Red Wolf
Canis rufus
The world's most endangered wolf, a family-pack hunter that now lives in the wild only in eastern North Carolina.
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About the Red Wolf
Red wolves once lived from Texas to New York. Today, wild red wolves are found only in coastal prairies and marshes of eastern North Carolina. A red wolf stands about 26 inches tall and weighs 45 to 80 pounds. Packs are family groups of about five to eight wolves. Red wolf pairs stay together for life and have pups in April or May.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Canis rufus[1]
- Size
- About 26 inches tall at the shoulder and about 4 feet long from nose to tail tip.[1]
- Weight
- About 45 to 80 pounds.[1]
- Diet
- Carnivore. White-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, rodents and nutria, about 2 to 5 pounds a day.[1]
- Habitat
- Coastal prairie and marsh.[1]
- Where it lives
- Once from Texas to New York. Now only in eastern North Carolina in the wild.[1]
- Group life
- Family packs of about five to eight wolves. Pairs bond for life.[1]
- Babies
- Pups are born in April or May. Fewer than half survive to adulthood in the wild.[1]
- Conservation status
- Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).[2]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- pack
- A family group of wolves that live and hunt together.
- pup
- A baby wolf or dog.
- captive breeding
- Raising animals in zoos or centers to help their numbers grow.
- marsh
- Low, wet land covered with grasses and reeds.
- critically endangered
- A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.
See it in person
- Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · North AmericaSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Sources
- [1] U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Red wolf (Canis rufus).” https://www.fws.gov/species/red-wolf-canis-rufus (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Canis rufus (Red Wolf).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3747/163509841 (accessed 2026-10-02)
Facts last checked 2026-10-02.
