Fun Florida Black Wolf Facts For Kids

Do you like to know about different animals and their facts? Then this article about the Florida black wolf (Canis lupus floridanus)  is for you, also known as the Florida wolf or the black wolf which lived in Florida. Florida black wolves are a subspecies of red wolves as the color of the coat of the Florida black wolves is black. They were officially declared extinct in 1934 and they have not been seen in the wild since 1908 and no one has witnessed them lately as well. They used to hunt in small packs and were found in pine forests and prairie habitats, and they mostly liked to prey on deer for their diet. Florida black wolves were seen as dangerous animals because of their appearance, and they used to attack unsuspecting travelers.

The Florida black wolf (canis lupus floridanus) at one time regarded as a subspecies of the red wolf, which was also native to Texas. Another subspecies of the red wolf, which was known as the Florida red wolf, also lived in Florida but went extinct in 1921. At that time, there was a belief that both these species were not a subspecies of red wolf but were actually a type of coyote. As a result, their scientific name was changed to Canis niger. But these changes were invalidated by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in 1957. They announced that the red wolf, Florida black wolf, and Gregory's wolf were actually unrelated to each other.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about the Florida black wolf (Canis lupus floridanus) for your perusal. Afterwards, check out our other articles on gray wolf facts and Italian wolf facts.

What type of animal is a Florida black wolf?

The Florida black wolf (canis lupus floridanus) is a type of wolf which belongs to the family of Canidae and lived in Florida. The threats to their lives have made them extinct. The Florida black wolf (canis lupus floridanus) is also known as the Florida wolf and the black wolf. It is not a subspecies of the red wolf nor is actually a type of coyote. Rather, the black wolf, and the grey wolf are closely related to dogs.

What class of animal does a Florida black wolf belong to?

Florida black wolf (canis lupus floridanus) belongs to the class of mammals and is an extinct subspecies of Canis lupus that lived in Florida. Florida black wolf is known as the Florida wolf or black wolf. Contrary to popular belief, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in 1957 declared that the red wolf, Florida black wolf, and Gregory's wolf were not related to each other and were not a subspecies of coyote. The black wolf, and the grey wolf are closely related to dogs.

How many Florida black wolf are there in the world?

There is no information as to how many Florida black wolves there are in the world as the species falls under the category of extinct. The Florida black wolf, along with the Florida red wolf and Gregory's red wolf were actually not related to any known species of coyote, which was the popular notion at that time.

Where does a Florida black wolf live?

The Florida black wolf used hunt in small packs like their other cousins of the northern area and are believed to have lived in pine forests and prairie habitats. It is understood that this species went extinct due to loss of habitat and hunting.

What is a Florida black wolf's habitat?

Florida black wolves habitat consisted of pine forests and prairie habitats. Florida black wolf species usually hunted in small packs.

Who do Florida black wolf live with?

Florida black wolves lived and hunted in small packs instead of living alone or in pairs. They were considered to be a subspecies of the red wolf but later it was established that the Florida black wolf is not a subspecies of the red wolf.

How long does a Florida black wolf live?

The average lifespan of a Florida black wolf is said to be 6-8 years, whereas they live for 17 years in captivity. The lifespan of Florida black wolves is dependent on various factors which determine the lifespan as well as the lifecycle of the species accordingly. The species that are in captivity live for a longer period of time compared to the ones who live in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Florida black wolves mated once a year, usually in the season of early spring with their partners. The male mounts the female from the behind, and the actual exchange of the sperm would take place after about two to five minutes when the male will stop and twist around. The male and the female would be in a tie up for about half an hour. After the mating was done, the female got pregnant and then gave birth to her little ones.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of Florida black wolves is known to be extinct. The subspecies became extinct in 1908 but was declared extinct in 1934. This species went extinct due to loss of habitat and hunting. The Florida black wolf, along with the Florida red wolf and Gregory's red wolf were not actually a type of coyote, which was the popular notion at that time., rather they are related to modern day dogs.

What do Florida black wolf look like?

Florida black wolves are now extinct. They were small framed, and light-footed, with large ears , and a coat that was jet black in color. They are also known as Florida wolf or black wolf and were a subspecies of gray wolf. They are extinct subspecies of Canis lupus which was endemic to Florida.  The color of their eyes was green in color and varied differently in the other species. John James Audubon drawing is about all we have left of this majestic animal. Florida red wolf, Florida black wolf, and Gregory's wolf were actually unrelated to each other, contrary to the popular thought at that time.

How cute are they?

The black wolf of Florida was not cute as they looked dangerous because of their menacing appearance. People were scared to even see the black wolf of Florida from a far off place.

How do they communicate?

The Florida black wolf used to communicate through their sense of smell through the use of chemical messages. Chemical messages are known as pheromones.

How big is a Florida black wolf ?

Florida black wolf were medium in size as compared to other species. The size of the Florida black wolves varied according to their diet, eating habits, and other factors which determined the size of the Florida black wolf. The average size of the Florida black wolf was 76 in (193.04 cm).

How fast can a Florida black wolf run?

The Florida black wolf could run at a speed of 36-38 mph (57.9-61.1 kph) for short bursts in order to chase their prey. Florida black wolves tend to run faster when they see predators approaching.

How much does a Florida black wolf weigh?

The weight of the Florida black wolf was dependant on the food that they ate and how their eating habits were. The weight of Florida black wolves varied from one to another. Their estimated weight range was 97-194 lb (43.9-87.9 kg) depending on the size of the same.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name for the male and female species of Florida black wolf. They were known as male Florida black wolf and female Florida black wolf respectively.

What would you call a baby Florida black wolf ?

A baby Florida black wolf would be known as a pup.

What do they eat?

The diet of the Florida black wolf comprised of small rodents and they did not require a horde of wolves to hunt their prey. They also used to hunt deers sometimes as a part of their diet.

Are they dangerous?

Yes, before extinction, Florida black wolf were known to be dangerous in nature as they would hunt livestock, compete with the settlers for the wild game, and sometimes also attack unsuspecting travellers.

Would they make a good pet?

No, they would not have made good pets as they were not meant to be kept as pets in the house and were known to be dangerous to humans before their extinction due to hunting. They were aggressive in nature and were known to attack human beings, hence were subject to hunting by the human settlers which ultimately led to their extinction.

Did you know...

The Florida black wolf are said to exist in the wild by some, but there are no chances that anyone can witness it. There is a possibility that a gray wolf might have mated with a black wolf which led to the color variant in black wolves.

The Florida black wolf had very few natural predators in the wild.

Florida black wolf is also known as the Florida wolf and the black wolf.

The Florida black wolf, along with the Florida red wolf and Gregory's red wolf, were actually not related to any known species of coyote, which was the popular notion at that time.

What kind of wolves live in Florida?

The species that live in Florida are the red wolves which live in the coastal prairies, forests, and swamps; there are no gray wolves in wildlife in Flordia. Earlier, Florida black wolf used to live in Florida, but due to factors like loss of habitat and hunting, the species became extinct and are not found in Florida. Florida red wolf, Florida black wolf, and Gregory's wolf were actually unrelated to each other as per latest status on these species.

What is the difference between black wolf and coyote?

The Florida black wolf and coyote have different facial characteristics. The coyote has a snout that is narrow on the left side, a nose pad that is small in size, and ears that are large and are relative to its head size, whereas the Florida black wolf has a snout that is broad on the right side, nose pad that is large, and ears that are small and relative to its head size.

Contrary to popular belief, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in 1957 declared that the red wolf, Florida black wolf, and Gregory's wolf were not related to each other

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these greater bilby facts and American foxhound facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our florida black wolf coloring pages.

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*Please note, this is an image of a black wolf more generally. If you have an image of the Flordia black wolf, do let us know at [email protected]

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