One of the 6 wolves on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Canidae
Red Wolf
Canis rufus
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The red wolf is a canid of historically doubtful taxonomy that today can be found only in parts of the eastern United States, Mexico and perhaps south-eastern Canada. It is now classified as a subspecies of wolf, although it may be a recent hybrid population between wolf and coyote, or, as it was formerly regarded, a species independent of both, Canis rufus. In any case, the red wolf is an animal in grave danger of extinction, which is why it is the subject of captive breeding programmes.
Weight
20 kg – 40 kg
Size
1 m – 1.3 m
Lifespan
8 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Estimated population
Around twenty individuals in the wild, plus some 250 in captive breeding
Fun facts
- GeneralDeclared extinct in the wild in 1980 and reintroduced afterwards from 14 captive animals.
- The entire species today descends from just fourteen animals captured before it vanished in the wild, an extreme genetic bottleneck.
- Its taxonomic status has been debated for decades: some authors regard it as a species in its own right and others as the result of an ancient hybridisation between grey wolf and coyote, and much of its legal protection hangs on that argument.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Coastal woodland, wetlands and pine forest
- Sexual maturity
- 22 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 63 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 4
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canis_rufus
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Red Wolf — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Kit Fox
Vulpes macrotis
Swift Fox
Vulpes velox
Least ConcernRed Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Least ConcernGray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Least ConcernCoyote
Canis latrans
Least ConcernGray Wolf
Canis lupus
How to help
The red wolf is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
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