FACT SHEET ON ENDANGERED SPECIES:
Red Wolves:
BASIC FACTS: Red wolves are an endangered species. They have red, white and gray fur. They are mostly nocturnal animals. These wolves are a smaller and a little more slender cousin of a gray wolf.
DIET: Red wolves eat berries, rabbits, birds, & other small rodents, and occasionally, they eat deer. They may also eat dead animals.
BEHAVIOR: Mostly nocturnal, although sometimes comes out in the day, especially winter. They usually make their dens along stream banks in large burrows of other animals, under hollow logs, or tree stumps. They form packs to hunt.
POPULATION: They were almost hunted to extinction, but thanks to some helpful programs, there are currently a little more than 100 red wolves in the wild. That is still only a small amount.
RANGE: In the past, red wolves ranged throughout the southeastern United States, from Florida, to Pennsylvania, to as far as Texas, but today, they roam more than 1.7 million acres through Northeastern North Carolina.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE PACK: Red wolves hunt in packs. Only the Alpha male and female in a pack mate. They mate from February through March. After 2 months, the female gives birth to a litter that contains a number of 2- 10 pups. The Alphas care for the cubs, while other pack members help care for the cubs, and bring food to the female.
DIET: Red wolves eat berries, rabbits, birds, & other small rodents, and occasionally, they eat deer. They may also eat dead animals.
BEHAVIOR: Mostly nocturnal, although sometimes comes out in the day, especially winter. They usually make their dens along stream banks in large burrows of other animals, under hollow logs, or tree stumps. They form packs to hunt.
POPULATION: They were almost hunted to extinction, but thanks to some helpful programs, there are currently a little more than 100 red wolves in the wild. That is still only a small amount.
RANGE: In the past, red wolves ranged throughout the southeastern United States, from Florida, to Pennsylvania, to as far as Texas, but today, they roam more than 1.7 million acres through Northeastern North Carolina.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE PACK: Red wolves hunt in packs. Only the Alpha male and female in a pack mate. They mate from February through March. After 2 months, the female gives birth to a litter that contains a number of 2- 10 pups. The Alphas care for the cubs, while other pack members help care for the cubs, and bring food to the female.
Black -Footed Ferrets:
BASIC FACTS: Black- footed ferrets are part of the weasel family. It is the only native ferret to America. They have tan bodies, with black legs & feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. These ferrets have large front paws. Their claws are made for digging. Their legs are very small. Black -footed ferrets have big skulls, strong jaws, and nice, sharp teeth that are made for eating meat.
DIET: Black-footed ferrets eat Prairie dogs, ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits, and birds! They have quite an appetite for their size.
POPULATION: Their population used to be in the tens of thousands, but diseases & destruction of their own habitat lowered their population to nearly extinction in the 1900's. In 1986, the remaining number of their kind was 18 black- footed ferrets! In 2008, there are 750 Black -footed ferrets in the wild. 250 more are living in captive breeding facilities.
BEHAVIOR: They eat, sleep, and raise their young in abandoned Prairie dog burrows. 90% of the time, they are underground. They hunt prairie dogs at night & Sleep during the day. They are mostly nocturnal.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE KITS:
Baby Black-Footed Ferrets are called kits. Kits are blind & hopeless and stay beneath the ground until they are about 2 months old. Average litter = 3-4 kits, ranges from 1-7 kits.
DIET: Black-footed ferrets eat Prairie dogs, ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits, and birds! They have quite an appetite for their size.
POPULATION: Their population used to be in the tens of thousands, but diseases & destruction of their own habitat lowered their population to nearly extinction in the 1900's. In 1986, the remaining number of their kind was 18 black- footed ferrets! In 2008, there are 750 Black -footed ferrets in the wild. 250 more are living in captive breeding facilities.
BEHAVIOR: They eat, sleep, and raise their young in abandoned Prairie dog burrows. 90% of the time, they are underground. They hunt prairie dogs at night & Sleep during the day. They are mostly nocturnal.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE KITS:
Baby Black-Footed Ferrets are called kits. Kits are blind & hopeless and stay beneath the ground until they are about 2 months old. Average litter = 3-4 kits, ranges from 1-7 kits.
Ethiopian Wolf:
BASIC FACTS: Weight: 11- 20 grams. Shoulder height- 53-63 cm. People usually are mistaken to think that they are a fox or jackal. These medium- sized wolves have very long legs, and a muzzle that is a little more pointed than other species of wolves. Usually, the older they get the darker their pelt color becomes. There fur color consists of browns, reds, and some white.
DIET: Ethiopian wolf's diet is mainly small rodents. Even though they live in packs, they do not hunt together, so they usually stick to animals that they can manage to capture on their own.
BEHAVIOR: They are much less aggressive than many other wolves. When it comes to getting along with other packs, they are still territorial, but not to the extreme.
POPULATION: Using an educated guess, people say there are about 550 adult Ethiopian wolves remaining in the wild. Because of their movements, it is hard to accurately count the number of their population. Even though they are protected by law, in Ethiopia, people have no sources of food except these endangered Ethiopian wolves.
A LITTLE ABOUT THEIR PUPS: Their litters of pups consist of a number of up to 6 at a time. When a male is born into a pack of Ethiopian wolves, he will remain with it for the rest of his life. Females leave when they are about 2 years old so they can find another to mate in. Ethiopian wolves are one of the few species that allow other pairs to mate that are not the Alpha or Beta.
DIET: Ethiopian wolf's diet is mainly small rodents. Even though they live in packs, they do not hunt together, so they usually stick to animals that they can manage to capture on their own.
BEHAVIOR: They are much less aggressive than many other wolves. When it comes to getting along with other packs, they are still territorial, but not to the extreme.
POPULATION: Using an educated guess, people say there are about 550 adult Ethiopian wolves remaining in the wild. Because of their movements, it is hard to accurately count the number of their population. Even though they are protected by law, in Ethiopia, people have no sources of food except these endangered Ethiopian wolves.
A LITTLE ABOUT THEIR PUPS: Their litters of pups consist of a number of up to 6 at a time. When a male is born into a pack of Ethiopian wolves, he will remain with it for the rest of his life. Females leave when they are about 2 years old so they can find another to mate in. Ethiopian wolves are one of the few species that allow other pairs to mate that are not the Alpha or Beta.
Island fox:
BASIC FACTS: A small species, usually compared with a domestic house cat. It's closest relative is the gray fox, and it is 16-18% smaller than it's ancestor. Adult Island foxes are 12-13 inches high at their shoulder, from nose to tail tip it's 23-27 inches long. It weighs 3-6 lbs. Females are a little bit smaller than males. Their specific colors are from the gray fox. They have grizzled gray on top of the back & head, orange-brown on neck, legs & belly, marsh mellow white along throat & cheeks leading to the chest. They have a dark, black stripe along the top of the tail.
DIET: They eat both meat and plants. Their diet consists of fruit from plants, insects, reptiles, and island deer mice. The stuff they eat depends on the season.
BEHAVIOR: They run quickly over grasslands & hillsides which help them catch prey. They can be very good climbers by turning their front paws inward, so that means they can climb trees to eat berries and get into bird nests. They have been spotted trying to find dropped fish in Bald Eagle nests. They are active both day & night, and usually hunt at dusk. They have great vision in both light & dark areas. When other foxes cross their territory, they make a yipping or barking noise at them, trying to drive them away. They don't always go away without a fight. This can be serious, involving injuries like torn & ripped ears, wounds in legs, or even in a more serious case, death!
A LITTLE ABOUT THE PUPS: 1-5 pups ( depends on food sources) are born in late April. When pups are born, their size is the size of 2 double A batteries. In the den, they stay getting cared for from their parents until the early June. The parents educate them on how to hunt & find food in the Summer. They grow up fast. Pups head out to find their own territory in September. Males tend to head out to find to find their site of territory, while the females may stay in their parent's territory for a while longer.
DIET: They eat both meat and plants. Their diet consists of fruit from plants, insects, reptiles, and island deer mice. The stuff they eat depends on the season.
BEHAVIOR: They run quickly over grasslands & hillsides which help them catch prey. They can be very good climbers by turning their front paws inward, so that means they can climb trees to eat berries and get into bird nests. They have been spotted trying to find dropped fish in Bald Eagle nests. They are active both day & night, and usually hunt at dusk. They have great vision in both light & dark areas. When other foxes cross their territory, they make a yipping or barking noise at them, trying to drive them away. They don't always go away without a fight. This can be serious, involving injuries like torn & ripped ears, wounds in legs, or even in a more serious case, death!
A LITTLE ABOUT THE PUPS: 1-5 pups ( depends on food sources) are born in late April. When pups are born, their size is the size of 2 double A batteries. In the den, they stay getting cared for from their parents until the early June. The parents educate them on how to hunt & find food in the Summer. They grow up fast. Pups head out to find their own territory in September. Males tend to head out to find to find their site of territory, while the females may stay in their parent's territory for a while longer.
Mexican wolf:
BASIC FACTS: These wolves were on the very edge of extinction, and it took people a while to bring their population up. They are still endangered though. It is a subspecies of the gray wolf, and it is the most endangered type of wolf on Earth! Their color is gray, with light brown areas running down it's back. They have sleek bodies, and long legs that help them run fast. They are very fluffy- pelted wolves.
DIET: Mexican wolves eat large hoofed animals like mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk. Small mammals are part of their diet too, like ground squirrels, rabbits, and mice.
POPULATION: Before 1998, Mexican wolves were not in the U.S., and only a few roamed New Mexico, that was the only place there were any of this species. In 1998, they were bred in captivity, and got introduced to Arizona. Only about 300 Mexican wolves were in captivity.
BEHAVIOR: Mountain forests, shrub lands, and grasslands are some particular places that Mexican wolves like to live in. They are a very social species, and live in packs. Only the alpha female and male in the pack mate. They hunt in packs.
PUP FACTS: A litter contains 4-7 pups. All of them are born defenseless and blind. For about 10 months, the pack must care for them until they mature.
DIET: Mexican wolves eat large hoofed animals like mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk. Small mammals are part of their diet too, like ground squirrels, rabbits, and mice.
POPULATION: Before 1998, Mexican wolves were not in the U.S., and only a few roamed New Mexico, that was the only place there were any of this species. In 1998, they were bred in captivity, and got introduced to Arizona. Only about 300 Mexican wolves were in captivity.
BEHAVIOR: Mountain forests, shrub lands, and grasslands are some particular places that Mexican wolves like to live in. They are a very social species, and live in packs. Only the alpha female and male in the pack mate. They hunt in packs.
PUP FACTS: A litter contains 4-7 pups. All of them are born defenseless and blind. For about 10 months, the pack must care for them until they mature.
Dhole:
BASIC FACTS: Adult dholes are 35" long (not including the tail.) They weigh 26-44 lbs. They are red- brown, with large, rounded ears, their tails are darker, and they have light or white markings on their chest, foreneck, and undersides. Their fur can consist of colors like sandy beige, cinnamon orange, or charcoal grey. Their size can be easily compared to a border collie. Females weigh 22-29 lbs, while males weigh from 33-44lbs. Dholes have 40 teeth, but other canines have 42 teeth.
DIET:Even though they are afraid of humans, dholes can kill prey that is 10 times their normal size- like wild boar, water buffalo, and even tigers! They hunt mainly for deer, goats, wild sheep, and even smaller animals like insects, rodents (like mice), birds, and rabbits. They let their pups eat first when they have prey, kind of like an African Wild Dog.
BEHAVIOR: They live in habitats like evergreen & deciduous forests, thorn forests, and grassland & scrub forests in India. They are extremely social, and they live with packs that consist of 10-40 dogs. There are often less females and more males in a pack. ( not counting pups!) There is usually a pair in the pack that give birth to pups. the entire pack must help care for & feed the pups. In about 3 years, the pups begin to mature, and the females go off to create another pack. Dholes are really great swimmers & they can jump 7 feet in the air! When they hunt, they use whistles & yips to communicate. They also use body language, growls, clucks, mews, whines, and even screams! They life up to about 10 years. When hunting, a few pack members wait, while the others force the prey to dholes who are positioned for attack. Sometimes they surround the prey, and attack, and they may even drive the prey into a nearby river or lake to slow it's speed so they can catch it. They hunt in small packs.
POPULATION: There are approximately about 2,500 dholes total. They are an endangered species. They roam near the Jungles of Asia.
PUP INFORMATION: Female dholes give birth to about 5-12 pups a litter. The pups begin to hunt when they are 1 month old. They begin to sprout up to adult size when they are about a year and a half old.
DIET:Even though they are afraid of humans, dholes can kill prey that is 10 times their normal size- like wild boar, water buffalo, and even tigers! They hunt mainly for deer, goats, wild sheep, and even smaller animals like insects, rodents (like mice), birds, and rabbits. They let their pups eat first when they have prey, kind of like an African Wild Dog.
BEHAVIOR: They live in habitats like evergreen & deciduous forests, thorn forests, and grassland & scrub forests in India. They are extremely social, and they live with packs that consist of 10-40 dogs. There are often less females and more males in a pack. ( not counting pups!) There is usually a pair in the pack that give birth to pups. the entire pack must help care for & feed the pups. In about 3 years, the pups begin to mature, and the females go off to create another pack. Dholes are really great swimmers & they can jump 7 feet in the air! When they hunt, they use whistles & yips to communicate. They also use body language, growls, clucks, mews, whines, and even screams! They life up to about 10 years. When hunting, a few pack members wait, while the others force the prey to dholes who are positioned for attack. Sometimes they surround the prey, and attack, and they may even drive the prey into a nearby river or lake to slow it's speed so they can catch it. They hunt in small packs.
POPULATION: There are approximately about 2,500 dholes total. They are an endangered species. They roam near the Jungles of Asia.
PUP INFORMATION: Female dholes give birth to about 5-12 pups a litter. The pups begin to hunt when they are 1 month old. They begin to sprout up to adult size when they are about a year and a half old.
Fennec Fox
BASIC FACTS: Fennec foxes are the smallest species of foxes on Earth. If well cared for, They can live up to 14 years, and weigh about 2.2 to 3.3 lbs. It's big ears are 6 inches long, which are researched to be from a bigger relative. They are vanilla-cream yellow, with cream-white on their stomach, paw tips, muzzle, and inside the ears. They have a cinnamon color between their ears and on their ears. They have a black-tipped tail. Fennec foxes also have black eyes, bat-like ears & a short muzzle. This species has slender legs. They have hairy feet, which act like little snowshoes to protect them from very hot sand.
DIET: Fennec foxes eat plants, insects, rodents, eggs, and reptiles. They can also go for a while without water.
POPULATION: They are hunted down for their fur, therefore, their accurate population is unknown. They usually live in the Sahara dessert, or some other parts in North Africa.
BEHAVIOR: Fennec foxes are mostly nocturnal animals, although they do sometimes like to lay in the sun. They can be like cats, purring when they are happy. They live in groups of around 10 foxes, and are very social animals. They live in warm climates, and shiver if it's below 68 degrees. When disturbed, they use their scent glands on the tip on their tail to give off an odor. Fennec foxes can be a little aggressive. They live in underground dens. this species of fox likes to dig, so they have little feet that act as if they were shovels to help with that.
DIET: Fennec foxes eat plants, insects, rodents, eggs, and reptiles. They can also go for a while without water.
POPULATION: They are hunted down for their fur, therefore, their accurate population is unknown. They usually live in the Sahara dessert, or some other parts in North Africa.
BEHAVIOR: Fennec foxes are mostly nocturnal animals, although they do sometimes like to lay in the sun. They can be like cats, purring when they are happy. They live in groups of around 10 foxes, and are very social animals. They live in warm climates, and shiver if it's below 68 degrees. When disturbed, they use their scent glands on the tip on their tail to give off an odor. Fennec foxes can be a little aggressive. They live in underground dens. this species of fox likes to dig, so they have little feet that act as if they were shovels to help with that.