Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

(Photo by: Earth First!)

The Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

By 1970, this canid was driven to the brink of extinction, and it was at this time, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gathered the last 14 red wolves remaining in the southeastern United States. These 14 individuals made it possible for Canis rufus to become the first species to be reintroduced after being declared virtually extinct in the wild. Though the reintroduction was considered a great success, the red wolf is considered critically endangered today, with only 75-100 individuals remaining in North Carolina. 

The red wolf is smaller than a gray wolf (Canis lupus) but a bit larger than the coyote (Canis latrans), weighing in on average at about 45-80 lbs. Red wolves are technically carnivores, but they are able to survive on a variety of prey/food items. Berries, insects, smaller mammals such as raccoon, rodents, and even mid sized ungulates like white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are all on the menu for these canids. 

The historical range of Canis rufus extended from Texas to as far north as Pennsylvania. As mentioned above, only a small population of red wolves can now be found in North Carolina. Typically, red wolves prefer forested areas, prairies, or even swamps. 

Red wolves are primarily nocturnal are able to communicate with the rest of the pack using facial expressions, body postures, and vocalizations (howling, yipping, etc.). They are able thrive as solitary predators, but like other canids, they will also hunt in packs. Typically, the size of the pack and/or litter size is dependent on prey availability. 

Links: 

Red Wolf

Red Wolf - basic facts

Red Wolf Recovery Program

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)

Commonly known as the Mountain Lion, Puma, or Cougar, Puma concolor is a large and powerful cat native to the Americas (North, Central, and South). This highly adaptable predator can be found in a wide variety of habitats including tropical jungles, alpine forests, and desert plains. In these given habitats, mountain lions often make use of the terrain during hunting sessions. Outcroppings of rock, boulders, and steep passages often aid these cats in their stalk-ambush approach to hunting. 

Puma concolor  is considered to be a large, apex predator weighing in at about 136 lbs (62kg). Their total body length (from head to base of tail) ranges from about 3.25 - 5.25 ft. (1 to 1.6 m), with their tails reaching about 23.5 to 33.5 in (60 to 85 cm) in length. 

Mountain Lions rely heavily on deer and other ungulates as a food source, but they will also eat meso-predators such as coyotes or raccoon. As mentioned above, Puma concolor is a stalking predator. These solitary hunters prefer to hunt at night or during the early morning hours. Mountain Lions typically ambush their prey, inflicting a fatal bite to the back of the prey's neck. The Cougar's canines pierce into the flesh at the base of the skull, wedging between the vertebrae and forcing them apart.  This, in turn, severs the prey's spinal cord. After a successful kill, Puma concolor typically remain near the location where the prey was killed, returning to both feed upon the carcass and protect it from scavengers. 

Like many large predators,  Mountain Lions are now considered endangered in their native range. Due to over-hunting and habitat loss, about 30,000 remain in the wild today.