My animal for Adopt a Species is the Texas Red Wolf or the Canis Rufus. It used to be common to Texas and the southeast United States. It is slightly smaller than its cousin the Gray Wolf. It was label extinct in the wild in 1980. It was formally added to the endangered species list on March 11, 1967. Today they are listed as a critically endangered species. They come from the kingdom Animalia, the phylum Chordata, the class Manimalia, the order Carnivora, the family Canidae, genus Canus, species Canis Rufus.
The Red Wolf has again started being reintroduced to the wild thanks to captive breeding programs. The Red Wolf was native to areas with forest, swamps, wetlands, agricultural lands, and bush lands, their diets include rodents, deer, and other small animals. They were almost driven to extinction due to human contact, land development, and hunting. The ones currently in re-introduced areas appear to be thriving and are considered extremely healthy when they are captured and evaluated. Full grown wolves reach up to 4.5 feet in head and body length and can weigh over 75lbs.
The gestation period for this vertebrate in breeding is between 60 to 63 days, and the females’ average between 3 and 6 pups. The Red wolves prefer to live in packs that normally include the breeding pair and their offspring. The older animals in the pact usually work together to protect and care for young pups.
The red wolf is a glacial period survivor. Evidence of their existence shows their former range from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts to the Ohio River valley down to Texas and west into Missouri. There is current argument as to whether the Red Wolf is its own species derivative of a wolf coyote ancestor of the Ice Age, or whether it is a derivative of the Gray Wolf.
This animal would not be much use to a Bio-prospector in their small numbers. Any useful good or product that can come from them would be short lived. As a gauge of global warming that well could be judged by these animals. The areas they are capable of surviving in are wooded or wetland areas, and with drought conditions and continued warming their range would move north taking them closer to the North pole and far from their original ranging area.
References:
Web: Earth’s Endangered Species/ Red Wolf
Web: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services/ Red Wolf
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