The Red Wolf
Canis Lupus Rufus By: Licar2
What are Red Wolves?
Habitat
Red wolves can live anywhere between north Pennsylvania to central and southern Texas. However, due to habitat lost, they now are only in a small range in The Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, and the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. Red Wolves prefer live in deciduous forests but they can live in many different environments such as mountain ranges, swamps, coastal prairie, etc. (ERW, DAW, RWRP, NW, (TR))
Hide and Seek!
Red Wolves are excellent in camouflaging. This helps them in hunting as well as protecting themselves. Red Wolves have large ears so they can release body heat efficiently.They also can to tolerate to hot and humid conditions in summer. Unlike other canines, they are able to survive heartworm-infestation (a disease).Their metabolic system has adapted to be tolerant to alternating seasons of hunting and hunger. (YA, (NYW))
Hunting and Food
Red wolves usually hunt in pairs or by theirselves. Their diet consists 50% white tailed deer, 30% raccoons, and 20% small mammals such as rabbits, rodents, etc. Since they hunt in alone or in pairs, they are powerful enough to take down animals themselves without the help of others. (ERW, DAW, 2B))
Red Wolves have Fun too!
Mates & Pups
Red wolves usually mate between February through March. In most red wolf packs, there would be one breeding pair of wolves. Only the Alpha male and female mate though. Usually, when Red wolves mate, there would be 2-6 pups. (ERW, DAW, (USFWS))
Just Saying Hi!
These wolves have a charachteristic howl that they communicate in. They also use body language such as licking, showing teeth, flicking of tail, and more. (ERW, USFWS, (NYW))
Interesting facts
Red Wolves are really shy animals. These animals can be ferocious but they are generally shy and stay away from people. To prove this, there has been no record of a person being attacked by a red wolf despite it's 500 year existence. (ERW, (SWH))
U.S Fish & Wildlife Service
U.S Fish & Wildlife Service is Taking Action
They are still trying to reintroduce these wolves to the wild and their goal is to have 550 red wolves into the wild. (ERW, USFWS, (WM))