Wolf Species
The Grey Wolf, which is also called the 'Timber Wolf' and is commonly referred to simply as the 'wolf', has numerous subspecies. Some sub species of wolf are quite rare and many are endangered species. Find out more about the Grey Wolf and its' numerous subspecies below, either click on the image or the name of the wolf:
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The Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus), also known as the 'Timber Wolf' was once in abundance and distributed over North America, Eurasia and the Middle East. However, because of human-related activity such as destruction of habitat and excessive hunting, Grey Wolves now only occupy a fraction of their former range.
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The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus),
is the rarest and most endangered of all the wolf species.The Red Wolf's original distribution included much of eastern North America, where Red Wolves were found from Pennsylvania in the east, Florida in the south, and Texas in the west.
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The Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)is known by many names in its range. Locally it is known as 'ky kebero', which means red jackal. It is also known as:
Simien jackal,
Abyssinian wolf,
Simien fox and
Ethiopian jackal.
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The Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the rarest, most genetically distinct subspecies of the Grey Wolf in North America. It is also one of the smallest subspecies, reaching an overall length no greater than 135 centimetres.
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The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and a subspecies of the Grey Wolf. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic and the northern parts of Greenland.
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The Eastern Wolf (Canis lupus lycaon), also know as Eastern Canadian Wolf or Eastern Canadian Red Wolf is traditionally considered to be a subspecies of the Grey Wolf. Sometimes it is also viewed as a result of historical hybridizations between grey wolves and red wolves or coyotes.
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The Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus), also known as the Common Wolf, European Wolf, Carpathian Wolf, Steppes Wolf, Tibetan Wolf and Chinese Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) surviving mostly in Central Asia.
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The Italian Wolf (Canis lupus italicus), also known as the Apennine Wolf, is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. It was first described in 1921 and recognised as a distinct subspecies in 1999.
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The Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus albus), is a subspecies of Grey Wolf that can be found throughout northern Europe and Asia, primarily in the northern arctic and boreal regions of Russia.
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The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) appears as a cross among different species: the head and colouring of a wolf, the large ears of an African hunting dog and the body of a hyena.
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More Living Sub-species of Wolf
Wolf Type
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Classification
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Range
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Status
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Arabian Wolf |
Canis lupus arabs |
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman |
Critically endangered, declining |
A very small subspecies. Typically blended brown or completely brown with a thin coat. Hunted regularly as a nuisance animal, though rarely encountered. |
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Caspian Sea Wolf |
Canis lupus cubanensis |
Between the Caspian and Black seas |
Endangered, declining |
A smaller subspecies. Hunted as a nuisance animal. |
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Egyptian Wolf |
Canis lupus lupaster |
Far Northern Africa |
Critically endangered, unknown |
A smaller subspecies. Usually a grizzled or tinged grey or brown. Lanky. Very rarely encountered. |
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Great Plains Wolf |
Canis lupus nubilus |
Southern Rocky Mountains, Midwestern United States, Eastern and Northeastern Canada, far Southwestern Canada, and Southeastern Alaska |
Stable |
An average-sized subspecies. Usually grey, black, buff, or reddish. The most common subspecies in the contiguous U.S. Hunted legally in parts of Canada. |
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Indian Wolf |
Canis lupus pallipes |
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India |
Endangered, declining |
A very small subspecies. Typically tawny, buff, or reddish with a very short, dense coat. Hunted as a nuisance animal. |
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MacKenzie Valley Wolf |
Canis lupus occidentalis |
Alaska, Northern Rockies, Western and Central Canada |
Stable |
A very large subspecies. Usually black or a blended grey or brown, but full colour spectrum represented. This subspecies was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho starting in 1995. Hunted legally in Alaska and parts of Canada. Protected in the contiguous states. |
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Russian Wolf |
Canis lupus communis |
Central Russia |
Stable, declining |
A very large subspecies. Hunted legally. |
Extinct Wolves
Wolf Type
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Classification
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Range
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Status
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Kenai Peninsula Wolf |
Canis lupus alces |
Alaska |
Extinct |
It was a very large wolf. The determination of the species and the size of the wolf was done using recovered bones.
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Texas Grey Wolf |
Canis lupus monstrabilis |
Texas and Northeast Mexico |
Extinct |
This wolf used to live in Texas and northeastern Mexico. Its members were usually small and dark coloured. They were sometimes white. |
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New Foundland Wolf |
Canis lupus beothucus |
Newfoundland |
Extinct |
This wolf was a medium sized wolf that was almost pure white. |
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Southern Rocky Mountain Wolf |
Canis lupus youngi |
Mountainous regions of Colorado, Utah and Nevada. |
Extinct |
A larger subspecies. Full canine colour spectrum represented, though blended pelages predominate. First subspecies to be recognized in North America. Hunted legally in parts of Canada. |
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Mongollon Mountain Wolf |
Canis lupus mogollonensis |
Central Arizona and New Mexico. |
Extinct |
Their colour was usually dark with some whites. |
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Hokkaido Wolf |
Canis lupus hattai |
Japanese island of Hokkaido |
Extinct |
A smaller subspecies. Became extinct in 1889 as a result of poisoning campaigns. |
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Honshu Wolf |
Canis lupus hodophilax |
Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu |
Extinct |
A very small subspecies. Became extinct in 1905 from a combination of rabies and human eradication efforts. |
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Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf |
Canis lupus irremotus |
The northern Rocky mountains of the United States, and southern Alberta. |
Extinct |
Medium to large grey wolves. |
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Dire Wolf |
Canis dirus |
The Dire Wolf co-existed with the Grey Wolf in North America for about 100,000 years. |
Extinct |
The Dire Wolf had a larger, broader head and smaller brain-case than that of a similarly-sized Grey Wolf, and had teeth that were quite massive. |
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