Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus)

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 The Grey Wolf, also known as the 'Timber Wolf' is the largest of the wild dog family. Grey Wolves were 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.
 The Grey Wolf is listed as an endangered species under the 1973 Endangered Species Act as they continue to be hunted in many areas of the world as a perceived threat to livestock, humans and also for sport.
 As extremely adaptable animals, they generally live in mountains, temperate forests and grasslands.

 Today, there are over 300 wolves in Yellowstone Park and over 500 in Idaho. The reintroduction of wolves is still in ongoing debate and is sometimes heated about already introduced wolves and the possibility of reintroducing more. Through negotiations between livestock ranchers and Defenders of Wildlife, the reintroduction of wolves has been a great success and number recovery goals have been met. However, the reintroduction still provides a sharp divide between industry and environmentalist.

The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus)

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  The Red Wolf is the rarest and most endangered of all the wolf species. 

  It is thought that the Red Wolfs 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.

  On the basis of further study, the Red Wolfs historic range is now thought to have extended further north into the northeastern USA and extreme eastern Canada.

  In the last century, however, persecution, habitat destruction and hybridizations with Coyotes have brought the Red Wolf to the brink of extinction.

  Red Wolves were almost hunted to the brink of extinction in 1980. Fewer than 20 pure red wolves were gathered up by and American organisation called the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be bred in captivity. Although they were declared extinct in the wild in 1980, fortunately there were enough captive animals by 1987 to begin a reintroduction program.

  Today, approximately 155 captive red wolves reside at 37 captive breeding facilities across the US, including two island programs. Thanks to these programs, nearly 100 red wolves currently live in the wild, including 68 wolves that have been outfitted with radio collars.

 The Artic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos):

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The Arctic Wolf, 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.

The Arctic Wolf and the Timber Wolf are the only subspecies of the Grey Wolf that still can be found over the whole of its original range, largely because in their natural habitat they rarely encounter humans.

The Arctic Wolf is classed as 'Least Concern'. The White Wolf Sanctuary is a refuge for Arctic wolves located in Tidewater, Oregon. The average population of wolves in the sanctuary is 8 - 10 over 40 acres, of which some are rescued wolves who were injured, unwanted or abandoned.

Eastern Wolf (Canis lupus lycaon):

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The Eastern Wolf, also know as Eastern Canadian Wolf or Eastern Canadian Red Wolf is 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.

The Eastern Wolf is recognize as a potential distinct species, but close related to Red Wolf.

The Eastern Wolf mainly occupies the area in and around Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario and also ventures into adjacent parts of Quebec, Canada. The Eastern Wolf also may be present in Minnesota and Manitoba.

In the past, the Eastern Wolf might have ranged south into the United States, however, after the arrival of Europeans, these wolves were heavily persecuted and became extirpated from the United States. In Canada, exact numbers of Eastern Canadian Wolves are unknown.

Ethiopian wolf (Canis Simensis):

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The Ethiopian wolf 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
Ethiopian jackal

The Ethiopian Wolf is one of the rarest and most endangered of all canids. The numerous names reflect previous uncertainty about their taxonomic position, however, they are now thought to be related to the wolves of the genus Canis, rather than foxes they resemble. It is thought that the Ethiopian Wolf may be a descendant of the Grey Wolf.

The Ethiopian Wolf is found in the Afro-alpine regions of Ethiopia and Eritrea, about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) above sea level. Only about twelve populations, totaling about 450 adults, remain. Ethiopian Wolves tend to live in open moorlands where vegetation is less that 0.25 metres high.

Since September 2003, at least 38 Ethiopian wolves have died from rabies in the Bale Mountains. Another 20 - 25 are missing and presumed dead. This area is home to 300 of these endangered wolves. Scientists believe there are less than 450 left on earth.

Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus):

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The Eurasian Wolf, 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).

Originally spread over most of Eurasia, with a southern limit of the Himalayas, the Hindukush, the Koppet Dag, the Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Alps, it has been pushed back from most of Western Europe and Eastern China, surviving mostly in Central Asia.

Currently, it has the largest range among wolf subspecies and is the most common in Europe and Asia, ranging through Western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, China, Mongolia and the Himalayan Mountains.

The Italian Wolf (Canis lupus italicus):

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The Italian Wolf 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. Recently due to an increase in population, the subspecies has also been spotted in areas of Switzerland.

