Friday, November 23, 2007

It Can't Be Both, Fellas

What the Regina Leader says:

Premier Brad Wall poses with a stuffed wolf (coyote) Thursday left in his new office.

Picture of Thing on Brad Wall's wall

















Picture of Coyote













Picture of a (Gray) Wolf


Word to the staff at the Regina Leader. The thing on the wall is a wolf, probably a gray wolf. You can tell it from a coyote (or prairie wolf) by 1) the shaggier fur, 2) the smaller, rounder ears (that's the real give away), and 3) the size: given the background, that beast is three feet long plus, much too big for a coyote.


You shouldn't have to have a city boy point all this stuff out to you.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, we know that stuffed animal isn't Dion, because it's too lifelike, and not swishy and gay looking.

Hahahaha...*opps*...I pissed my pants!

Anonymous said...

I as well wet them.

KC said...

You're right that it doesnt look like coyote, but its pretty small for a wolf too unless my depth perception is wonky.

bigcitylib said...

I think the perspective is a bit off due to the angle of the shot.

Burton, Formerly Kingston said...

Are you serious BCL, it was left in his office, that is funny if you put it in context with the TV/Print adds the NDP were running, it could to see someone in the NDP staff still had a sense of humor as they were packing up Mr.Calvert's office.

Burton, Formerly Kingston said...

opps could =good

Anonymous said...

Sorry no link, but very recently there were some results showing that a wolf population (northern Minnesota IIRC) has more coyote than wolf genes even though the phenotype remains mostly wolf. I suppose it would not be a surprise to see the same thing happening farther west.

Raging Ranter said...

Steve Bloom, do you have a link to that article by any chance? I've been reading up on Coyote-Wolf and Lynx-Bobcat hybridization. I'm interested in that shit - for some reason.

bigcitylib said...

RR,

For a Conservative, you're not entirely useless.

Ti-Guy said...

Don't praise him...he attracts a low element.

Anonymous said...

Like me?

Anonymous said...

By the way...I have visited Alligator River and howled for the red wolves. Most people have read about the issues with coyote cross-breeding and such. Also, I learned that until recently they had to kill the animals and do detailed examination of the skull to tell what is what. Actually now, I think they have some other method...DNA or fluoroscopy or something

Anonymous said...

Sorry, rr, I couldn't find a link to what I think I heard. It was on the radio and I wasn't giving it complete attention, so I'm not sure if it was even a published paper.

I did find this paper via Google Scholar, and from the subject matter it appears that the lead author would know what's going on in this field of study (although this aspect of her research seems to be mainly concerned with canid coat color). In my experience most researchers working in relatively obscure fields will happily respond to requests for information.