Rank Subspecies | Scientific name Canis lupus floridanus Higher classification Gray wolf Order Carnivores | |
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Similar Gray wolf, Gregory's wolf, Canis, Newfoundland wolf, Kenai Peninsula wolf | ||
Florida black wolf facts
The Florida black wolf (Canis rufus floridanus), also known as the Florida wolf and the black wolf, was a subspecies of the red wolf, Canis rufus, though this has been contested in recent years, that lived in Florida. This subspecies became Extinct in 1908 due to crowding out of its habitat and hunting.
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Extinct or Alive The Florida Black Wolf
Species controversy
It was once thought of as a subspecies of the red wolf, which primarily lived in Texas, and that a variation in its coloring led to the creation of the Florida black wolf. A red colored species, known as the Florida red wolf, once resided in Florida as well, though it also became extinct in 1921. It was believed that both species, instead of being a subspecies of the red wolf, were actually a type of coyote, which led to the change in the Trinomial name to Canis niger niger. However, this change was invalidated by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in 1957, as it stated that the Florida black wolf, along with the red wolf and Gregory's wolf were actually not related to any known species, or the relation cannot be proven.
