Alaskan toundra Wolf
The Canis lupus tundrarum was identified as a subspecies in 1912 par zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller. Some believe that it is just an extension of the Interior Alaskan Wolf, while others think it is the same as the Mackenzie Valley loup ou the Mackenzie toundra Wolf. The Alaskan toundra loup shares many characteristics with all three.
HABITAT
The Alaskan toundra loup resides in the toundra regions along the Arctic coast of northern Alaska.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Alaskan toundra loup is a large loup measuring from 50 to 64 in length (nose to end of tail). Its weight can vary in males from 85 to 176 pounds, and in females from 80 to 120 pounds. They are usually seen in light colored to pure white coats, though they also come in dark coats, including black. Their hair is long, though not as long as the European toundra Wolf. They have a heavier dentition than the Interior Alaskan Wolf.
DIET
When possible, it will feed on deer and other ungulates. It also feeds on smaller animaux and vegetation.
BREEDING
The dominant male and female of the pack will mate around February. Gestation lasts anywhere from 62 to 75 days. The female usually gives birth to about 4 pups in a den. The pack will assist in raising them.
Alexander Archipelago Wolf
HABITAT
The Alexander Archipelago wolf, also known as the Canis lupus ligoni, is found in coastal southeast Alaska. A large portion of them reside within Alaska's Tongass National Forest. They can be found on the mainland from Dixon Entrance to Yakutat Bay, and on all the major islands in the Alexander Archipelago except Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof.
These islands are but the tops of submerged coastal mountains having steep rugged shorelines. They are densely forested and have an abundance of wildlife. Many of the loups travel freely between islands, and their ranges may shift significantly over time. This makes it difficult to accurately keep track of their population. This subspecies of loup is relatively isolated from other loups par mountains and water barriers.
CHARACTERISTICS
These "island wolves" are small loups with short hair which is usually either black ou another rather dark color. They average about 3 1/2 feet long, 2 feet high, weighing 30 to 50 pounds. Taxonomist Goldman described the Alexander Archipelago loup as being smaller and having shorter, coarser, and darker hair than loups in the northern and interior areas of Alaska.
DIET
Alexander Archipelago loups feed primarily on Sitka black-tailed deer. They will also prey on moose, beaver, mustelids, other small mammals, and birds. Researchers have learned in récent years that some loup packs also spend a surprising amount of time feeding on salmon.
BREEDING
In southeast Alaska, pups are usually born during the last 2 weeks of April. Dens are usually built 4 to 5 weeks prior to the birth, between the roots of trees, in small caves ou crevices in rocks, abandoned castor lodges, ou expanded mammal burrows.
STATUS
loups in Alaska have been under attack since the 1940s. A federal poisoning and aerial shooting campaign began following World War II. par the mid-1950s the government had greatly reduced loup numbers in much of south central and interior Alaska. While poisoning was banned after statehood in 1959, aerial shooting and bounty payments continued through the 1960s.
After the passage of the Federal Airborne Hunting Act in 1972 and the termination of the bounty, loup numbers increased. par the mid-1970s hunters demanded state-sponsored loup control and the Alaska Department of poisson and Game responded with helicopter shooting programs. Considerable public opposition stopped these state-sponsored programs, but land-and-shoot hunting of loups par private hunters continued through the 1980s into the early 1990s.
The current population of Alexander Archipelago loups is thought to be between 750 and 1,100.
Arctic Wolf
Able to tolerate years of sub-zero temperatures, up to five months of darkness a year, and weeks without food, the arctic loup lives in one of the few places on earth where it is sûr, sans danger from the greatest threat of all - man. Arctic loups inhabit some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. In April, the air temperature rarely rises above -22 F. The ground is permanently frozen. The arctic loup is one of the few mammals that can tolerate these conditions. Details of the animal's life through much of the an are virtually unknown.
loups usually live in small packs ou family groups consisting of a breeding pair, their pups, and their unmated offspring from the prior several seasons. The dominant, ou breeding, pair are known as the alpha male and alpha female. They are respected par the rest of the pack. All adults in the pack cooperate in feeding and caring for the young.
Throughout the Fall and Winter, arctic loups remain on the move. After mating in March, the pregnant female leaves the pack to find a tanière, den to give birth to her pups. She may dig a new one. However, if the ground is frozen, she will be forced to return to an old tanière, den in a cave ou rock cleft. The pups are born deaf, blind, and helpless. They are totally dependent on their mother, and she in turn relies on her mate to bring her the nourriture she needs. After a month, the pups are able to eat meat. From then on, the whole pack shares the job of feeding them with regurgitated meat from a kill. The pups may strike out on their own the following year.
The arctic loup preys on lemmings and arctic hare, but its most substantial source of nourriture is musk oxen and caribou. Because of the scarcity of grazing plants, animaux must roam a large area in order to find enough nourriture to survive.
They will kill virtually any animal they can catch, and eat every part of it, including skin, fur, and bones. The loups have up to 800 square miles in which to chercher for their prey. When Winter temperatures plummet, the loups may follow migrating caribou South.
The arctic loups must hunt together in packs when seeking large prey. The caribou ou musk oxen are too powerful for any one loup to take on alone. par the time the pack approaches a herd of oxen out in the open, the chance of a surprise attack is long gone; the herd has already formed a defensive cercle with the calves in the center. The loups must then prowl around the herd forcing the oxen to shift their ground to face them. If the loups are successful, the oxen will scatter. The loups will then give chase, trying to isolate the young ou weak. A musk ox will provide enough nourriture to last the loups several days.
The shoulder height of the arctic loup varies from 25 to 31 inches. On average, they are about 3 feet tall from head to toe. Their body length may vary from 3 to 5 feet (nose to tail). Their couleurs may range from red, gray, white and black. The approximate weight of a full grown male is 175 pounds. In captivity, an arctic loup can live to be over 17 years. However, the average lifespan in the wild is but 7 years.
loups in general have been under threat throughout history. The arctic loup is the only subspecies still found over the whole of its original range. This is largely because it rarely encounters humans.
The Baffin Island Wolf
It was not until 1943 that the Baffin Island loup was recognized as a distinct subspecies par zoologist Rudolph Martin Anderson. Its trinomial name Canis lupus manningi was taken from zoologist Thomas Henry Manning, OC who had spent a an and a half mapping the island.
HABITAT
Baffin Island loups are found exclusively on Baffin Island and a few small adjacent islands.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Baffin Island loup is the smallest of all arctic wolves. It has a thick white manteau which makes it appear larger than it actually is.
DIET
Baffin Island loups are omnivorous creatures and will feed on just about anything if they are hungry enough. However, their major sources of nourriture are lemmings, barren-ground caribou, and the arctic hare. They often hunt either alone ou a male and female together.
STATUS
The Baffin Island loup is listed as endangered.
Bernard's Wolf
It was not until 1943 that zoologist Rudolph Martin Anderson identified the Bernard's Wolf, also known as the Banks Island Wolf, as the subspecies Canis lupus bernardi. An adult male skin and skull of the loup at the National Museum of Canada had been collected par Peter Bernard. The loup was named after hunter/explorer/fur trader Peter Bernard and his nephew Joseph Bernard.
HABITAT
The Bernard's loups reside on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. They were previously widespread in the archipelago Victoria, but were annihilated par excessive hunting.
CHARACTERISTICS
They are large wolves, standing up to 4 feet tall and 6 feet long from tip of nose to end of tail. They have long thick white hair with a black stripe down their spine. They can weigh anywhere from 60 to 110 pounds.
STATUS
The last Bernard's loups seen on Banks Island were in the northwestern regions. During a survey of the southern region of the island taken in March of 1993, no loups were found, nor were any fresh loup kills nor loup tracks seen. The loups on Victoria Island were killed off between 1918 and 1952.
British Columbian Wolf
The British Columbian loup was classified as subspecies Canis lupus columbianus in 1941 par senior biologist Edward Goldman.
HABITAT
It was once found in the greater part of British Columbia, parts of Yukon, Alberta, and southwestern Alaska It crossed territories with the Alexander Archipelago loup and the Cascade Mountain Wolf.
CHARACTERISTICS
Canis lupus columbianus was one of the larger subspecies of the Gray loups in North America. They weighed between 80-150 pounds, and had long coats which were usually black, often mixed with grey, ou brown. They measured roughly 60 to 70 inches in length. It had similarities to both the Alaskan Interior loup and the Mackenzie Valley Wolf, though it usually measured smaller than both.
DIET
The British Columbian loup fed on hares, birds, deer and other ungulates.
STATUS
Hunted to extinction.
Cascade Mountain Wolf
Also known as the Brown Wolf, the Canis lupus fuscus was recognized as a gray loup subspecies par Sir John Richardson, M.D. in 1839.
HABITAT
At one time, it could be found along the Cascades, from Southwestern Canada down to Northern California.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Cascade Mountain loup was similar in size to both the Northern Rocky Mountains loup and the Southern Rocky Mountains Wolf. It was of medium size, averaging 3 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet in length, and 80 to 90 pounds. The "fuscus" in the wolf's latin name refers to its greyish-brown manteau which occasionally would have a touch of red and/or sprinkles of black.
STATUS
Because of government sponsered bounties and the hostility of settlers toward the Cascade Mountain Wolf, it eventually became extinct par 1940.
Canis lupus lycaon, commonly known as the eastern timber wolf, was the first gray loup subspecies to be identified in North America in 1775. Fairly récent molecular studies have suggested it as being a distinct species of its own, the Canis lycaon. There has not, however, been any official change in classification.
HABITAT
The eastern timber loup was at one time found as far south as Florida and as far west as Minnesota. It still occupies over 40% of its original range in Canada. However, it is found mainly around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions of southeast Ontario and southwest Quebec in remote, forested areas. Their greatest concentration is in Algonquin Park in Ontario.
Eastern Timber Wolf
The eastern timber loup does not always make use of shelters except when rearing offspring. Their shelters will always be near a water source. The territory of their pack may cover anywhere from 20 to 120 square miles.
