RED WOLVES
Red Wolf
Scientific name: Canis rufus
Niche:
The red wolf is considered a top predator and a keystone species. A top predator is one that is not eaten by anything else in the ecosystem, which means they have control over the prey populations in the ecosystem. A keystone species has a greater impact on the ecosystem than the number of individuals in that area.
Carnivore: their diet consists of rabbits, raccoons, rodents, and other small mammals. Occasionally, it will hunt for deer.
Endangered?
Red Wolves are critically endangered and though they are known to be native to the region are rarely seen because of their scarcity.
Fact
An adaption scientists have found in red wolves is their ability to survive heartworm. There have been tests done to see how many red wolves released in the wild have the disease. All of the ones tested were positive for heartworm, yet there does not seem to be the same mortality rate between the disease and red wolves as opposed to domestic dogs. This trait has helped the red wolf population thrive because it seems to be one problem the small population does not seem to worry about.