the Red Wolf

by Rob and Tom


Scientific Name
Canis Rufus

The range is in the southeastern part of the United States,
some of eastern parts of North America.

The cimate is hot and humid and part of their climate is snowy and cold

Red wolves are the color of the woods that they inhabit.


Red wolves are usually more active at dusk, evening, and dawn than they are during the day.

Food It hunts meat such as white-tail deer, raccoons, rabbits, and rodents. Life Span Its life span is 10-12 years Social Structure They live in smaller packs than gray wolves, and sometimes solitaire. Gestation The gestation period is 60-63 days. Average Litter The average litter is 4-5 pups, sometimes as few as 1 pup, sometimes as many as 9 pups. Predators

Natural enemies of the red wolf are humans, alligators, and parasites such as mange and heartworm. At two island propagation sites in South Carolina and Florida, wolves have been killed by alligators. One of the alligators swallowed the radio collar and biologists followed the radio signal right to the gator.

Why Endangered? Three problems threaten the future of red wolves - the loss of habitat, the hunting of wolves, and red wolves mating with coyotes. Red wolves need 10 - 100 square miles of habitat to hunt and live. Threats to Survival

The expansion of agriculture, logging and human settlement cleared the forest home of red wolves. Between 1900 - 1920 red wolves were hunted because they preyed on cattle. As the population of red wolves declined, coyotes expanded into its territory. The red wolves in North Carolina all have some coyote genetics, which came from the founding population from Texas and Louisiana.

What is being done to protect this species?

The red wolf is an endangered species and is protected by federal law. There are a number of groups that are involved with protecting wolves. Captive breeding is being done by many of those groups, and the re-introduction of red wolves is being done in certain parts of the United States. Wolves are free-ranging in a reintroduced population in northeastern North Carolina, and on three islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Florida.

What can YOU do to help?
You have already helped by learning more about the red wolf. Tell you friends and family about the red wolf. Let your elected officials know that you support red wolf recovery. One group to check out is Defenders of Wildlife. They publish a monthly magazine that you might be able to find in your local library. Also the International Wolf Center located in Elly MN. is very involved with wolves. Write an e-mail to them at wolfinfo@wolf.org, they might be able to suggest some other groups. Join a conservation group that works on red wolf issues such as the Red Wolf Coalition. They are an organization formed to help save the red wolf. The address is:

Red Wolf Coalition
P.O. Box 231
Kill Devil Hills, N.C. 27948

Thank you for your interest in saving wolves!

Wild Ones | Red Wolves | Henson Robinson Zoo | Red Wolves of Alligator River | Species Survival Plan

Red Wolf Recovery: A Rosy Picture


 A great resource is Journey of the Red Wolf by Roland Smith.

Journey of the Red Wolf
(Cobblehill, April 1996)

Follow the magnificent and rare red wolf from the brink of extinction, to captivity, then back into wild. For many years Roland was the Red Wolf Species coordinator. An insider's look at how animals are reintroduced into the wild

For information contact:kruegerl@district87.org