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Red wolf (photo): A dangerous predator with an unusual appearance. Maned wolf or guar

Five red wolf cubs from the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (Tacoma, Washington) were born this spring and are now beginning to gradually get out of their den and explore the spacious enclosure.

However, wolf cubs do not go far and try to stay close to their mother, since they are still dairy and feed only on her milk.

Red american wolf(Canis lupus rufus) is the rarest representative of the wolf family. This species once inhabited much of the eastern United States, from Pennsylvania to Texas. However, in the XX century. due to extermination, habitat destruction and hybridization with coyotes, red wolves have been on the verge of extinction.

By the end of the 70s, red wolves had completely disappeared in the wild, surviving only in American zoos and special nurseries (only a subspecies of three - Canis rufus gregoryi, the other two Canis rufus rufus andCanis rufus floridanus completely extinct ).


From your closest relative gray wolf red wolves are smaller. The red wolf is slimmer, with longer legs and ears, and shorter fur. However, it is larger than a coyote: its body length is 100-130 cm, tail - 30-42 cm, height at the withers - 66-79 cm.

In nature, red wolves fed mainly on raccoons, rabbits and small rodents. Occasionally, if the flock is large, they could overwhelm a deer. The red wolf is listed in the international Red Book with the status "species in critical danger"(Critically endangered).



International scientific name

Canis lupus rufus Audubon&,

Synonyms area conservation status

Systematics
on Wikispecies
Images
at Wikimedia Commons
ITIS
NCBI
EOL

The taxonomic status of the red wolf is debatable. It is considered either a subspecies of the gray wolf, or an independent species [ ] , or the product of the natural hybridization of the gray wolf and the coyote that has been going on for the past few thousand years .

The rarest member of the wolf family, the red wolf once inhabited much of the eastern United States, from Pennsylvania to Texas. However, in the 20th century, due to extermination and habitat destruction, red wolves were on the verge of extinction. Their range was first reduced to the extreme southwest of Louisiana and southeast Texas, and by the end of the 70s of the XX century, red wolves completely disappeared in nature, and only individuals remained in zoos and nurseries. Since 1988, work has been underway to return red wolves to their natural habitat - in the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Appearance [ | ]

The evolution of wolves

Red wolf and coyote.

From their closest relative, the gray wolf, red wolves are smaller. The red wolf is slimmer, with longer legs and ears, and shorter fur. However, it is larger than a coyote: its body length is 100-130 cm, tail - 30-42 cm, height at the withers - 66-79 cm. Adult males weigh 20-41 kg, females, as a rule, are 1/3 lighter.

The color of the fur is red, brown, gray and black. The back is usually black. The muzzle and limbs are reddish, the end of the tail is black. The red coloration from which the species got its name was predominant among the Texan populations. Red fur also dominates in winter. The annual molt occurs in summer.

Lifestyle and nutrition[ | ]

In terms of lifestyle, the red wolf is close to the common wolf. Initially, they lived in forests, on swampy lowlands and on coastal prairies; were nocturnal. Red wolves are now being repopulated in hard-to-reach mountainous and swampy areas.

Packs of red wolves are smaller than those of gray wolves; they consist of a family (breeding) couple and their offspring, both young and grown. Sometimes families get bigger. There are practically no manifestations of aggression in the family, however, family members are unfriendly towards unfamiliar wolves.

The food of the red wolf is predominantly rodents (including nutrias and muskrats), rabbits and raccoons; occasionally a flock catches a deer. In addition to the diet are insects and berries, as well as carrion.

In turn, red wolves can become victims of other wolves, including relatives from other packs, alligators or cougars. Young animals are preyed upon by predators such as bobcats.

reproduction [ | ]

Red wolves live in families in which only dominant pairs breed. A pair, like other wolves, is created for a long time. The remaining members of the group help raise the offspring and bring food for lactating wolves.

The breeding season runs from January to March. Pregnancy lasts 60-63 days; in a litter, on average, 3-6 puppies (rarely - up to 12), which are born in the spring. Female dens are arranged in pits under fallen trees, in sandy slopes, along river banks. Both parents are engaged in offspring; puppies become independent at 6 months.

The average life expectancy of a red wolf in nature is 8 years; in captivity, they lived up to 14 years.

Population status[ | ]

The red wolf is listed in the international Red Book with the status of "species in critical danger" ( critically endangered).