CHARACTERISTICS
Eastern timber loups come in a variety of couleurs from white to grey and from brown to black. They often have a reddish-brown muzzle and lower legs with white, grey, and black on their back. Smaller than the common gray wolf, they weigh anywhere from 50 to 100 lbs. The average adult male weighs 75 lbs. and the average adult female weighs 60 lbs. They measure 5 to 5 1/2 feet in length (tip of nose to end of tail) and 25 to 36 inches in height.
DIET
In the winter, the timber loup feeds mainly on large animaux such as white-tailed deer, moose, elk, and caribou. Other times of the year, its diet will include smaller animaux such as rodents and fish.
BREEDING
Eastern timber loups breed in late winter. Like most other wolves, usually just the dominant male and female of the pack that breed. This helps keep up the strength of the pack. A liter of about five ou six pups is born two months later in a den. They are deaf and blind, and weigh about a pound each. Growing several pounds a week, they start seeing at two weeks and hearing at three weeks. At six weeks, the pups are fed solid nourriture regurgitated par the adults. par the end of the summer, the pups are close to full grown and blend in with the pack.
STATUS
As with other wildlife, human activity is the greatest threat to the eastern timber wolf. They came close to being extinct in the United States in the early 1900s. Today, they survive in only 3 percent of their original habitat in the United States. The only state where they are not listed as endangered is Minnesota where they are listed as threatened.
The Great Plains Wolf
Also known as the buffalo wolf, the Great Plains loup is the most common subspecies of the gray loup in the continental United States. It was originally identified as a separate species Canis nubilus par Thomas Say in 1823 and was re-classified as subspecies Canis lupus nubilus in 1841 par Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied.
HABITAT
The Great Plains loup at one time had the largest range of any subspecies in North America, inhabiting most of the Western United States, southeastern Alaska, and central and northeastern Canada. However, par the 1930s, the subspecies had been almost totally eradicated from the United States. par the mid-1960s, just a few still survived in northeastern Minnesota along the Ontario border. It is currently found in the western Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Ontario. The size of the wolf's territory can vary depending on the type and availability of prey.
CHARACTERISTICS
Great Plains loups vary from 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long from nose to end of tail, and weigh between 60 and 110 pounds. The female is roughly 80 percent the size of the male. Their manteau is usually a blend of grey, black, brown, buff, ou red. They travel in packs of 5 ou 6 loups on average.
DIET
The Great Plains loup preys on white-tailed deer, moose, snowshoe hare, small birds, and rodents such as beaver.
BREEDING
To maintain the strength of the pack, usually only the alpha male and female reproduce. Mating season usually occurs from early January through late February at such northern climates. Roughly 63 days after mating, the mother will give birth to 4 to 6 pups in a den. They become fully grown in 6 to 8 months and are sexually mature par about 22 months.
STATUS
It was believed the Great Plains loup had become extinct par 1926. However, later studies showed loups found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan to be descendants of the Canis lupus nubilus. Even then, their number became fewer and fewer until they were federally protected as an endangered species in 1974. Because of being federally protected, their population in Minnesota had become large enough to be reclassified as just threatened in 1978.
par 2009, the number of loups in the Great Lakes region had climbed to an estimated 2,922 in Minnesota, 580 in Michigan, and 626 in Wisconsin. In response, the poisson and Wildlife Service removed these 4,000 loups from the endangered species list. As a result, the agency was sued par 5 environmental and animal protection groups and forced to return the loups to the liste - at least temporarily. The poisson and Wildlife Service still believes that the loups in the western Great Lakes region have met the recovery criteria and don't need to be listed.
The Greenland Wolf
The Greenland loup has been described as a white to pale colored loup very similar to the Arctic loup and resides in Greenland. It was classified as a distinct subspecies in 1935 par British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock.
With that said, there is no available evidence to suggest that the Greenland loup still exists ou ever did. In fact, the validity of the subspecies Canis lupus orion is doubted par many scientists. It seems unlikely that the Greenland loup has at any time developed subspecies characteristics distinct from its Canadian counterpart. The lighter weight of these loups in Greenland is very likely due to malnutrition rather than a morphological difference between the Canis lupus orion and high Arctic toundra wolves.
It is generally acknowledged that the Greenland loups are migrants from Canada (Vibe, 1967), and the documented reports of loups on the sea ice in both the northern and southern parts of Nares Strait suggest that this migration is frequent and still persists (Dawes, 1978). If the Greenland loup is an actual subspecies, it is most likely extinct.
The Hudson baie Wolf
Sometimes referred to as the toundra wolf, the Hudson baie loup was classified as the gray loup subspecies Canis lupus hudsonicus in 1941 par senior biologist Edward A. Goldman.
HABITAT
They are found in Canada, west of Hudson baie from Northern Manitoba through the Northwest Territories and above, sometimes migrating south in the winter with the caribou herds.
CHARACTERISTICS
Hudson baie loups are of medium size with body lengths of 4 to 5 feet on average, and measuring from 28 to 36 inches high. Their weight may vary anywhere from 80 to 140 pounds, with females being slightly smaller than males.
They have bushy hair that can vary from a light grey to a yellowish-white ou cream color. Their hair seems to be lighter in the winter. They are a dit to be similar in general to the Mackenzie Valley wolf, only smaller.
DIET
Hunting in packs, they will prey on large ungulates such as caribou, moose and bison. When large prey is not as plentiful, they will also feed on carrion and smaller animals. On average, they require about 10 pounds of meat per day.
BREEDING
Mating usually occurs in the spring between the alpha pair of the pack. Gestation lasts 62 to 65 days, after which the mother gives birth to an average of 4 to 6 pups. They are brown in color and deaf and blind for the first 10 days. After several weeks, they begin to leave the den, but are still breastfed for 2 to 3 months. All members of the pack participate in raising the young. They reach full maturity par 2 years.
STATUS
The status of the Hudson baie loup has not been evaluated par the IUCN. Though it is considered par many to be endangered. Its lifespan in the wild is approximately 10 years.
The Interior Alaskan Wolf
The Interior Alaskan Wolf, also known as the Yukon Wolf, was classified as the Canis lupus pambasileus in 1905 par zoologist Daniel Elliot. It is among the largest loups in North America, if not the largest. Some believe that it is just an extension of the Alaskan toundra Wolf.
HABITAT
They are distributed throughout the interior of Alaska and the Yukon, except the toundra region of the arctic coast.
CHARACTERISTICS
Interior Alaskan loups are usually of a darker color, most often black ou black mixed with either brown, gray, ou white. They are very large wolves, measuring 5 to 7 feet in length from tip of nose to end of tail. They are at present the largest loups in North America and possible the world.
DIET
Some of what they feed on are caribou, moose, dall sheep, hares, and ground squirrel.
The Kenai Peninsula Wolf
Kenai Peninsula loups were the largest loups in North America before humans drove them to extinction. They were identified as subspecies Canis lupus alces in 1941 par senior biologist Edward Goldman using only skeletal findings.
HABITAT
They inhabited the Kenai Peninsula and adjacent areas in Alaska.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Kenai Peninsula loup measured from 5 to 7 feet in length (nose to end of tail), 35 to 44 inches shoulder height, and weighed 150 to 200 pounds.
DIET
It fed largely on moose which is how its scientific name Canis lupus alces was derived. It would also feed on other large ungulates.
EXTINCTION
loups were plentiful on the Kenai Peninsula in the late 1890's. However, the or rush brought prospectors to the area, and par 1915 loups were almost completely exterminated par means of predator control programs using poison, along with heavy hunting and trapping. It became extinct par 1925.
The Labrador Wolf
The Labrador loup was identified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus labradorius par biologist Edward A. Goldman in 1937. Because of its elusiveness and the vast, rugged land it occupies, it is one of the least studied loups in the world. Labrador loups are also rarely photographed in the wild.
HABITAT
They still inhabit nearly all of their historic range in Labrador and Northern Quebec.
CHARACTERISTICS
They are medium size loups with dark gray to nearly white fur. Similar in general only larger than the Canis lupus lycaon of southwest Quebec and the Great Lakes region.
DIET
Labrador loups hunt one of the largest herds of caribou in the world. They also prey on moose, musk ox, hares, beaver, and other rodents and fish.
STATUS
Endangered.
The Mackenzie toundra Wolf
Originally identified as subspecies Canis lupus mackenzii in 1943 par Canadian zoologist Rudolph Anderson, the Mackenzie toundra loup was reclassified in 1992 as being a member of the subspecies Canis lupus occidentalis. It also has similarities to Canis lupus tundarum and Canis lupus pambsileus.
HABITAT
It resides East of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories of Canada from the arctic coast to south of Great ours Lake. Signs of them have been found as far south as Great Slave Lake.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Canis lupus mackenzii is a medium size wolf, measuring roughly 60 to 65 in in length from nose to end of tail. They can range in color anywhere from white to yellowish white to grey to black ou a blend of all of these.
DIET
The main source of nourriture is caribou. They will also feed on rodents and salmon.
STATUS
The Mackenzie toundra loup is endangered.
The Mackenzie Valley Wolf
The Canis lupus occidentalis which also goes par the Mackenzie Valley wolf, the Alaskan timber wolf, the Canadian timber wolf, ou the rocky mountain wolf, was classified as a gray loup subspecies in 1829 par Sir John Richardson, M.D. It is one of the largest loup subspecies in North America.
HABITAT
Mackenzie Valley loups inhabit much of western Canada and Alaska including Unimak Island. In 1995-96, they were brought from Canada to restore populations in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. In Alaska, loup packs are usually 6 to 12 wolves, though some packs may be as large as 20 to 30. Their territories in Alaska average about 600 square miles. In Yellowstone, pack size averages 9.2 loups with average territory size of 348 square miles. In Idaho, pack size averages 11.1 with territories averaging 364 square miles.
