Home ranges are formed and a portion of the home range becomes the exclusive territory of a pack. Red wolves are primarily a nocturnal species. Status: captivity 14.0 years Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Status: captivity 20.0 years Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Status: wild 16.0 years Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research ( Nowak and Paradiso, 1991 Wilson and Ruff, 1999) Most individuals live to about 4 years, though one captive individual was recorded at 14 years old (Wilson & Ruff 1999, Nowak 1991). post-independence association with parents.The young are cared for, nursed, and sheperded through their first year of life. Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 1 yearsīoth males and females participate in rearing the young in the den, as well as other pack members.Breeding season Breeding occurs between January and March.gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate).However, litters of up to 12 pups can occur. The gestation period is 60-63 days, with average litters of 3-6 pups occurring in the spring. ( Nowak and Paradiso, 1991 Wilson and Ruff, 1999)īreeding season extends from January to March. Other pack members assist in raising young and obtaining food for lactating females. The dominant male and female pair are solely able to reproduce within a pack. An annual molt takes place in the summer (Wilson & Ruff 1999, Nowak 1991). In winter, the reddish element of the pelage is dominant. The muzzle and limbs are tawny and the tail is tipped with black. Red wolves usually have upperparts that are a mixture of cinnamon, tawny, and gray or black, while the back is normally blackish. Among red wolves, males average 10 percent larger than females. Red wolves have a total length between 10 mm, tail length of from 300 to 420 mm, and shoulder height of 660 to 790 mm. Red wolves are distinguished from their nearest relative, Canis lupus, by their smaller size, relatively narrower proportions, longer legs and ears, and shorter fur. Presently, red wolves survive mainly as small relict and reintroduced populations in inaccessible swampland and mountainous terrain (Wilson & Ruff 1999, Nowak 1991). ( Nowak and Paradiso, 1991 Wilson and Ruff, 1999)īefore becoming endangered, red wolves inhabited mountains, lowland forests, and wetlands. Presently, red wolves are being reintroduced into areas of their historical range-Alligator River in North Carolina, and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina (Wilson & Ruff 1999, Nowak 1991). Formerly the range of red wolves included most habitats of the southeastern United States, however this species range was reduced in historic times to extreme southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana.