00:00Beyond Wolves, the diverse wild canids thriving across North America.
00:06When people think of wild dogs in North America, they usually picture wolves first.
00:11Gray wolves, red wolves, huge packs moving through forests and mountains.
00:18But wolves are only part of the canid story.
00:22North America is full of wild dog relatives that survive in deserts, cities, tundra, grasslands, forests, islands, and farmland.
00:31The coyote may be the most successful.
00:35Smaller than a wolf, but unbelievably adaptable, it has spread across much of the continent, living near farms, suburbs, deserts,
00:42and even major cities.
00:44The red fox is the classic trickster.
00:47With a bright coat, sharp face, and bushy tail, it hunts rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, and whatever opportunity gives it.
00:56The gray fox is stranger than people realize.
00:59It can climb trees, using hooked claws to escape danger or reach food.
01:05The swift fox belongs to the open plains.
01:08Small, fast, and low to the ground, it survives in grasslands where speed and hiding matter.
01:14The kit fox is built for desert life.
01:18Big ears help release heat, and its small body lets it move through dry, open country with less energy.
01:24The arctic fox is the cold weather specialist, wrapped in thick fur and able to survive brutal northern conditions.
01:31The island fox is found only on California's Channel Islands, making it one of America's most unique wild canids.
01:38And the San Joaquin kit fox, a rare subspecies, reminds everyone that even tiny wild dogs can become conservation symbols.
01:49These animals are not wolves pretending to be small.
01:52They are their own survival stories.
01:55Some hunt alone.
01:57Some live near people.
01:59Some vanish into snow.
02:01Some slip through desert night.
02:04Together, they proved the dog family is far more than one famous predator howling at the moon.
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