During recent years, Italian wolves have also established themselves in Southern France, particularly in the Parc National du Mercantour. It is federally protected in all three countries.

The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus):

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The Maned Wolf is the largest canid in South America.

It resembles a large dog with reddish fur. The Maned wolves distribution includes southern Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia east of the Andes.

The Maned Wolf is an endangered species and its range once included Uruguay and northern Argentina, although IUCN lists it as 'lower risk'.

The Maned Wolf is the only species in the genus Chrysocyon.

Maned wolves live in the South American grasslands and scrub forests of Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia and southeastern Peru.

The Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi):

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The Mexican Wolf is the rarest, most genetically distinct subspecies of the Grey Wolf in North America. Until recent times, the Mexican Wolf ranged the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico and central Arizona.

By the the turn of the century, reduction of natural prey like deer and elk caused many Mexican Wolves to begin attacking domestic livestock, which led to intensive efforts by government agencies and individuals to eradicate the Mexican Wolf. Mexican wolves prefer to live in mountain forests, grasslands     
                                                                                                         and shrub lands.

Humans and habitat destruction are the only major threats to wolves. In March 1997, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior authorized the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to begin reintroducing Mexican Wolves into the Blue Range area of Arizona. The overall objective of this program was to re-establish 100 Mexican Wolves in the Apache and Gila National Forests of Arizona and New Mexico by 2005. This has not been successful and the Mexican Wolf remains a critically endangered species with only 15 or less living in the wild today.

The Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus albus):

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The Tundra Wolf 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. Although Tundra Wolves were eliminated from some of the Arctic islands north of Siberia, they have been recently seen on Wrangle Island.

Tundra Wolves are classed as 'Least Concern', however, Tundra wolves are especially vulnerable to the fur trade, as their pelages are more luxuriant than forest dwelling wolves, sometimes selling for twice as much.

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Arabian Wolf (Canis lupus arabs):

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A very small subspecies. Typically blended brown or completely brown with a thin coat. Hunted regularly as a nuisance animal, though rarely encountered. It is a subspecies of Gray Wolf which was once found throughout the Arabian Peninsula, but now only lives in small pockets in Southern Israel, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and probably in some parts of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

In Oman, the wolf population has increased significantly since hunting was banned, and there is a strong possibility that they will naturally reestablish themselves in certain places within the region in the relatively near term. In Israel, there are between 100 and 150 Arabian wolves all over the Negev and the Ha'arava.

Caspian Sea Wolf (Canis lupus cubanensis):

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The Caspian Sea Wolf, also known as the Caucasian Wolf, is a critically endangered subspecies of the Gray Wolf, and was once found throughout the area between the Caspian and Black seas. Now an extremely rare animal, it exists only in a remote area in the extreme southeastern portion of Russia that borders the Caspian Sea.

A smaller subspecies. Hunted as a nuisance animal.

Egyptian Wolf (Canis lupus lupaster):

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The  Egyptian wolf also known as the Egyptian jackal (Canis lupaster), wolf's jackal or locally Dib or Deeb الذئب, الديب, is a critically endangered species of canid found locally in northern Egypt and northeastern Libya. It once flourished throughout Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, but hunting has drastically reduced its numbers. Current DNA and body morphology (long ears legs, wolf's skull, strong canines) study confirmed pleistocene isolation this form in Sahara region and one isolation population live also in Danakil Desert where is recognize by locals as wucharia and now should be classified as separate species. It is now reconized as critically endangered.

This species is native to Egypt, North Africa and possibly other regions. It is large for a jackal.

A smaller subspecies. Usually a grizzled or tinged grey or brown. Lanky. Very rarely encountered.

Great Plains Wolf (Canis lupus nubilus):

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The Great Plains Wolf, also known as the Buffalo Wolf, is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, native to North America. This subspecies once ranged across the western United States and southern Canada, but was almost completely wiped out by the 1930s. In 1974, it was listed as an endangered species, and since then its numbers have climbed. By 2004, there was a population estimated at 3,700 wolves living in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Single wolves have been reported in the Dakotas and as far south as Nebraska, but these are considered to be dispersers from packs from outside the states and a breeding population most likely does not live in these states. A typical Great Plains Wolf is 140 - 200 cm (4 1/2 - 6 1/2 feet) long from snout to tail tip, and weighs between 27 and 50 kg (60 and 110 pounds). It usually features a coat blended with gray, black, buff, or red.

