Red wolf [CR]
Canis rufus
[Scientific name]
Waya
[Cherokee]
Loup rouge
[French]
Lobo rojo
[Spanish]
The red wolf (Canis rufus) is the most endangered canid, with them being the only species assessed as Critically Endangered. They are intermediate in size between the coyote and grey wolf and have been considered a fertile hybrid between the two species. Historically, they ranged across most of the south-eastern United States, but are now largely restricted to federal public lands in Dare County, North Carolina. This species was considered extinct in the wild but is currently the subject of intensive conservation programs to help restore their numbers and reintroduce them.
POPULATION TREND
DECREASING
HABITAT & ECOLOGY
Forest • Grassland • Human modified • Inland Wetlands • Shrubland