Mutant blue-eyed coyotes spreading through California
Five coyotes with baby blues, an eye color not seen elsewhere, were photographed in California—suggesting the rare trait is proliferating.
Last spring, a photographer and guide in northern California’s Point Reyes National Seashore named Daniel Dietrich spotted an unusual animal: A female coyote with blue eyes. Blue is an incredibly rare eye color for coyotes, and it’s likely caused by a chance mutation.
Now, it appears the trait is spreading. In the last few months, at least four other coyotes with blue peepers have been seen and photographed within about a 100-mile radius of the seashore.
Dietrich, who happened upon the original coyote one fine April morning, at first didn’t think she was anything special. She sports tall, lanky legs, a silvery-brown coat for camouflage, and large, triangular ears that help her listen for gophers hidden in the grass.
However, while almost all
