Red wolf

The red wolf (Canis rufus/Canis lupus rufus), also known as the Florida wolf or Mississippi Valley wolf is a canid of unresolved taxonomic identity native to the eastern United States. It is generally, morphologically, an intermediate between the coyote and gray wolf, and is of a reddish, tawny color.

Red wolves were likely the first New World wolf species encountered by European colonists and were originally distributed throughout the eastern United States from the Atlantic Ocean to central Texas, and in the north from the Ohio River Valley, northern Pennsylvania and southern New York south to the Gulf of Mexico. The red wolf was nearly driven to extinction by the mid-1900s due to aggressive predator control programs, habitat destruction and extensive hybridization with coyotes. By the late 1960s, it occurred in small numbers in the Gulf Coast of western Louisiana and eastern Texas. Fourteen of these survivors were selected to be the founders of a captively bred population, which was established in the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium between 1974 and 1980. After a successful experimental relocation to Bulls Island off the coast of South Carolina in 1978, the red wolf was declared extinct in the wild in 1980 in order to proceed with restoration efforts. In 1987, the captive animals were released into North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, with a second release taking place two years later in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Red Wolf (disambiguation)

The red wolf (Canis rufus) is a mammal of the order Carnivora

Red wolf can also refer to:

Red Wolf (comics)

Red Wolf is the name of a number of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The different characters are Native American heroes with mystical powers and have a trusted wolf companion named Lobo.

Publication history

Red Wolf is Marvel's first Native American superhero. The William Talltrees version of Red Wolf first appeared in the story "The Coming of Red Wolf!" published in Avengers #80 (cover-dated Sept. 1970), and was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. The character appeared also in the next issue. Shortly afterward, Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee began prominently incorporating minorities and female characters into the Marvel lineup. The character became the star of the nine-issue series Red Wolf (May 1972 - Sept. 1973). The stories delved into American Indian culture and were set in the Old West. These adventures featured Johnny Wakely in issues #1-6 and Thomas Thunderhead in #7-9, both Red Wolf predecessors of William Talltrees. The Wakely version lives in the late 19th century and appeared in subsequent comic books about the Old West. The Thunderhead version lives in the 1970s and was never used again.