American Red Wolf

American Red Wolves are brown and buff in color, with some black along the back and tail and a reddish tint on the ears, head, and legs. They are smaller than Gray Wolves, standing about 26 inches tall and around 4 feet long on average, and usually weigh between 45 and 85 pounds. They have a broad head and muzzle, pointed ears, and long, slender legs built for distance and speed. These wolves have been known to travel up to 20 miles a day in search of food and can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour in short bursts.

American Red Wolves can live in a variety of habitats, including dense mountains, bottomland forests, marshes, swamps, and coastal prairies. They were once found across a large part of the southeastern United States, from central Texas to southern Pennsylvania and down to Florida. Today, the only known wild population lives in eastern North Carolina’s Albemarle Peninsula.

American Red Wolves are generally solitary hunters and often feed on raccoons, rabbits, mice, and other small mammals. When hunting as a pack, they are capable of taking down larger prey such as white-tailed deer. An adult Red Wolf can eat up to five pounds of food in a day.

American Red Wolves mate for life, and breeding pairs usually have pups once a year in late winter or early spring. Pups are typically born in April or May and are kept in well-hidden dens. These wolves are highly social and live in close- knit family packs, usually made up of a breeding pair and offspring from multiple years. Older siblings often help care for younger pups until they are old enough to leave and find mates and territory of their own. American Red Wolves live an average of 7 years in the wild and can live up to 15 years in human care.

SPEED, SURVIVAL & ADAPTATION Built for endurance, American Red Wolves are strong travelers and efficient hunters. Their long legs help them cover large distances, especially when searching for food across wide territories. They are also closely related to Coyotes and can interbreed with them, which has created challenges for conservationists trying to protect the species in the wild.

Red List: Near Threatened

Green Status: Critically Depleted