The Florida red wolf (Canis lupus floridanus) was a subspecies of the red wolf which is believed by some to be a direct descendent of Edward's wolf the first North American canine clearly identifiable as a wolf. The Florida Red Wolf which was identified as the red wolf subspecies Canis rufus floridus in 1912 by zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller was also known as the Cottontail red wolf and the Black wolf. They were usually found either in pairs or small family groups rather than in packs.