CHARACTERISTICS
Average males weigh between 100 and 145 pounds with females weighing roughly 10 to 20 percent less. The heaviest on record was caught in Alaska in 1939, weighing 175 pounds. Though the guinness book of Animal World Records mentions an unconfirmed specimen weighing 230 pounds. They measure 32 to 36 inches shoulder height and 5 to 7 feet in length, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Their long, powerful legs allow them to travel as far as 70 miles a day, and through rough terrain like deep snow. They can reach speeds of up to 40 miles an heure for short periods of time. Their skull measures about 12 inches long. A combination of powerful jaw and neck muscles allows them to break Bones and bring down large prey.
DIET
The size of Mackenzie Valley loups is partially due to their large abundance of food. They will prey on wood bison, elk, caribou, musk ox, moose, Dall sheep, Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goat, beaver, ground squirrel, vole, snowshoe hare, lemmings, and salmon.
BREEDING
Breeding season usually occurs in February. The dominant male and female of the pack breed in attempt to keep up the strength of the pack. Usually 63 days after breeding, 4 to 6 pups are born. They leave the tanière, den in 4 to 6 weeks, and par fall, they are large enough to travel and hunt with the pack. They become full-grown in 6 to 8 months, and sexually mature at about 22 months.
STATUS
Like most other wolves, human activity (hunting, trapping, etc.) is par far the greatest threat. However, protection donné to the Mackenzie Valley loup has allowed its population to increase drammatically. The loup population in Alaska was estimated between 7,000 and 10,000 in 2006. loup population in the northern Rocky Mountains (Greater Yellowstone Area, NW Montana, and Idaho) was estimated to be about 1200 and increasing. The U.S. poisson and Wildlife Services has decided to remove the gray loup from the federal endangered liste in the Northern Rockies and the western Great Lakes. Courts have overturned attempts in the past to remove them from the list. Legal battles are expected.
The Manitoba Wolf
Though the Manitoba loup was officially classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus griseoalbus par zoologist Spencer Baird in 1858, many specialists never recognized it as a separate loup subspecies. It is also known as the elusive wolf, the Saskatchewan timber wolf, and the grizzly wolf.
HABITAT
They supposedly reside in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland, and the Northwest Territories of Canada.
CHARACTERISTICS
Manitoba loups have been described as large size grey and white wolves. They are believed par many to simply be Hudson baie wolves.
DIET
Their main nourriture source is caribou.
STATUS
If the Manitoba wolf's status isn't the same as the Hudson baie wolf's (which is endangered), then it is probably plus likely to be extinct.
The Mexican Gray Wolf
Until the 1900s, the Mexican gray loup had ranged throughout Central Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Western Texas. Settlers at this time began hunting the wolf's prey, forcing the loup to turn to feeding on the settler's livestock. This in turn lead to the settlers hunting the wolf.
par the 1950s, the Mexican loup was virtually wiped out in the United States par private trappers and government agencies. The last wild Mexican loup known of in the United States was shot in 1970. In 1976, they were listed as endangered. Their number has since been increased through captive breeding, and they have been re-released into the wild, though they are still a very rare mammal in the wild.
When in the wild, the loup feeds primarily on deer, antelope, rabbits and other small rodents. As the smallest subspecies of gray wolf, the Mexican gray loup varies in size from 50 to 64 inches long (nose to tail), 24 to 32 inches shoulder height, and weighs from 50 to 90 pounds. It's manteau is usually a blend of black, white, and grey. They form in packs which usually consist of a breeding pair and their offspring. Just like the Canis Lupus, all members of the pack help in raising the young.
The Mogollon Mountain Wolf
Also known as the Southwestern loup ou Mogollon Mountain wolf, the Mongollon loup was classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus mongolonensis par biologist Edward A. Goldman in 1937. It was named after the Mogollon Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.
HABITAT
It inhabited Mogollon Plateau region of central of central Arizona, east through the Mogollon Mountains in southeast New Mexico to the Sacramento Mountains in central New Mexico.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Mogollon loup was a small to medium size, slightly smaller than the Texas gray loup on average, but larger that the Mexican gray.
STATUS
The Mogollon Mountain loup was driven to extinction par 1935.
The Newfoundland Wolf
The Newfoundland loup subspecies was not formally described until 1937 par zooligists G. M. Allen and Thomas Barbour, after it had already been led to extinction. Its scientific name Canis lupus beothucus was taken from the Beothuck, the native inhabitants of Newfoundland who were officially declared extinct par 1829.
HABITAT
The Newfoundland loup lived on the island of Newfoundland off the east coast of Canada. récent evidence has suggested that the first loups to inhabit the island may have been there prior to the last ice age, surviving the ice age in refugia, south of the glacial ice sheet.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Newfoundland loup was a medium to large loup up to 5.5 feet long (nose to end of tail) and up to 100 pounds. It was a dit to be white, with a black stripe down its spine.
DIET
Caribou was the principle diet of the Newfoundland wolf. It also fed on beaver, vole, and other Rodentia.