Until the middle of the 20th century, red wolves were exterminated for attacks on livestock and poultry. In 1967, the species was declared endangered ( endangered) and began to take measures to save him. The entire current population of red wolves descended from 14 individuals kept in captivity. Now there are approximately 270 individuals left in the world, 100 of which were released into the wild in

The wolf is a predatory mammal that belongs to the carnivorous order, the canine family (canine, wolf).

The Russian word “wolf” is consonant with some Slavic names of the beast: Bulgarians call the predator Vylk, Serbs - Vuk, Ukrainians - Vovk. The origin of the name goes back to the Old Slavonic word "vylk", meaning to drag, drag away.

Predators have a long and thick tail, which in some species grows up to 56 cm in length and is always lowered. The wolf's head is massive, with high-set sharp ears, and the muzzle is elongated and wide. The skull of the red and maned wolves is shaped like a fox.

The wolf's mouth is armed with 42 teeth: predatory teeth are designed to tear prey into pieces and grind bones, and with the help of fangs, the beast holds and drags its prey tightly.

Only in red wolves, the dental formula contains a smaller number of molars.

Wolf cubs are born with blue eyes, but by the third month the iris becomes orange or golden yellow, although there are wolves that remain blue-eyed all their lives.

The fur of the wolf is thick and two-layered: the undercoat is formed by waterproof fluff, and the top layer is made up of guard hairs that repel dirt and moisture. The low thermal conductivity of wool allows animals to survive in the most severe climatic conditions.

The color of wolves is distinguished by a rich spectrum of shades, including various variations of gray, white, black and brown, although it is not uncommon for the fur to be red, pure white or almost black. It is believed that the color of the coat allows predators to harmoniously merge with the surrounding landscape, and the mixing of different shades emphasizes the individuality of animals.

Wolves are digitigrade animals: reliance on fingers allows them to balance their weight while moving. Strong limbs, a narrow sternum and a sloping back allow predators to travel considerable distances in search of food. The usual gait of a wolf is a light trot at a speed of about 10 km / h. The speed of a wolf chasing prey can reach 65 km/h.

The wolf has excellent hearing, eyesight is much weaker, but the sense of smell is excellently developed: the predator smells prey for 3 km, and the ability to distinguish several million different shades of smell is of great importance during the rutting season, during hunting and during the communicative communication of animals. Urine and faecal marks are used to mark territory boundaries.

The vocal range of wolves is rich and varied: predators howl, grunt, yap, squeal, growl, whimper and convey complex messages to other members of the pack with their voice. At dawn, you can hear the “choral singing” of wolves. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon, but in fact, howling animals inform members of the pack about their location and drive away strangers. Solitary animals that live outside the pack rarely howl, so as not to bring trouble on themselves.

The facial expressions of wolves are also very highly developed: thanks to the position of the mouth, lips, ears and tail, as well as the display of teeth, predators express their emotional state. As with a domestic dog, a raised tail and wolf ears indicate alertness or aggression.

The lifespan of wolves

In nature, wolves live from 8 to 16 years; in captivity, life expectancy can reach 20 years.

Historically, the range of wolves was the second largest after the range of humans in the Northern Hemisphere, but today it has decreased significantly. Wolves live in Europe (the Baltic States, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Poland, the Balkans and the Scandinavian countries), Asia (in countries such as China, Korea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran , Iraq, north of the Arabian Peninsula), Africa (Ethiopia), North America (Canada, Mexico, USA, including Alaska), South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). In Russia, wolves are distributed throughout the territory, except for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The following types of wolves live in Russia:

  • red wolf (2 subspecies out of 10);
  • grey Wolf;
  • tundra wolf;
  • steppe wolf;
  • Eurasian wolf, also known as Tibetan or Carpathian;
  • polar Wolf.

Predators have mastered and adapted to life in a wide variety of natural areas: wolves live in the tundra, forests, deserts and semi-deserts, on plains, in mountain forests, sometimes they settle near settlements.

Wolves are territorial and social animals, forming packs of 3 to 40 individuals, which occupy a personal area of ​​65-300 square kilometers, marked with odorous marks. At the head of the pack is a monogamous pair of leaders: an alpha male and an alpha female, the rest of the pack members are their offspring, other relatives and lone wolves that have nailed down, subject to a strict hierarchy. For the rutting period, the flock breaks up, the territory is divided into small fragments, but the dominant pair always gets the best site. While moving through their territory, the leaders leave odorous marks every 3 minutes. At the border of the territory, the density of marks can be even more frequent.

