What is the common name of the extinct wolf subspecies that lived in Florida?

The common name of the extinct wolf subspecies that lived in Florida is the Florida black wolf.

Scientifically known as Canis rufus floridanus, it is generally classified as an extinct subspecies of the red wolf. It was native to Florida and the southeastern United States and was noted for its distinctive black coat. It was also considered the largest red-wolf subspecies, reaching about 165 centimetres in body length.

The animal’s classification has changed over time. Naturalist William Bartram described a black wolf in 1791, while the subspecies was formally described in 1912. For a period, taxonomists placed it under different scientific names, but a 1957 ruling rejected Canis niger because Bartram had not used consistent binomial nomenclature. The accepted classification eventually became Canis rufus floridanus.

“Florida wolf” and “black wolf” are also used as common names. It should not be confused with the red wolf as a separate species, the Texas gray wolf, or the eastern wolf; modern references generally treat it as a red-wolf subspecies.