A rare hybrid coyote-wolf breed is thriving on Galveston Island — and local wildlife experts and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are working to keep them there.
Known as “ghost wolves,” the breed carries genetic ties to the endangered red wolf, which once inhabited southeast Texas before its decline in the 1900s, according to TxDOT. As red wolf populations diminished, interbreeding with coyotes preserved portions of their DNA in what is referred to as the ghost wolf.
TxDOT recently installed wildlife crossing signs at 10 locations along a 19-mile stretch of FM 3005 to raise drive awareness after wildlife experts raised concern over mortality rates in 2024.
The agency’s environmental planner told Houston Public Media that 75 ghost wolves have been struck and killed by vehicles on the island between 2020 and 2025.
TxDOT selected sign locations based on areas with the highest collision rates, using data collected from GPS collars and mortality reports. The data showed increase fatalities along the western portion of Seawall Boulevard, where the species tends to gather in green spaces on the island’s west end.
By increasing awareness of wildlife crossings, officials say the signage is expected to improve safety not only for ghost wolves but also for other specials that inhabit Galveston Island.
Sources: TxDOT, Houston Public Media
