Red Wolf

Canis rufus

The Red Wolf is an endangered species. By 1980, this wolf had completely disappeared from its natural range in the U.S., killed off mainly by humans. In the early 1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trapped a number of Red Wolves from the wild and began breeding them on a few islands off North Carolina, thereby saving the animal from extinction. The number of Red Wolves is constantly changing, but recent counts indicate that there are at least 250 animals.

Look For : A smaller southern wolf. Reddish-brown to gray. Usually in pairs that form temporary packs.

Length : Body 3-4' long.

Habitat : Southern prairies, swamps, and brushy areas.

Range : Southwestern Texas and southeastern Louisiana. Once nearly extinct but now reintroduced to other areas of the South.