1. The Red Wolf

2. Who Am I? Scientific names: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. rufus

3. Species: Canis Rufus
Canids diverged from other carnivores around 60 million years ago.
Taxonomy status is widely debated
Genetic and Morphological evidence has suggested that the red wolf is a unique species
Some sources claim that Mitochondrial DNA analyses don’t show them as a separate species from gray wolves or coyotes but that they could be a hybrid.

4. Geographic Range Historical Range & Population:
Were throughout the Southeastern U.S
Pennsylvania to Florida and to the west as far as Texas
Forests, wetlands, swamps, and bushlands
The exact number of wolves was not recorded until the 1970s when it was believed that there was to be fewer than 100.
Today’s Status:
Wild populations are located about 1.7 million acres of northeastern North Carolina

5. Why Endangered? Extrinsic:
By the 1960s the population of red wolves had dramatically declined and in 1973 were declared an endangered species.
Extrinsic:
Habitat loss due to woodlands being cleared for agriculture
Trapped and killed
Intrinsic:
Hybridization has been a threat as isolated individuals crossbreed with the Canis Latrans (a related coyote)

6. Recovery Plan and Status
In 1987 there was an efficient number of Red Wolves breed in captivity to start the restoration. Fourteen of the last seventeen purebreed wild wolves were captured and then used in a breeding program. About 100 red wolves are living in their natural habitat as of now due to the program.
Conservation:
Efforts and awareness began in 1967
Reintroduction of captive-bred Red Wolves
This map shows the historical range and founding source population.

7. MLA Sources
"Fact Sheet Red Wolf." Defenders of Wildlife. Defenders of Wildlife, Web. 12 Dec.
2013. <
"Phylogeny of Canid Species." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, Web. 12 Dec <
"Phylogeny." Bioweb. Web. 12 Dec <
"Red Wolf Recovery Program." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. Web. 12 Dec <
Wayne, Bob. "Red Wolves: to Conserve or not to Conserve." Canid News. Web. 12 Dec <