What causes red-bellied coyotes?

If you mean the fur on the belly turns reddish, one cause is chronic licking due to itchiness. Dogs with allergies who lick their paws or front legs will cause the hairs to turn reddish brown due to the porphyrins in their saliva that stain the hair a reddish brown. Not to be gross, but if you could look at a gallon of dog saliva it would resemble dilute iced tea. If you painted coat after coat of it onto a white wall eventually it would turn a reddish brown as does the fur on a licking dog. I would expect the same is true for coyotes.
 
it is the early stage of mange. ever get a whiff of the belly area of a coyote that has a reddish belly? it will stink something terrible. sure sign of mange.


 
I’ve skinned a few like that! Any way to wash that out? Does it lower your grade? I’ve used borax to clean them dry before, also washed them. That really shines them up, but it makes it a pain to deal with wet fur!
 
The more I think back on it, I believe you are correct STS! I’ve seen some that were red and the hair thinning. Various degrees of the progression of the mites and there damage they infect. Shot one last year that had it so bad his whole belly was bare from his diaphragm to his pelvis! Yet his back looked fine. He had a one way trip to the landfill.
 
I would tend to agree with the licking. I've noticed that years that we've had bad thistle (tumbleweeds) the bellies always tend to be a bit darker. I hadn't pout a lot of thought into it until reading HG's response. I reckon I'd be licking myself too if I was having to wander around in that stuff all summer. 22 Chuck, exactly what you said. Just one of Mother natures cruel tricks!
 
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