The red wolf [2] ( lat. Canis lupus rufus [3] [4] , or lat. Canis rufus [5] ) is a predatory mammal of the wolf family.
| Red wolf |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
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| International scientific name |
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Canis lupus rufus Audubon & Bachman , 1851 |
| Synonyms |
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- Canis rufus Audubon et Bachman, 1851 [1]
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| Area |
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| Security status |
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Endangered SpeciesIUCN 3.1 Critically Endangered : 3747 |
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The taxonomic status of the red wolf is debatable. He is considered either a subspecies of the gray wolf , or an independent species , or a product of the natural hybridization of the gray wolf and coyote , which has taken place over the past several thousand years [6] .
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 XX century, due to extermination, destruction of the habitat, 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 20th century, red wolves in nature had finally disappeared, and only individuals remained in zoos and nurseries. Since 1988, work has been ongoing to bring red wolves back to their natural habitat — the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee .
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Red wolves differ from their closest cousin, the gray wolf, in smaller sizes. The red wolf is slimmer, it has longer legs and ears, and the fur is shorter. However, it is larger than the 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.
In the fur color there is a red, brown, gray and black color. The back is usually black. The muzzle and extremities are reddish, the end of the tail is black. The red color, due to which the species got its name, prevailed among the Texas populations. Red fur also dominates in winter. Annual molting occurs in the summer.
In the way of life, the red wolf is close to the ordinary wolf . Initially, they lived in forests, on swampy lowlands, and in coastal prairies; led a nocturnal lifestyle . Now red wolves are re-populated in remote mountain and boggy areas.
Red wolves have fewer flocks than gray ones; they consist of a family (breeding) couple and its offspring, both young and grown. Sometimes families grow significantly. In the family, there are practically no manifestations of aggression, however, against unfamiliar wolves, family members are unfriendly.
The food of the red wolf is composed mainly of rodents (including nutria and muskrat ), 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 flocks, alligators or cougars [7] . Young animals are hunted by predators such as red lynxes .
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 offspring and bring food for lactating she- wolves.
The breeding season lasts from January to March. Pregnancy lasts 60-63 days; in the litter an average of 3–6 puppies (rarely up to 12), which are born in spring. Females arrange lairs in pits under fallen trees, in sandy slopes, along river banks. Both parents are involved in the offspring; puppies become independent at 6 months.
The average lifespan of a red wolf in nature is 8 years; in captivity, they survived to 14 years.
The red wolf is listed in the International Red Book with the status of “Critically Endangered Species” ( 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 and measures were taken to save it. The entire current population of red wolves has descended from 14 individuals held in captivity. There are now approximately 270 individuals left in the world, 100 of which were released in North Carolina .
Traditionally, there were three subspecies of the red wolf, two of which became extinct.
- Canis rufus floridanus became extinct by 1930 ,
- Canis rufus rufus declared extinct in 1970 ,
- Canis rufus gregoryi in nature became extinct by 1980 .
- ↑ Catalog of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist
- ↑ Sokolov V.E. The pagan dictionary of animal names. Mammals Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / edited by Acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Rus. lang., 1984. - S. 94. - 10,000 copies.
- ↑ Canis lupus rufus Archived July 21, 2015.
- ↑ Wilson DE & Reeder DM (eds). Mammal Species of the World . - 3rd ed. - , 2005. - Vol. 1. - P. 743. - ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 . OCLC 62265494 .
- ↑ Canis rufus (English) according to the United Taxonomy Information Service (ITIS).
- ↑ Wolf Biology
- ↑ Robert H. Busch. The Wolf Almanac: A Celebration of Wolves and Their World . - Globe Pequot, 2007-01-01. - 290 s. - ISBN 9781599210698 . Archived on June 5, 2016. Archived June 5, 2016 on the Wayback Machine