Being nocturnal animals, during the day wolves rest in various natural shelters, thickets and shallow caves, but they often use the burrows of marmots, arctic foxes or, and dig holes themselves very rarely.

What does a wolf eat?

Wolves are one of the most agile, fast and enduring predators, tracking down and tirelessly pursuing their prey. The diet of the wolf depends on the availability of food and in most varieties consists mainly of animal food. Wolves are equally successful in hunting in packs and alone, but they can drive and attack large prey, for example, reindeer, bison or yak, only by cohesive hunting. In 60% of cases, wolves attack young, old, sick or injured animals, and they perfectly feel whether the animal is strong and healthy or sickly and weakened.

In the wild, the wolf feeds on large animals (, roe deer, saigas, bison, wild boars), smaller mammals (, armadillos, lemmings), as well as fish, incubating birds, and their eggs. Wolves often prey on large and small domestic animals and birds (geese,), as well as foxes, wild dogs and corsacs.

In the absence of a main source of food, wolves do not disdain small amphibians (for example,), insects (,) and carrion (for example, dead seals washed ashore). In the warm season, berries, mushrooms and ripe fruits appear in the diet of predators.

In the steppes, wolves quench their thirst in the fields with gourds - watermelons and melons. Hungry predators even attack in hibernation, they will not miss the opportunity to tear a weakened and sick animal, eating up to 10-14 kg of meat at a time. A starving polar wolf eats a hare whole, with bones and skin. An interesting feature of wolves is their habit of returning to the corpses of an undereaten victim, as well as hiding excess meat in reserve.

Types of wolves, photos and names

In the canine (wolf) family, several genera are distinguished, which include different types of wolves:

  1. Rod Wolves (lat. Canis)
    • Wolf, he is a gray wolf, or an ordinary wolf (lat. canis lupus), which includes many subspecies, including domestic dogs and Dingo dogs (secondarily feral):
      • Canis lupus albus(Kerr, 1792) - tundra wolf,
      • † Canis lupus alces(Goldman, 1941),
      • canis lupus arabs(Pocock, 1934) - Arabian wolf,
      • Canis lupus arctos(Pocock, 1935) - Melville island wolf,
      • Canis lupus baileyi(Nelson and Goldman, 1929) - Mexican wolf,
      • † Canis lupus beothucus(G. M. Allen and Barbour, 1937) - Newfoundland wolf,
      • † Canis lupus bernardi(Anderson, 1943),
      • Canis lupus campestris(Dwigubski, 1804) - desert wolf, he is also a steppe wolf,
      • Canis lupus chanco(Grey, 1863),
      • canis lupus columbianus(Goldman, 1941),
      • Canis lupus crassodon(Hall, 1932) Vancouver island wolf,
      • † Canis lupus deitanus(Cabrera, 1907) (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
      • canis lupus dingo(Meyer, 1793) - Dingo dog, or secondarily feral domestic dog,
      • Canis lupus familiaris(Linnaeus, 1758) - dog,
      • Canis lupus filchneri(Matschie, 1907),
      • Canis lupus floridanus(Miller, 1912),
      • † canis lupus fuscus(Richardson, 1839),
      • Canis lupus gregoryi(Goldman, 1937),
      • † Canis lupus griseoalbus(Baird, 1858),
      • Canis lupus hallstromi(Troughton, 1958) - New Guinea singing dog (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies canis lupus dingo),
      • † Canis lupus hattai(Kishida, 1931) - Japanese wolf, or shaman,
      • † Canis lupus hodophilax(Temminck, 1839),
      • Canis lupus hudsonicus(Goldman, 1941) - Hudson wolf,
      • † Canis lupus irremotus(Goldman, 1937),
      • Canis lupus labradorius(Goldman, 1937),
      • Canis lupus ligoni(Goldman, 1937),
      • canis lupus lupus(Linnaeus, 1758) - European wolf, he is also a Eurasian wolf, Chinese wolf, or ordinary wolf,
      • Canis lupus lycaon(Schreber, 1775) - eastern wolf, or North American timber wolf,
      • Canis lupus mackenzii(Anderson, 1943),
      • Canis lupus manningi(Anderson, 1943),
      • † Canis lupus minor(M. Mojsisovics, 1887) (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris),
      • † Canis lupus mogollonensis(Goldman, 1937),
      • † Canis lupus monstrabilis(Goldman, 1937),
      • Canis lupus nubilus(Say, 1823) - buffalo wolf, or wolf of the Great Plains,
      • Canis lupus occidentalis(Richardson, 1829) - the Mackenzian plains wolf, also known as the Alaskan wolf, Canadian wolf or Rocky Mountain wolf,
      • Canis lupus orion(Pocock, 1935),
      • Canis lupus pallipes(Sykes, 1831) - Asian, he is also an Indian or Iranian wolf,
      • Canis lupus pambasileus(Elliot, 1905),
      • Canis lupus rufus(Audubon and Bachman, 1851) - red wolf,
      • Canis lupus signatus(Cabrera, 1907) - the Iberian wolf (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
      • Canis lupus tundrarum(Miller, 1912) - polar wolf,
      • † Canis lupus youngi(Goldman, 1937) – Southern Rocky Mountain wolf.
  2. Genus Maned wolves (lat. Chrysocyon)
    • Maned wolf, or guara, or aguarachay (lat. Chrysocyon brachyurus)
  3. Genus Red Wolves
    • Red wolf, or mountain wolf, or Himalayan wolf, or buanzu (lat. Cuon alpinus)

