The coons I caught near the coast in SC had a reddish tinge to them and I was told that it was because of the shellfish that was a good part of their diet in the marsh of the low country and coastal empire. So i say fair enough, not knowing any better. But the coyotes I get here on my patch in East Tennessee are more yellow, reddish than the ones I caught down there. Is it just my perception or is there something to that ?? I just find it weird as the songdogs up here sure are a long way from the oyster banks in South Carolina.

I say false. Genetics .

If you're color blind, how do you know they're red?

Like Snow Geese that feed in East Coast marshes, the red "rust" color is from the iron in the marsh and salt water. I better say that it's not what they eat as much as the marsh residue that sticks to the feathers / fur and discolor them.

The color blind thing is Pauls fault


My vision is in no way impaired color or otherwise.

Lol, just joshin'!

Called those redneck coons when we trapped in Louisiana as a kid. I have trapped them in Georgia also.

Hogwarsh as far as diet is concerned. Genetic color phase is the cause.

I have state hopped a little. Different colors in the same species in a different environment are the rule not the exception.

Highly doubt, in this case it has to do with a "genetic color phase". I agree with Danny: " Different colors in the same species in a different environment are the rule not the exception."

This^^^

Scuba1 appears to be articulate enough to describe what he sees, "had a reddish tinge to them."A "tinge" is a "stain". Given his description of the area, and environment he described, I doubt genetics has anything to do with it. . . . I'm done :-)

During the 1920/1930s raccoons were almost extent in Ohio. The Ohio Division Wildlife set a number of farms and trapped coon from other states, bred and raised them and released. So, we have at least 3 varieties coon in Ohio and one of those are a rusty colored. The old fur buyers would knock the price down on the rusty ones when you sold them. I don't remember exactly what states they trapped them in, but I don't believe any came from coastal water states and would bet if you caught 100 here in Ohio you will still see all 3 varieties.

Garry-

As I am from the other side of the pond, Fox, muskrat and rabbits were my main stay there as we do not have raccoons or coyotes there. So I have only trapped these for just under 10 years. Its just something that I observed. Also I don't travel around to trap, so I do not have a broad sample area. Just my 40 some acres here north of Knoxville. So genetics could explain the more " blond " looking coyotes here as opposed to the grayer ones down in the low country / salt marsh areas

I agree with Danny too, but I believe that BECAUSE different areas tend to have different genetic color phases. Different colored critters are caused by two critters both carrying a recessive gene for it. So if for whatever reason a coyote in GA carried a recessive gene for black coloration and happened to run into a female that also carried that gene... 25% of their offspring would be black. They have litters for 3 years in a row, with an average size of 6, and now there's 4 or 5 black coyotes running around and 18 coyotes that carry at least ONE gene for the recessive trait. Those 18 coyotes have a 50/50 chance of producing 25% black pups. The 4 or 5 black coyotes have a 50-75% chance of producing black coyotes.

Scuba's coyotes in TN are red because somewhere along the line 2 coyotes with a recessive red coloration gene bred.

LOL!