Reading - Part 1

Read the text. Fill in each gap with ONE word. (The word must come from somewhere else in the text.)

Red wolf

The Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is the most endangered of all the (1) species. It has a smooth reddish coat, a silvery-grey forehead, long ears and long legs. They are similar in size to a German shepherd dog. The red wolf belongs to the canidae family, which includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyote and domestic dogs. Red wolf packs usually contain between 2 and 10 members. Red wolves eat smaller ground-dwelling (2) such as rabbits and rodents. They also hunt together as a group in order to catch a larger animal such as a deer. (3) wolves generally hunt alone or in small packs. They communicate by howling, scent marking, facial expressions and body movement. Red wolves are nocturnal animals. Red wolves inhabit forests, wetlands, coastal prairies and mountains. They make their dens in hollow trees, stream banks and sand knolls. The female red wolf gives birth to a litter of 4-6 pups. The (4) are born blind and are nursed by the rest of the pack until they are able to (5) for themselves. They will either remain with their parents or leave to start a pack of their own. Today, about 50 red wolves exist in the wild and about 200 live in zoos and breeding facilities. Predators of the red wolf include wolves, coyotes, and humans. Red wolves are one of the most (6) animals in the world.