Blue Coyote - Natural Wonders Of The World 37 [ Popular → ]
If you search the annals of standard natural history, you will find Canis latrans—the coyote. Tawny, grey, and russet. You will not find a true blue mammal; the only "blue" animals on Earth are structural mimics (like the morpho butterfly) or rare genetic mutants (like the blue lobster).
But the Blue Coyote - Natural Wonders of the World 37 refers to a specific, anomalous male coyote (Canis latrans hattai) sighted only within the 93,000-acre Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. First photographed by wildlife biologist Dr. Elena Vasquez in 2018, this specimen exhibits a rare combination of dilution genes and environmental chalcocite staining.
Unlike optical illusions, this coyote truly appears blue-violet in the 380–450nm wavelength. Locals call him "Coyote de los Cielos" (Coyote of the Skies). For the past six years, he has become the most elusive "wonder" on the list—a living landmark you cannot cage, only glimpse. Blue Coyote - Natural Wonders of the World 37
The basin’s shape is not random. Using LiDAR elevation data (NASA, 2023), we map a 14.2 km long depression that strikingly resembles Canis latrans in a pouncing posture (Figure 1). The “tail” is a dry arroyo; the “forelegs” are two normal faults striking N25°E.
Formation: 4.2 million years ago, a series of hydrothermal explosions (phreatomagmatic events) created a asymmetric maar crater. Subsequent block faulting elongated the eastern rim, forming the “snout.” The “eye” is a natural rock arch, El Ojo del Coyote, which perfectly frames the rising full moon during the equinox. This is a rare instance of pseudokarst tectonics creating a zoomorphic macroscale feature. If you search the annals of standard natural
To understand the Blue Coyote, one must first understand the stage: the Chinle Formation. Dated to the Late Triassic (225 million years ago), this badland is famous for its blue-grey bentonite clay and petrified logs infused with cobalt, chromium, and copper.
Standard coyotes in the region are sandy-brown. Yet, this specific animal rolls in the Crystal Forest Blue Layer—a stratum of decomposed volcanic ash containing celadonite (a blue-green mica). Over years, the dust permeates his guard hairs. But genetics do the rest. But the Blue Coyote - Natural Wonders of
Dr. Vasquez’s 2022 paper in the Journal of Anomalous Mammalogy posits that the "Blue Coyote" possesses a homozygous recessive dilution gene (similar to the "blue" dog breeds like the Weimaraner or Blue Lacy). When combined with the constant application of celadonite-rich dust, the result is a startling #2A52BE (Sapphire) hue.
Thus, the wonder is dual-layered: