Where are red wolves from?
Unlike grey wolves, red wolves are not residents of northern cold environments. Rather, they are native to the southeastern portion of North America, which has a more temperate climate due to its lower latitude and elevation. Over time, the habitat and range of the red wolf has changed dramatically due to environmental factors and human causes.
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Header Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Header Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DID YOU KNOW:
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The geographical range of the red wolf has decreased dramatically since anti-predator measures and habitat loss decimated their population centuries ago.
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Habitat
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In the past, red wolves inhabited any number of areas such as mountainous regions, plains, woods, and swamps. Today, red wolves primarily inhabit the marshy, wooded areas of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Albemarle Peninsula in northeastern North Carolina. Due to extreme habitat loss, this is the only remaining place where larger numbers of red wolves live in the wild. This habitat has many rivers, marshes, and heavily wooded areas as well as farms, roads, and a military bombing range. Image source: United States Fish and Wildlife Service This silent video of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge shows the general environment of the Albemarle Peninsula region.
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Original video source and information here. Audio is disabled for copyright and relevance reasons.
Range
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The historical range of the red wolf stretched from around modern-day New York to Florida and out west to about mid-Texas (see image). Today, wild red wolf range is limited to Tyrrell, Dare, Hyde, Washington and Beaufort counties in northeastern North Carolina, USA. Image source: Mitch R. |
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is the location of the Red Wolf Recovery Area in northeastern North Carolina. Check out the accordion below to learn more about this diverse and complex region!
GEOGRAPHY AND LANDMARKS
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in northeastern North Carolina (often called simply the Albemarle Peninsula) is the hub of red wolf conservation efforts in the wild. As the location of numerous wildlife refuges, it serves as a key location for restoration efforts to take place.
MAP
Troubleshooting: If the map is only partially visible, try clicking and dragging it to the right spot. If you cannot view all of the map, try logging in to Google and/or refreshing the page.
TERRAIN
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Due to the fact that it is surrounded by bays and other waterways that connect to the Atlantic Ocean, the terrain of the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula consists of a mix of numerous ponds, marshlands, lakes, rivers, creeks, and canals. In drier areas there are farmlands, small towns, and even a U.S. Navy bombing range.
Videos of public demonstrations of military exercises at the Dare County Bombing Range can be seen here and here. Public demonstrations no longer take place, and the range is closed to the public as it is now owned and operated by Northrop Grumman Corporation, an aerospace engineering firm contracted by the U.S. military. |
Image source (Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge from above): United States Fish and Wildlife Service
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COUNTIES
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Beaufort County, Dare County, Hyde County, Tyrrell County, and Washington County all lie at least partially on the Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula. Dare County is the location of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
Image source (counties on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula): United States Census Bureau via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) |
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NOTABLE TOWNS
These are some of the largest towns and townships on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula. The towns of Kitty Hawk, Manteo, and Nags Head are also nearby on Roanoke Island and the North Carolinian Outer Banks.
Remnants of the Buffalo City ghost town are also within the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
NOTABLE AREAS
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is the location of numerous wildlife refuges, game lands, and reserves. You can find the largest ones listed here.
BODIES OF WATER
There are many waterways, swamps, lakes, and other water-related geographical features in and around the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula. While this list has 160 entries, there are still numerous unnamed natural and human-made waterways that crisscross the landmass.
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CLIMATE
Reviewing the climate and weather patterns of the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is important when attempting to understand the habitats that red wolves live in today. Below are some useful tools designed to help put the local climate into perspective.
LIVE WEATHER MAP
Click "Play" at the top of the map to see a live weather radar of the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula area!
CURRENT FORECAST
Weather forecast in Columbia, NC. Click for more information (goes to external website).
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL
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The graph at right from U.S. Climate Data details the average temperatures and rainfall values in Columbia, North Carolina, which is used on this page as a benchmark location for the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula near the red wolf recovery area.
Average temperatures in this area range from approximately 30°F to 50°F (0°C to 10°C) in January to approximately 70°F to 90°F (21°C to 32°C) in July (values have been rounded). Average rainfall is at its lowest in November at just over 3 inches (7.5 cm), and at its highest in July at just over 6 inches (15 cm). In summary, the Summer months on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula tend to be hot and rainy, while Spring and Fall tend to be drier and cooler. This trend can checked for momentary accuracy at any time by looking at the current forecast on the widget above. |
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EXTREME WEATHER
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FLOODING
Due to the fact that there are numerous marshlands, rivers, lakes, and creeks on the Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula, the area is susceptible to flooding. Large storms and possible sea level rise due to climate change have the potential to exacerbate this situation.
Image source: Public Domain |
THUNDERSTORMS
The coastal nature of the Albemarle Peninsula means that it is a hotspot for thunderstorms during the warm months. These storms can bring with them heavy rains and flooding, and can be indications that stronger tropical storms and even hurricanes are on the way.
Image source: Public Domain via Pixabay |
HURRICANES
The Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula's location on the eastern North American coast puts it in the potential path of hurricanes. These giant storms can bring with them great storm surges and flooding, as well as strong winds that can pose risks to both wild and human life.
Image source: Mike Trenchard, Earth Sciences & Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center via Wikimedia Commons. |
ECOLOGY
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula region is home to an incredibly diverse range of ecosystems full of many types of plants, animals, and aquatic life. Listed below are some of the most notable examples.
