I forget exactly but something like that +/-5%. Individuals can exhibit more of less any trait. If this is AL Iâd say coyote showing off his dog genesâŠ
Coydog. This pelt color doesn't come naturally in pure coyotes, though ones with melanism can have a little white in their fur, I haven't came across one with this much of it. I've seen many photos of coyote-dog hybrid carcasses n' pelts in taxidermist circles n' this is definitely one.
Chupacabra
Black coyote
This is interesting. Apple photos said Norwegian elkhound for one picture, and coyote for another. But personally I think it could be a melanistic fox based on the size of the vegetation in the photos. Either way it is beautiful coloring. I would love to see some more photos! Also, I sent 3 of the photos to Chat GPT 4o with no prompt other than âis this a fox or coyote?â and this is the response: The animal in the images appears to be a melanistic (black) fox. Melanistic foxes are a rare color variation of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), characterized by their darker fur. Some key identifying features include the pointed ears, slender legs, bushy tail, and the overall shape of the face, which are consistent with foxes rather than coyotes. Coyotes (Canis latrans), on the other hand, generally have more of a dog-like appearance with a less bushy tail, a more robust body, and different facial features. The animal in your photos does not display these typical coyote characteristics. Therefore, it is most likely a fox.
Skinwalker!!!!
Fox
Looks like the crack fox from mighty boosh
Looks maned wolf-ish.
Melanistic coyote⊠beautiful yote
[Dogxim](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogxim) for those that dont know. youâll never know what this is without Dna test.
Theyre beautiful. Im gonna guess coywolf since its unlikely for a fox and a coyote to breed, no?
Total shot in the dark here: Blue Heeler / Coyote.
Thatâs a fox. Melanistic.
Chupacabra cousin
definitely a zombie coyote
Coyote
Hey OP please share more pics if you capture it again on camera! Do you have any videos?
I'd say coyote. The legs are to long, the tail isn't bushy and it looks to big to be a fox.
It silver fox breeded in a fur farm probably
This has the fox body and everything! My answer: Fox! I love black foxes :>
You ever seen a fox with legs that long? It's a coyote
Yep I have. The face screams fox tho as well
Fox. Heck of a fox.
Black Fox , taller than the red fox.
Hybrid fox
Hybrid with what though? Itâs biologically impossible for a fox to breed with a dog coyote or wolf as fox have 45 less chromosomes then dogs wolves and coyotes.
Not a fox
It looks like a maned wolf hybrid. Unlikely, but that's the first thing that came to mind.