tions of red wolves in the wild, although some 

 genetically pure individuals may still exist (R. 

 Nowak personal communication). 



Any remaining red wolves are now restricted 

 to coastal marshes and prairies which are being 

 lost to industrial and urban expansion and to agri- 

 cultural development (Riley and McBride 1972). 



Other pressures include exploration and deve- 

 lopment of oil fields in Texas and Louisiana 

 which have made remote areas more accessible to 

 hunters and trappers (Pimlott and Joshn 1968). 

 Some red wolf habitat occurs in hunting preserves 

 and each year a few are killed by hunters (Riley 

 and McBride 1972). 



The few remaining red wolves are known to 

 be physically weakened by diseases and parasites 

 (Red Wolf Recovery Team 1973). Riley and 

 McBride (1972) found heartworms {Dirofilaria 

 immitis) to be present in all specimens examined. 

 Infestation increases with age due to constant ex- 

 posure to mosquito vectors. Animals over 3 years 

 of age are usually heavily parasitized, reducing 

 their tolerance to stress (Riley and McBride 

 1972). Other internal parasites include hook- 

 worms (Ancylostoma) which often cause death in 

 pups (Paradiso and Nowak 1972), and in adults 

 leads to anemia and conditions which foster low- 

 level infections (Lowery 1974). Tapeworms (Tae- 

 nia) and spiny-headed worms of the phylum 

 Acanthocephala are also found in red wolves, as is 

 the sarcoptic mange mite [Sarcoptes scabiei) 

 (Riley and McBride 1972). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



The red wolf is dog-like, averaging about 165 

 cm in total length for males and 145 cm for fe- 

 males. Weights of 14 specimens from Chambers 

 County, Texas, ranged from 19 to 28 kg (Riley 

 and McBride 1972). 



Pelage color is variable from tawny to grayish; 

 muzzle is light with an area of white around the 

 lips extending up the sides, leaving the bridge 

 with a tawny to cinnamon coloration. Light areas 

 also occur around the eyes on many red wolves. 



The Red Wolf Recovery Team has established 

 minimum sizes for the discrimination of red 

 wolves from coyotes and coyote X wolf hybrids: 

 male red wolves weigh between 22 and 36 kg, are 

 more than 134 cm long, have a hind foot length 

 of more than 22.8 cm, an ear length of at least 12 



cm, and stand at least 68 cm high at the shoulder. 

 Female red wolves weigh between 19 and 31 kg, 

 are more than 129 cm long, have a hind foot 

 length of more than 22 cm, an ear length of at 

 least 11.4 cm, and stand at least 66 cm high at the 

 shoulder (McCarley and Carley 1979). 



Pure coyotes are considerably smaller and 

 more "fox-like" than red wolves. 



Photographs appear in Carley (1975), Horan 

 (1977), Stevens (1977), Soileau (1977), and Ne- 

 ville (1978). 



RANGE 



Red wolves are presently restricted to Cham- 

 bers, Jefferson, and Galveston Counties of south- 

 eastern Texas and adjoining Cameron and Calca- 

 sieu Parishes of Louisiana (Carley 1975). 



They formerly occurred from central Texas 

 eastward to the coasts of Florida and Georgia, 

 and along the Mississippi River Valley north to 

 central Illinois and Indiana (Hall and Kelson 

 1959). 



RANGE MAP 



Shaded areas on the following page indicate 

 former and present distribution (C. Carley per- 

 sonal communication). 



STATE/COUNTIES 



Louisiana: Calcasieu, Cameron. 



Texas: Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson. 



HABITAT 



Red wolves formerly inhabited dense moun- 

 tain and bottomland forests, as well as coastal 

 prairies and marshes (lUCN 1966, Pimlott and 

 Joslin 1968, Lowman 1975). They are now 

 restricted to coastal prairies and marshes with 

 scattered pine islands (Riley and McBride 1972), 

 although Nowak (1972) indicates that red wolves 

 move to inland forests during the spring and sum- 

 mer months. 



The primary habitat requirement appears to 

 be heavy vegetative cover. Cover provided along 

 bayous and in overgrown fallow fields supplies 

 the primary resting and denning areas. Wolves 

 forage out into open fields and marshes using 

 access roads, dikes, canal levees, and cattle walk- 

 ways (Carley 1975). 



Photographs of the habitat may be found in 

 Riley and McBride (1972). 