EXTINCTION
Although hunting, trapping, and vigorous predator control methods were used on the Newfoundland wolf, it is believed to have been led to extinction mainly par a sudden nourriture shortage in the early 1900's when the Newfoundland caribou population drastically dropped from as many as 120,000 to as few as 5,000-6,000. The last wild loup on the island was shot par 1911. However, it wasn't until 1930 that it was officially listed as extinct.
The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf
The Northern Rocky Mountain loup was classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus irremotus in 1937 par senior biologist Edward A. Goldman.
HABITAT
Its original habitat extended from the Northern Rocky Mountains to Southern Alberta in Canada.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Northern Rocky Mountain loup is a light colored loup of medium to large size, averaging from 85 to 115 pounds. The largest found on record was 145 pounds.
DIET
bison made up a large portion of its diet until the herds of bison were wiped out. So, when the loups were forced to switch over to feed on cattle, they were intentionally driven to extinction.
STATUS
It was removed from the federal liste of endangered species in 2008
The Southern Rocky Mountain Wolf
The Southern Rocky Mountain Mountain loup was classified as a gray loup subspecies in 1937 par senior biologist Edward A. Goldman. It was donné the Latin name Canis lupus youngi in recognition of Stanley P. Young who worked for the U.S. Government in overseeing extermination of the wolf. Go figure.
HABITAT
They were found throughout the Rocky Mountain region from Northern Utah and Southern Wyoming, south through Utah and Western Colorado To Northern Arizona and Northern New Mexico. They then became plus and plus dispersed going west to Central Nevada and as far south as the Providence Mountains in Southern California.
CHARACTERISTICS
In size, they varied from medium to somewhat large, similar to the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf. They were 4 feet to over 5 feet in length, averaging about 90 pounds, though they were found weighing up to 125 pounds. They had light buff colored fur, similar to the Great Plains wolf.
STATUS
The Southern Rocky Mountain loup officially became extinct in 1935 from excessive hunting, trapping, and poisoning.
The Texas Gray Wolf
The Texas gray loup was classified as subspecies Canis lupus monstrabilis in 1937 par biologist Edward A. Goldman. It became extinct just 5 years later in 1942.
HABITAT
It could once be found from southeastern New Mexico throughout central Texas, all the way down to the Mexican border and into Louisiana.
CHARACTERISTICS
On average, they had a small to medium build. Though they were not quite as small as the Mexican wolf. Most were of a rather dark color, though some specimens have shown that they were occasionally white.
DIET
bison made up a large portion of its diet until the herds of bison were wiped out. So, when the loups were forced to switch over to feed on cattle, they were intentionally driven to extinction.
STATUS
Though the Texas Gray loup is considered par many to be a distinct subspecies, other versions of loup taxonomy recognized the subspecies as belonging to either Canis lupus baileyi ou Canis lupus nubilus. As stated above, they became extinct just 5 years after first being recognized as a separate subspecies.
The Vancouver Island Wolf
The Vancouver Island loup was identified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus crassodon par zoologist E. Raymond Hall, PhD. in 1932.
HABITAT
Its original habitat extended from the Northern Rocky Mountains to Southern Alberta in Canada.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Vancouver Island loup is of medium sized, measuring roughly 26 to 32 inches high, 4 to 5 feet from nose to end of tail, and weighing 65 to 90 pounds. It is usually a mix of grey, brown, and black. Occasionally, they are seen pure white.
DIET
The two principal prey of the Vancouver Island loup are the Columbian black-tailed deer and the Roosevelt elk. It also feeds on Eastern Cottontail Rabbit which were brought to the island in 1964.
BREEDING
Breeding season for this loup comes in January.
STATUS
The Vancouver Island loup disappeared from some surrounding islands like Salt Spring Island in the 1800's. In 1970, they wereadded tothe Canadian Wildlife Federations "Endangered Wildlife in Canada" list. 1973 Vancouver Island's loup sighting program started with a count of 37 wolves, 1976 Vancouver Island loup Populations had seemed to rebound with a count of 88 wolves,and in 1977 they were removed from the provincial Threatened and Endangered Species list.
The North American Red Wolf
The red loup Canis lupus rufus is the only surviving loup that evolved in North America. It was originally identified in 1851 par naturalists John Audubon and John Bachman as the species Canis rufus, distinct from the gray loup Canis lupus. However, there is a present dispute between biologists, over whether the red loup is a true species ou a hybrid caused par the interbreeding of coyotes and gray wolves.
In defense of the red wolf's right to claim its own species, though early specimens suggest that it began to interbreed with the coyote Canis latrans around 1900, there is really no evidence that the red loup originated as a hybrid of the gray loup and coyote.
A common belief is that the coyote, the gray loup and Eastern North American loups all decended from one prehistoric ancestor, the Canis edwardii of the Pleistocene epoch. The Eastern North American loups are then believed to have evolved into the eastern loup of today and the red wolf. However, with all that said, the red loup has been most recently classified in 2005 as the gray loup subspecies Canis lupus rufus. In addition, Canis edwardii is most recently believed to have evolved into the Canis armbrusteri
HABITAT
Red loups were once present throughout the southeastern United States from the Atlantic Coast to central Texas and from the Gulf Coast to central Missouri and southern Illinois. It may have occurred as far north as Maine. The red wolf's natural accueil could vary from 25 to 50 square miles. Any land which provides adequate food, water, and heavy vegetation would provide viable habitat for red wolves.
