Red Wolf Research Paper

While most modern Americans are most familiar with the gray wolf, when Europeans first colonized the New World, the red wolf was likely the first wolf species that they came in contact with. Moreover, since the red wolf was the first wolf species that the colonists came into contact with, it was also the first to be persecuted (Hinton et al.). The consequences of this first interaction have ricochet across history as the red wolf was hunted to extinction in 1980. Even now, after extensive interventions to breed the wolves in captivity and reintroduce them, the red wolf is till an endangered species (“Red Wolf” 2017). The red wolf, or Canis Rufus, is a cousin to the gray wolf; however, the red wolf is smaller and thinner than the gray wolf. Their color is gray-black, but they also have a reddish color which reflects their name (“Red Wolf” 2017). In terms of size, the red wolf is between gray wolves and coyotes (“Red Wolf (Canis Rufus)”). They have a height of about 26 inches (at the shoulders), a length of 4.5-5.5 feet (including the tail), and weight of 50-80 pounds. Their lifespan is 6-7 years in the wild but up to 15 years in captivity (“Red Wolf” 2017). The red wolf is now

For example, they sometimes eat insects and berries (“Red Wolf” 2017). Generally, they hunt deer and smaller mammals such as raccoons, rabbits, and rodents. Also, they travel up to 20 miles within their territory searching for prey (“Red Wolf” nd). As previously mentioned, the red wolves historical range throughout the southeast has now dwindled to just small portions of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida (“Red Wolf (Canis Rufus)”). Still, red wolves can live in a variety of habitats, from forests to swamps to coastal prairies (“Red Wolf” nd). Because red wolves can live in many different habitats, there main limiting factors are the amount of prey and human interactions within those