Few people have ever heard the lonesome howl of an eastern timber wolf. Only a small number of them still live in Wisconsin , one of just seven states in the country were wolves exist in the wild. timber wolves, also called gray wolves , are the largest wild members of the dog family. Males are usually bigger than females. Timber wolves have silvery gray-brown backs, light tan under parts, and bushy tails. In winter their fur becomes thicker on the neck,shoulders, and rump. Wolves are big the female is about 60 to 80 pounds. The male is about 70 to 100 pounds. When they are born wolf pups are 1 pound. They are full grown in 9 months.

 In 1967 the red wolf was listed as an endangered species. This means it is in danger of becoming extinct.

Before then the red wolf lived as far north as Pennsylvania and as far west as Texas. Like the gray wolf, the red wolf was driven from its area by hunters. By 1930, only two groups of red wolves are still there; one in the Ozarks Mountains of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, and the other in south Louisiana and south Texas. Almost extinct only a few decades ago, the red wolf has begun to recover with the help of breeding and reintroduction programs.

The red wolf got its name from the red color of the head, ears, and legs. Its color can range from very light tan to black. It weighs 45 to 80 pounds. The red wolf is smaller than the gray wolf and larger than the coyote. Also, the head is broader than the coyote's but more narrow than the gray wolf's. The red wolf's most noted features are its long ears and legs.

 

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The photos on this Web Site are provided by permission of Jim Verzella.