CHARACTERISTICS
Red loups are smaller than gray wolves, with a plus slender and elongated head and shorter coarser fur. In comparison to the coyote, they are larger and plus robust with longer legs and larger ears. The red loup measurements range from 15 to 16 inches shoulder height, 55 to 65 inches in length (nose to end of tail), weighing anywhere from 40 to 90 pounds. Its color is usually mainly brown with blended couleurs ranging from cinnamon red to almost black. Light markings above the eyes are also common.
DIET
The red loup is known to hunt mainly at dusk and/or dawn. They feed mostly on small to medium animaux such as grouse, raccoons, rabbits, hares, rodents, carrion and domestic livestock. They also prey on young white-tailed deer when available. Other than prarie chickens, the red loup very seldom feeds on birds.
BREEDING
Mating season occurs in February and March, and gestation lasts about 60 days. In April ou May, an average of 3 to 6 pups are born. They usually remain with pack for 15 to 20 months and reach sexual maturity at about 22 months. Both the mother and father usually mate for life and both participate in rearing their offspring. The direct family is usually what makes up the pack. Their dens are formed around dense vegetation, a river bank, in a hollow arbre stump, ou an abandonded tanière, den of some other creature.
STATUS
Between 1900 and 1920, red loups were annihilated from most of the eastern portion of their range par means of predator control programs using poison, along with heavy hunting and trapping. par 1980, the Canis rufus that used to inhabit almost all of the southeastern United States was declared extinct in the wild.
40 red loups were captured in the late 1970's and of those, 14 were found to be genetically pure and were used for captive breeding. Since 1987, hundreds of red loups have been reintroduced to the wild. However, they are still seen as unwanted intruders par some people and are hunted down. In addition, the threat of hybridization with the Coyote still exists.
The Florida Red Wolf
The Florida Red loup was a subspecies of the Canis_rufus which is believed par some to be a direct descendent of Canis edwardii the first North American canine clearly identifiable as a wolf. The Florida Red loup which was identified as the red loup subspecies Canis rufus floridus in 1912 par zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller was also known as the Cottontail Red loup and the Black Wolf. They were usually found either in pairs ou small family groups rather than in packs.
HABITAT
The Florida Red loup is known to have inhabited areas of Maine and Ohio down to Florida and Alabama.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Florida Red loup weighed from 44 to 88 pounds and measured 26 to 31 inches high at the shoulder. Many of these loups found in Georgia and Tennesee were black which is where they got the name Black Wolf.
STATUS
The Canis lupus floridanus has been extinct since 1921.
The Swamp Wolf
The Canis lupus gregoryi, also known as the swamp wolf, the Mississippi Valley red wolf, ou gregor's red wolf, was identified as a red loup subspecies in 1937 par Edward A. Goldman. It is believed to be the linking species between the Red loup and the Florida Red Wolf.
HABITAT
Once inhabited southwestern Indiana, southern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma to southern Mississippi, central Louisiana, and the Big Thicket of southeast Texas.
CHARACTERISTICS
The wolf's face was black and gray, changing to black and reddish yellow on haut, retour au début of its head. The upper parts from the back of the neck to the rump and tail were reddish, mixed ou with black. The legs were reddish orange, becoming paler on feet, and a conspicuous black line along external surface of forearm. The ears were reddish brown, mixed with black. Its throat, lips, and chin were white. It has been described as being larger, but plus slender than other red wolves, weighing on average 60 to 70 pounds.
STATUS
Canis rufus gregoryi was declared extinct in the wild par 1970. Though it may be represented in captivity ou the reintroduced population in North Carolina.
The Arabian Wolf
Standing approximately 26 inches shoulder height and weighing an average of 40 pounds, the Arabian loup is the smallest loup subspecies, yet, the largest canid in Arabia. They have short greyish-beige hair which becomes much longer and thicker in winter. Their ears are large in comparison to the rest of it's body (similar to the maned wolf). Their eyes are naturally yellow with black pupils. However, many are found with brown eyes, revealing that somewhere down the line their ancestors have interbred with feral dogs.
It is endangered in Arabia, and extinct in the United Arab Emerites. Because of a scarcity of food, they are found in packs only during mating season from October to December, ou when nourriture is plentiful. It will kill animaux up to the size of a goat, but usually feeds on carrion, small birds, rodents, reptiles and insects. It also eats fruits and plants when meat is scarce. They dig burrows in the sand to protect themselves from the sun, and hunt mainly at night.
The only time that Arabian loups are known to be territorial is when their pups are born. The litter size can be as large as 12, but is usually only 2 ou 3. They are blind at birth and weaned at about eight weeks when the parents start regurgitating nourriture for them.
The European Gray Wolf
The European loup Canis lupus lupus, also known as the common gray wolf, was the first identified subspecies of the gray wolf. It was described par Carl Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae, in 1758.