Below is a description of several varieties of wolves.

  • Red Wolf, he is mountain wolf, himalayan wolf or buanzu(Cuon alpinus)

A large predator, outwardly combining the features of a wolf, fox and jackal. Mature males grow from 76 to 110 cm in length. At the same time, the weight of the red wolf is 17-21 kg. The tail of animals is longer than that of other wolves, fluffy, like a fox, and grows up to 45-50 cm in length. The red wolf has a short, pointed muzzle and large, high-set ears. The main color of animals is various shades of red, and the tip of the tail is always black. A distinctive feature of the subspecies is considered to be a smaller number of teeth and from 6 to 7 pairs of nipples. Differences in fur density, color and body size made it possible to divide the species into 10 subspecies.

Biotopes of predators are attached to mountains, rocks and gorges (up to 4 thousand meters above sea level). The red wolf feeds on small animals - amphibians and rodents, as well as large animals: sambars, axises and antelopes. In summer, wolves are happy to eat various vegetation.

A significant part of the range of animals extends across the territory of Central and South Asia, predators live from the Altai Mountains and Tien Shan to Hindustan, Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The largest population is observed in the Himalayas, in southern Iran, in India and the Pakistani Indus Valley. In other habitats, the red wolf is extremely small or completely extinct, so the species is classified as endangered and is under protection.

  • Maned wolf, he is guar or aguarachai (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

A unique member of the family, its name translates as “short-tailed golden dog”. Long hair up to 13 cm long grows on the nape of predators, forming a thick mane. Outwardly, the maned wolf resembles a large long-legged fox, the body length of adults is 125-130 cm, due to overly elongated limbs, the height of the wolf at the withers reaches 74-87 cm, and animals weigh from 20 to 23 kg. The obvious disproportions of the body are especially emphasized by the long muzzle, large, high-set ears and a short tail from 28 to 45 cm long. The wolf's coat is reddish-yellow, a strip of black wool runs along the spine, the legs are almost black, and the chin and end of the tail are light.

Maned wolves live exclusively on the plains, and have evolved their surprisingly long limbs, allowing them to make their way through the thickets of grass. The range of the species extends from the northeast of Brazil to the eastern regions of Bolivia, in the south it captures Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. According to the IUCN, the state of the population is becoming vulnerable.

Predators feed on rodents, rabbits, armadillos, amphibians, insects, and also eat guava, and nightshade, which rids animals of nematodes.

  • eastern wolf, he is north american timber wolf(Canis lupus lycaon)

It still does not have a definite classification: a number of scientists consider it as an independent species ( canis lycaon) or considered a hybrid of a gray wolf with a red wolf or a coyote. The growth in the shoulders of mature males reaches 80 cm, females - 75 cm, with a body weight of 40 and 30 kg, respectively. The fur of the eastern wolf is yellowish-brown, shaggy, black hair grows on the back and sides, and the area behind the ears is distinguished by a reddish-brown tint.

Eastern wolves are predominantly carnivores, deer, elk and rodents become their prey.

These animals live in forests from the southeast of the Canadian province of Ontario to the province of Quebec.

  • common wolf, or grey Wolf(canis lupus)

One of the largest predators among canines, with a body size reaching 1-1.6 m. The growth in the shoulders of mature individuals is from 66 to 86 cm, in especially large specimens it can be up to 90 cm. An ordinary wolf weighs from 32 to 62 kg, in the inhabitants of the northern regions of the range, body weight varies from 50 to 80 kg. The tail of predators grows up to 52 cm. The color of the fur of animals is quite variable: the inhabitants of the forests are usually gray-brown, the inhabitants of the tundra are almost white, the predators of the deserts are gray with red, only the undercoat is always gray.

