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Red Wolf. Endangered Species. Critically Endangered. According to the USA Wildlife Service, the Red Wolf is one of the most endangered animals in the world. Once a top predator of the food chain ranging across the Southeast USA, only 100 wolves were alive in the 1970s
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Red Wolf Endangered Species
Critically Endangered • According to the USA Wildlife Service, the Red Wolf is one of the most endangered animals in the world. • Once a top predator of the food chain ranging across the Southeast USA, only 100 wolves were alive in the 1970s • This is the Red Wolf story.
Evolutionary History and Range • Paleontological evidence suggested wolves first appeared as a separate species about 1-2 million years ago, branching from a wolf-coyote ancestor • Between 150,000–300,000 years ago, the North American branch evolved into the Red Wolf. It may not be a true species; rather, the Red Wolf is possibly a cross between a Gray Wolf and a coyote. The Red Wolf survived when it became isolated from other species of wolves • The original geographic distribution of the Red Wolf included much of South-Eastern North America including Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana and parts of Texas
Facts • The Red Wolf is a large carnivore mammal. An adult can grow to a length of 4.5 feet and can weigh up to 35 kilograms • Red wolves live in a variety of habitats including swamps, forests, wetlands and bush lands • Their diet consists of rodents, rabbits and other small mammals, as well as larger mammals such as deer
Interesting Facts • The Red Wolf is generally intermediate in size between a Grey Wolf and a Coyote. • A Red Wolf pup begins with a dark gray pelt. As it matures, the Red Wolf’s pelt becomes a cinnamon colour with a black tipped tail. • Scientific name is Canis rufus
Extinction • The Red Wolf was declared endangered in 1973 with only small, remnant wild populations found in remote parts of Louisiana and Texas. • By1980, the Red Wolf was officially extinct in the wild • The species was wiped out due to intensive human actions (e.g., hunting, predator control, forest clearing and other habitat destruction) • Only 17 wolf pairs survived in this period – all in captivity.
Reintroduction • A breeding program called the Red Wolf Species Survival Program was started, and by 1987, enough red wolves had been raised in captivity to start a reintroduction program in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. • The experimental repopulation area has been expanded to include three national wildlife refuges, government-owned lands and private property, totalling 1.7 million acres. • By 2011, the Red Wolf was successfully surviving in 21 states including much of its historic range and part of Northeastern and Northwestern USA
Ideas and Possible Solutions • Formal efforts, backed by the U.S Fish and the Wildlife Services, were began in 1973. To save the Red Wolf a breeding program was established • Reduce the amount of forest clearing and protect habitats in the historic range of Red Wolves • Introduce laws and rules to manage hunting in populated Red Wolf areas • Provide educational materials to schools and start an “Adopt-a-Red Wolf” program
Bibliography • http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?gr=M&mp=1&sp=938 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf • http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=red+wolf+pictures&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=571&tbm=isch&tbnid=QO2pTRUO7zgSlM:&imgrefurl=http://wallpapers-animal.blogspot.com/2009/12/red-wolf.html&docid=Onp7chweZjM6JM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lo8n1_ejGIc/SxB-7scM1TI/AAAAAAAAL_0/XJfVyxYrO4Y/s1600/r5.jpg&w=754&h=1159&ei=GvHVT_alB6Pp6gHmyvGGAw&zoom=1