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THE RED WOLF
The Red Wolf used
to occur all over the south east and central south of
the United States. Its range extended from Texas
to Florida, and north to Missouri. It has rusty
colored fur, and differs from the gray wolf not only
in color but in size and build. The red wolf rarely
weighs more than about 60 pounds. It is a much more
slender animal.
In 1969 the Red Wolf was facing extinction
so 14 animals were taken into captivity. These were
take to the Port Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma,
Washington. From these several hundred have been bred
and the Red Wolf has been released back into the wild.
The exact status
of the Red Wolf as a species has been questioned. Genetic
studies have shown that all the surviving Red Wolves
had as an ancestor a female Coyote and it has been suggested
that Red Wolves are really a hybrid between the Gray
Wolf and the Coyote. However some obviously Gray Wolves
also have Coyote ancestry and the matter is far from
resolved.
What ever the conclusion,
this shy and beautiful creature has a place in the ecosystem
as a predator and is deserving of conservation.
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