The favorite food of wolves is various hoofed mammals: deer, elk, roe deer, antelopes, wild boars and small animals: mice, hares, ground squirrels. Wolves do not disdain representatives of their own family, for example, small foxes and raccoon dogs, often various domestic animals become their prey. During the ripening period, predators quench their thirst on melons, eating watermelons and melons, because they need a lot of moisture.

The range of the gray wolf passes through the territory of Eurasia and North America. In Europe, predators are distributed from Spain and Portugal to Ukraine, Scandinavia and the Balkans. In Russia, the gray wolf lives everywhere, except for Sakhalin and the Kuriles. In Asia, animals are distributed from Korea, China and Hindustan to Afghanistan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. In North America, animals are found from Alaska to Mexico.

  • red wolf(Canis lupus rufus)

At first it was considered as an independent species (lat. Canis rufus), but DNA analyzes made it possible to consider it a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote.

These predators are smaller than gray relatives, but larger than coyotes, their size is from 1 to 1.3 m excluding the tail, and the growth of animals is from 66 to 79 cm. Seasoned wolves weigh from 20 to 41 kg. Red wolves are leaner and longer-legged than their gray relatives, with longer ears and shorter fur. The red color of the fur is characteristic of the inhabitants of Texas; other animals in color, along with red, have gray, brownish and black tones; the back is usually black.

The diet of predators consists mainly of rodents, raccoons and hares, hunting for large prey is rare. Insects and various berries act as secondary food, and carrion is eaten on occasion.

The red wolf is the rarest subspecies, its range, originally covering the eastern United States, was reduced to small areas of Texas and Louisiana, and in the 70s of the 20th century the red wolf was completely exterminated, with the exception of 14 specimens preserved in captivity. Thanks to efforts to restore the population, out of 300 bred individuals, about a hundred predators today live within the state of North Carolina.

  • tundra wolf(Canis lupus albus)

One of the especially large and poorly studied subspecies, outwardly similar to its close relative, the polar wolf, but somewhat inferior to it in size: the average weight of predators is about 42-49 kg. Although pure white wolves are found in the population, most individuals are gray-white and dark gray with no brown at all.

The developed massive jaws of the wolf with strong teeth make it possible to hunt large prey, although rodents and white hares are present in the diet.

Tundra wolves live throughout the tundra and forest-tundra of Europe and Siberia up to Kamchatka and the coast of the Arctic.

  • steppe wolf, or desert wolf(Canis lupus campestris)

Poorly studied species of predators of small size, with rather rare and rough fur of a grayish-ocher color.

Desert wolves inhabit the steppe and desert landscapes of Central Asia, including the Kazakh steppes and southern Russia: Ciscaucasia, the Caspian lowland, the Ural region and the Lower Volga region.

  • Eurasian wolf, he is European, steppe, Carpathian, Tibetan or to Chinese wolf, also called common wolf(canis lupus lupus)

Outwardly, the predator resembles the North American subspecies, but its fur is denser and shorter. The growth of mature males in the shoulders is about 76 cm with a body weight of 70 to 73 kg.

The smallest individuals inhabit Eastern Europe, the most massive are found in the north of Russia. The color of wolves is monochromatic or includes various combinations of gray, white, black, red and beige, and the most brightly colored specimens live in Central Europe.

The diet of European wolves depends on the area and consists mainly of medium and large prey, such as saigas, chamois, moufflons, deer, roe deer, wild boars, and even bison and yaks. Predators do not disdain smaller animals, catching hares and frogs, and in the absence of food, they feed on waste from slaughterhouses in garbage dumps.

The Carpathian wolf is considered a particularly common subspecies of the common wolf and is found in a significant range that runs through Eurasia through Western Europe, the Scandinavian countries, Russia, China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and the Himalayas.

  • polar Wolf(Canis lupus tundrarum)

The closest relative of the European wolf and the completely extinct Japanese wolf. Adult males grow in length from 1.3 to 1.5 m, not counting the tail, and weigh about 85 kg, their height at the shoulders reaches 80-93 cm. The light fur of the polar wolf is extremely dense, adapted to survive in extremely cold climates and warming the beast during long hunger strikes.

Lemmings and arctic hare become the most accessible prey for predators; if the hunt is successful, the flock gets musk ox or reindeer.