The most common subspecies in the contiguous U.S. Hunted legally in parts of Canada.

Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes):

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It is a semi-desert-adapted canid that is exclusive to the eastern Indian subcontinent. In India, The Indian Wolf is mainly distributed across the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. A study released in 2004 estimates that there are around 2000-3000 Indian Wolves.

The Indian Wolf, because it lifts children and preys on livestock, has long been hunted, though it is protected as an endangered species in India under schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.The Jai Samand Sanctuary, Rajasthan, is believed to be the only place in which the animal is breeding in captivity.

MacKenzie Valley Wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis):

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The Mackenzie Valley Wolf also known as the Alaskan Tundra Wolf or Canadian Timber Wolf is perhaps the largest subspecies of Gray Wolf in North America. Its range includes parts of the western United States, much of western Canada, and Alaska, including Unimak Island in the Aleutians, and was introduced into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho.

The Mackenzie Valley Wolf was the subspecies used in the Yellowstone introduction effort, where it has become a successful apex predator much like it is in its vast northern range. In Yellowstone, it has been crucial in restoring environmental balance in that it has clamped down on the less fit members of the herds on which it feeds, thereby keeping large ungulate numbers in check and allowing certain floral and faunal species to recover, promoting biodiversity. Wolves were also introduced in central Idaho and entered northwest Montana from Canada. The wolf population in the Northern Rockies has since grown to an estimated 1,300 animals. The wolf population in Alaska is estimated at 7,500-11,000 wolves.

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.

Russian Wolf (Canis lupus communis):

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The Russian Wolf is a subspecies of Gray Wolf which occurs in north-central Russia. It is one of five grey wolf subspecies present in the Russian Federation, which includes the Eurasian Wolf, the Caspian Sea Wolf, the Tibetan Wolf and the Tundra Wolf.

Government backed wolf exterminations have been largely discontinued since the fall of the Soviet Union. As a result, their numbers have stabilized somewhat, though they are still hunted legally. It is estimated that nearly 15,000 of Russia's wolves are killed annually for the fur trade and because of human conflict and persecution. Due to the new capitalist government's focus on economy, and other issues plaguing the former communist nation, the study of wolves has been largely discontinued from lack of funding.

Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco):

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The Tibetan wolf, also known as the Chinese wolf, Mongolian wolf, Korean wolf, Steppes wolf or Woolly wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf found in parts of Central China, southwest southwest Russia, Manchuria, Tibet and the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan. In Tibet, it is known as the Chángú, while near the Niti pass from Kumaon, it is known as the Chankodi.

The Tibetan wolf is thought by some scientists to be the most likely ancestor of the domestic dog, on account of its small size and mandible morphology, noting that the uppermost part of the lower jaw is turned back on both the Tibetan wolf and the dog, though not so in other grey wolf subspecies.

Physically, the Tibetan wolf resembles the common European wolf, but is slightly larger, has shorter legs and has short, pale, fulvous hairs on the ears, flanks and the outside of the legs. The skull is virtually identical to that of the European wolf, though its nose is longer and more slender. It is larger than the Indian Wolf, and lacks a black tail tip.

Himalayan Wolf (Canis himalayaensis):

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The Himalayan Wolf, originally thought to belong to Tibetan wolf, which is a subspecies of the Gray wolf, may represent a distinct canid species, Canis himalayensis. It is native to a small region in northern India (Jammu and Kashmir and then Himachal Pradesh) and eastern Nepal in the Himalayas. DNA research suggested that this wolf may represent (together with the Indian Wolf) an ancient isolated line of wolves in India. The Himalayan Wolf only has a small population of 350 animals, and 21 specimens live in zoos throughout India.

18 Himalayan wolves are being bred in captivity. They were captured in the wild, as one of the threatened species was found with the snow leopard and are now being preserved in the Trans-Himalayan region of India, the Darjeeling Zoo in Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya in West Bengal, and in the Kufri Zoo with Kufri Himalayan National Park located in Himachal Pradesh province. In 2004, larger groups of Himalyan wolves were spotted in the Spiti valley. The total population evaluates for 21 individuals in four of the Zoological Parks of India.

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