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The North American Red Wolf
Although it has been suggested that the red wolf (Canis rufus) originated as a fertile cross between gray wolves and coyotes, the red wolf may
have existed in North America before both the gray wolf and the coyote. Fossils up to 750,000 years old indicate that the red wolf may be a
close relative to a primitive ancestor of the North American canids.
The red wolf is similar to but smaller than the gray wolf and is intermediate in many characteristics between gray wolves and coyotes. It often
interbreeds with the coyote, and because of this, it is believed that the red wolf may eventually become extinct by hybridization, rather than by man.
It ranges in size from 15" to 16" shoulder height, 55-65" in length, and can weigh anywhere from 40 to 90 pounds. Its colors range from cinnamon red
to almost black, with tan markings above the eyes. It feeds mainly on birds, rabbits, and other small rodents, but will
also hunt deer and other large prey if available.
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