The range of the species extends throughout the Arctic and undergoes slight fluctuations caused by the migrations of animals - the main food sources. The life span of a polar wolf is about 17 years.

Species: Canis rufus Audubon et Bachman, 1851 = Red wolf

Red (red) wolf - Canis rufus - was distributed in the southeast of C SHA, its distribution range reached southwest Texas and southwest Louisiana. Currently, there is a program for the introduction of red wolves to their former habitats.

Before the extermination of the population began, red wolves lived in the mountains, forests and wetlands of the lowlands. Currently, they live in separate mountainous areas or stay near swamps.

Red wolves differ from their closest relative Canis lupus in their smaller size and smaller proportions. The red wolf has longer legs and ears, the fur is shorter. Body length is 1000 - 1300 mm, tail - 300 - 420 mm, height at withers - 660 - 790 mm. Male red wolves are 10 percent larger than females.

The color is brown, red, gray and black, the back is usually black. The muzzle and limbs are reddish, the end of the tail is black. In winter, the red color dominates. The annual molt occurs in summer.

Red (red) wolves live in families in which the dominant pair breeds, other members of the group help raise offspring when the puppies reach one year and bring food for lactating wolves. Breeding occurs from January to March. Pregnancy lasts 60-63 days, there are 3-6 puppies in a litter (rarely - up to 12), which are born in the spring.

The life expectancy of a red wolf in nature is 4 years, there are cases When in captivity, red wolves lived up to 14 years.

The red (red) wolf is nocturnal in its hunting area, which protects from strangers. In a family group, in addition to the breeding couple and their young puppies, grown puppies gather that have not left the pack, sometimes families grow significantly.

Within the area, red wolves acquire dens - in pits under fallen trees, sandy slopes along river banks. There are practically no acts of aggression in the family, however, in relation to unfamiliar wolves, the owners of the site behave extremely unfriendly, as is customary for all wolves. The hunt can last 7-10 days, during which time the red wolves rummage around some area with of his hunting area, in case of failure, they move to another place. The howling of red wolves has something in common with gray wolves and coyotes.

In the diet of the red (red) wolf, there are rodents and other small mammals, which form the basis of the diet of this species. Other animals preyed on by red wolves are raccoons, white-tailed deer, marsh and other rabbits, pigs, rice rats, coypu, and musky rats. Carrion serves as an addition to the diet. In turn, red wolves can fall prey to other, larger predators or die in fights with other packs of red and gray wolves or coyotes. Young animals can become prey to alligators or wild cats.

Kingdom: Animals Phylum: Chordates Class: Mammals Order: Carnivores Family: Canids Genus: Wolves Species: Wolf Subspecies: Red wolf

Scientific name: Canis lupus rufus Audubon
Common name:
English–Red Wolf
Species Authority: Audubon & Bachman, 1851

Is under the threat of extinction. Appearance, see the description of the wolf. The length of the body including the tail is 140-165 cm. The length of the tail is 34-42 cm. The build is lighter than that of a wolf. The color of the hairline is reddish-brown, especially on the muzzle, ears and outer surfaces of the limbs. There are dark colored specimens.

By the time the first Europeans arrived in America, red wolves inhabited what is now the United States from Central Texas to the Atlantic coast and from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Ohio Valley and Southern Pennsylvania. By the end of the 1970s, purebred red wolves were believed to have survived only in southeast Texas and the surrounding areas of Louisiana. They are probably gone by now.

Formerly inhabited by forests and coastal prairies. They currently live in coastal prairie swamps. Active at night. They feed on small mammals: rabbits, squirrels, muskrats, as well as crustaceans and insects.

The decline in numbers is caused by habitat change and human persecution. Of particular danger is hybridization with coyotes. Deforestation and development of territories for agriculture allowed coyotes to spread east from their original range and the once existing gap between coyotes and red wolves by the beginning of the 20th century. disappeared. Protected by law.


Photo Credit: Tim Ross - Own work, Public domain

IUCN assessment information

2004 - Critically Endangered (CR) 1996 - Critically Endangered (CR) 1994 - Endangered (E) 1990 - Endangered (E) 1988 - Endangered (E) (in danger) 1986 - Endangered (E) (in danger) 1982 - Endangered (E) (in danger)
Distribution area Photo: Author: & - & , CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org
/w/index.php?curid=32079545
Literature (source): Sokolov V.E. Rare and endangered animals. Mammals: Help, allowance. - M.: Higher. school., 1986.-519 p. l.