The present population was reintroduced by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) because in 1980 red wolves had become extinct in the wild. Today, however, it only lives in protected areas in North Carolina. Historically, the red wolf's range extended from southern Texas to Pennsylvania. The red wolf ( Canis rufus) is classified as critically endangeredon the IUCN Red List. If you want to know where Eurasian wolves live here is an article on the habitat of the Eurasian wolf. There are small numbers of the endangered Mexican wolf subspecies in Arizona and New Mexico. They are also fairly common in the western Great Lakes states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the Unites States gray wolves can be found in the northern Rocky Mountain states (especially Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) and occasionally in the Pacific northwest where wolves have been sighted in California, Oregon and Washington. Each subspecies of the gray wolf has evolved and adapted to living in its particular habitat and region of the world. The Indian wolf lives on the plains of peninsular India, whereas theAlaskan tundra wolf lives along the arctic coast. The African golden wolf, on the other hand, is better adapted to living in semi-arid savannas or in rocky areas at the edge of the desert. For example, theIberian wolf is distributed in forests, plains and mountainous pockets of the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal), while the British Columbia wolf is found near the coasts of western Canada and parts of Alaska. This has increasingly displaced wolf populations towards more forested or remote areas.ĭifferent subspecies of the gray wolf live in specific regions and ecosystems. Gray wolf numbers have been suffering at the hands of human beings, who also occupy many of the habitats the wolves live in. Currently, there are smaller populations in North America, Europe and Asia. columbianus)įormerly, the gray wolf was distributed throughout North America and Eurasia, occupying all habitats (plains, deserts, tundras, taigas and forests) except the high mountains. These are just a few well known gray wolf subspecies: There are around 19 recognized subspecies of the gray wolf. familiaris): the domestic dog is closely related to the gray wolf, but there are still gaps in the research that make it difficult to determine if it is a subspecies or separate species from the wolf. pallipes subspecies of gray wolf, the Indian plains wolf is considered to be genetically unique. Indian plains wolf ( Canis indica): although falling within the C.lycaon): this is another debated species, with contesting claims of it being either a subspecies of the gray wolf or an independently evolved species of wolf. Eastern or Algonquin wolf ( Canis lycaon or C.rufus): there is some debate as to whether the red wolf is a different species or a subspecies with a mix of gray wolf and coyote DNA. African golden wolf ( Canis anthus): there have been debates as to whether this wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf or the golden jackal, but it is presently considered a separate species in its own right.Gray/grey wolf ( Canis lupus): this is the most common type of wolf, and most other wolves are considered subspecies of the gray wolf.Here are some well known and often debated types of wolves: There are less differences between subspecies than between species. A subspecies is a group of individuals of the same species that share a distribution, habitat, history, morphology or specific behaviors. Some that have been regarded as separate species are now considered hybrids (the result of reproduction that mixes two different species) or subspecies of the gray wolf. There is widespread debate among taxonomists about the classification of wolf species. They are social animals that live in packs of about 5 to 10 wolves led by an alpha couple, consisting of a mating male and female. Wolves are also the largest species within the Canis group. Wolves have slightly longer legs than other canids, allowing them to move faster.
On their front feet, they have a vestigial fifth toe that is reduced and does not reach the ground. In addition, like other canids, wolves walk on four toes without their heels touching the ground. Canids are characterized by their elongated snouts, upright ears and non-retractable claws. Wolves are part of the biological family canidae.
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