NOTABLE ANIMALS
NOTABLE BIRDS
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NOTABLE FISH AND MARINE LIFE
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INSECTS IN NORTH CAROLINA
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Click the button below to visit insectidentification.org and learn about some common insects found throughout the state of North Carolina.
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COMMON PLANTS
- Sources: United States Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and The Secret World of Red Wolves by T. Delene Beeland (pages 8, 9, 11, 17, 45, 53, and 81).
- Additional information about the birds listed above as well as other North Carolinian birds can be found here.
- Additional information about the plants listed above as well as other North Carolinian coastal plants can be found here.
- An alternate explanation of everything above can be found here.
- You can also learn about local efforts to protect these ecosystems here.
- Top image source: Pixabay (Creative Commons). This image was used to build the theme of ecology, and is not necessarily a representation of any specific North Carolinian habitat.
HISTORY
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula region is extremely rich in history with notable events dating back centuries. To fully understand the environment in which red wolf recovery efforts occur, it is useful to be aware of the heritage of the area and to be respectful of its past. The following timeline is designed to aid in gathering historical knowledge, and covers events from 2.6 million years ago to today. Please note that some information is from sources that are compiled from other subsources, such as Wikipedia.
Residents of Buffalo City, NC., a logging municipality which later became a ghost town. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).
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WHEN |
WHAT |
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Beginning 2.6 million years ago |
"The topography of the lower coastal plain [forms] during the Ice Ages of the last 2.6 million years.” |
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25,000 years ago |
“At the beginning of the last Ice Age… sea levels [fall] to about 400 feet below today’s present levels.” |
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18,000 years ago |
The average temperature begins to rise again. |
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1585 |
The first English settlement at Roanoke Island is created on the North Carolinian outer banks near the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula. It later disappears leaving no trace save the word "CROATOAN" carved in a tree. |
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1586 |
European explorers pass through the sound. |
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1672 |
As the population grows due to persecuted Quakers and other lower-class settlers coming south from Virginia, explorer and translator Nathaniel Batts makes a treaty between settlers and natives limiting English expansion. The treaty mandated that the area south of the Albemarle Sound (namely the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula) was to belong to the natives. |
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1677 |
Culpeper’s Rebellion takes place to the north of the Peninsula in response to the Lord Proprietor’s enforcement of the British Navigation Acts that required all colonial imports to be bought from the British. |
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1710 |
The Province of Carolina is divided into a northern half and a southern half. |
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1712 |
The region becomes part of the Province of North-Carolina. It is commonly referred to simply as “North Carolina.” |
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1729 |
North Carolina becomes an official royal colony. |
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1763 |
The Great Dismal Swamp is drained. |
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1776 |
In July, North Carolina becomes a state in the United States of America. |
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1838 |
Lake Landing Canal is dug on the eastern side of Lake Mattamuskeet. This was the first of four canals built over time that have been used to control the water level of the lake to maintain the surrounding ecosystem. Other nearby lakes also gained canals throughout the 1800’s. |
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1864 |
The confederate ironclad warship CSS Albemarle engages in multiple naval battles with Union ships in the Albemarle Sound. It survives every battle until October, when it is sunk in a guerrilla attack. |
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1890 |
The John L. Roper company begins lumber operations at Lee’s Mill by Kendrick Creek in the northwestern region of the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula. |
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1963 |
The Pungo National Wildlife Refuge is established in the eastern part of the peninsula. It is later merged into the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. |
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1984 |
The Alligator National Wildlife Refuge is established in the northeastern portion of the peninsula near Roanoke Island. |
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1990 |
The Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is established in the eastern part of the Peninsula. |
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TODAY |
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is an ecologically diverse region with numerous industries, towns, and protected natural areas. |
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INDUSTRY AND DEMOGRAPHICS
The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is home to many rural communities and towns with smaller populations and natural resource-based economies. Below is a summary of the economic and demographic qualities of the area.
INDUSTRY INFORMATION
Industry on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is focused on agriculture and lumber.
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AGRICULTURE
Agriculture on the peninsula primarily revolves around sweet potatoes, dry beans, soybeans, tobacco, cotton, poultry, and pigs.
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FORESTRY / LUMBER
Forestry and logging operations on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula primarily involve lumber from pine trees.
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Information Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
Image Sources: Pixabay (Creative Commons) (Soybeans - Agriculture) (Forestry/Lumber)
Image Sources: Pixabay (Creative Commons) (Soybeans - Agriculture) (Forestry/Lumber)
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Check out the website below or visit this link to get a quick insight into the population that lives in and around the Red Wolf Recovery area!
Controls:
Any Option: Right-Click | Back: Alt + Left Arrow | Forward: Alt + Right Arrow | Refresh: Control + R
Note: Information includes Dare County's Outer Banks and a part of Beaufort County that is not on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula.
Troubleshooting: If this website is not visible, try refreshing the page, or visiting the alternate link at the top of this section instead.
Source: United States Census Bureau
Any Option: Right-Click | Back: Alt + Left Arrow | Forward: Alt + Right Arrow | Refresh: Control + R
Note: Information includes Dare County's Outer Banks and a part of Beaufort County that is not on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula.
Troubleshooting: If this website is not visible, try refreshing the page, or visiting the alternate link at the top of this section instead.
Source: United States Census Bureau
Information sourced from the Red Wolf Coalition and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.. All other sources listed where applicable.
