Wolf, Red
Scientific Name: Canis rufus
Classification: Endangered
Abundance: Experimental Non-essential
(in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties)
The red wolf was extensively killed throughout its range in North America for many years, primarily to protect livestock. Europeans settling in the New World brought with them an ingrained fear of wolves.
We know today that wolves as predators help maintain the overall health of the populations of prey species they feed upon. In 1987, the red wolf was introduced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists as part of an experiment to examine the feasibility of restoring the population in the wild.
The size of the red wolf falls somewhere between the coyote and the gray wolf.
The red wolf is lankier than the gray wolf, and its legs are longer and more slender, enabling it to move about and maneuver easily in its southern habitat.
Color varies somewhat among red wolves, though it is usually a combination of cinnamon buff or tawny, or cinnamon red, with gray or black on the back and tip of the tail. The red wolf’s undersides vary in color from near white to a pinkish buff.
Red wolves inhabit upland and bottomland forests, coastal prairies, swamps and marshes. These animals require dense vegetation to protect denning sites and resting areas.
The red wolf is secretive and mostly nocturnal with much of its activity concentrated around dawn, dusk and early evening. During the winter, however, it frequently becomes more diurnal. Hunting is usually centered around a promising area within its larger home range (8 to 30,000 acres),
Their diet typically consists of White-tailed deer, raccoon, rabbits, nutria and smaller rodents. Wolves also eat carrion, and seasonally rely on insects, berries and other plants.
No Hunting Season
No Trapping Season
Federal Officials Seek Assistance in Investigation of Red Wolf Death (US Fish and Wildlife Service news release, December 2016.)
Protected Species of North Carolina (PDF)
Before You Shoot...Know the Difference between a Red Wolf and Coyote
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| Red Wolf | Coyote |
| Color: Due to the high variation in coloration and body size overlap between the species, it can be very difficult to distinguish between coyotes and red wolves in the field. We have provided typically representative examples for both species, but there exists substantial variation between both coyotes and red wolves. | |
| Red Wolf Size: 4 to 5 feet long nose to tail (taller, larger, heavier than a coyote) | Coyote No more than 3 feet (slimmer than a red wolf) |
| Weight: ~40 to 80 pounds | 20 to 30 pounds on Albemarle Peninsula |
| Features: Wide head, broad muzzle, long legs with large feet, ears that are proportionally smaller than the head | Narrow head, long and pointed muzzle, long legs but slim, smaller feet, ears that are proportionally larger than the head |
| Additional Information: Federally protected under the Endangered Species Act • State listed as a Threatened Species • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working towards collaring all known red wolves with bright orange collars to help the public distinguish them. Keep in mind that currently less than half of the red wolves have orange collars. • If a red wolf is shot, you must report within 24 hours to: - 855-496-5837 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) - 800-662-7137 (NCWRC) | • Refer to Small Game & Other Seasons for coyote hunting regulations. • The Canid Cooperator Program is collecting data on coyotes taken in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell or Washington counties: - Participate by pulling a tuft of hair from the harvested coyote - Mail it along with a data sheet, available at ncwildlife.org/coyote |