Species: red wolf

The red wolf (Canis lupus rufus) is a North American wolf and once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States. Its natural range extends from Texas to Florida. Scientists suggest that red wolf populations were extirpated from the wild and are now highly endangered.

The red wolf has a brownish or cinnamon pelt, with grey and black shading on the back and tail. Its muzzle is white furred around the lips. Black specimens are recorded, but these are probably extinct. It molts once annually every winter. It has large ears which help dissipate heat in the hot and humid climate of the south-eastern United States.

Taxonomy currently places the red wolf as a subspecies of grey wolf (C. lupus) and is thus treated the same here for tagging purposes. Should the proposal of the species C. rufus be accepted then this will change.