HABITAT
It is present in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia. It still covers the greatest range among all gray loup subspecies. The size of their territories depends on the abundance of nourriture and water. They are very adaptable to different environments.
CHARACTERISTICS
On average, European gray loups weigh from 70 to 130 pounds and can measure up to 39 inches at shoulder height. They can vary in length from 40 to 65 inches with females about twenty per cent smaller than males. Their fourrure is known to be shorter and plus dense as compared to the North American wolf. Their couleurs range from white, cream, red, grey and black, sometimes with all couleurs combined.
DIET
Gray loups feed on ungulates and rodents, fruits, berries, and fish. Depending on availability of prey, gray loups may ou may not hunt in packs.
BREEDING
Breeding seasons vary from January in low latitudes to April in high latitudes. The female will give birth to 4-7 pups after 61-63 days of gestation. To maintain the strength of the pack, only the dominant pair mate. However, all members of the pack are involved in raising the young.
STATUS
Mortality factors affecting loups include persecution par humans, killing par other wolves, diseases, parasites, starvation, and injuries par prey. The average lifespan in the wild is between 7 and 10 years.
The Hokkaido Wolf
The Hokkaido loup ou the Canis lupus hattai, formerly known as Canis lupus rex, was also known as the Ezo loup ou Ezoookami. It was classified as a subspecies of the gray loup in 1931 par Japanese arachnologist Kyukichi Kishida. Hokkaido loups are descendants from mainland Siberian wolves.
HABITAT
They once inhabited the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Russia's island of Sakhalin and Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Kuril islands.
CHARACTERISTICS
As compared to the Honshu Wolf, the Hokkaido loup plus closely related to the standard gray loup in size, dimensions, and other characteristics. They were usually a light grey ou tannish grey in color.
DIET
The Hokkaido loup fed mainly on deer, rabbits, and birds.
EXTINCTION
A large number of deer starved to death in 1878 because of a heavy snow, having a great negative affect on the Ezo Wolf. In addition, the loups were deliberately poisoned with strychnine par farmers who viewed the loup as a threat to their livestock. A bounty was placed on the loup which officially became extinct in 1889.
Since then, there have been people claiming to see the Ezo Wolf. However, none of these sightings have been verified.
The Honshu Wolf
The Honshu loup was identified in 1839 as the gray loup subspecies Canis lupus hodophilax par Dutch zoologist Coenraad Temminck. It was also known as the Hondo wolf, the yamainu, and the mountain dog.
HABITAT
It lived on the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu primarily in remote mountain areas.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Honshu loup was the world's smallest wolf, standing just over a foot at the shoulder and measuring 35 inches from nose to end of the tail. They had short wiry hair and a thin dog-like tail that was rounded at the end. Their legs were shorter in relation to their body length. In many ways, it resembled dogs, coyotes and jackals much plus so than its Siberian loup ancestors.
Although it is presently classified as a gray loup subspecies, many argue that its physical differences are enough to consider the Honshu loup to be its own species. Some believe it may not have even been a true wolf.
DIET
The Honshu loup was known to have preyed on deer, wild boar, and smaller pests. Farmers praised the loup for keeping down the number of animaux that might otherwise damage their crops.
EXTINCTION
Honshu loups were abundant in Japon until 1732 when rabies was introduced to the island. It was rabies, deforestation of the wolf's habitat, and and conflict with humans that led to their extinction. The last specimen was officially killed in 1905 in Nara Prefecture on Honshu Island, Japan. Although there have been many sightings claimed since then, none of them have been verified. There are five mounted specimens known of today; three in Japan, one in the Netherlands, and the last officially killed specimen in a British Museum.
The Iberian Wolf
The grey loup subspecies Canis lupus signatus was idenified par Spanish zoologizt Angelus Cabrera in 1907. Though many taxonomists do not recognize it, genetic work par biologist Robert Wayne of UCLA suggests that it is a true subspecies.
HABITAT
The Iberian loup inhabits the forests and plains of the northwestern part of Spain, the northeastern haut, retour au début of Portugal, and a few isolated areas in the Sierra Morena, Spain. Over 50 percent of the Iberian loups reside in Northern Castilla y Len.
CHARACTERISTICS
Iberian loups are of medium size with a thinner build than the average Eurasian wolf. Males can weigh as much as 90 pounds and females are usually 75 to 80 percent the size of males. Their manteau will vary in color from a lighter grey ou ochre in the warmer months to a darker reddish brown during the winter. The name signatus (meaning marked) was derived from white marks on the wolf's upper lips, and dark marks on the tail and front legs.
DIET
The Iberian wolf's diet will greatly vary depending on exactly where they are. loups of Cantabria may feed on red deer, roe deer, and wild sanglier while the loups of Galicia will feed partially on remains from chicken and pig farms. The loups of Castilla y Len are believed to feed largely on rabbits. Overall, their main source of nuitrition comes from livestock. Much of this livestock used to be carrion. However, since the banning of leaving dead animaux in the field because of the fear of mad cow's disease, the loups have turned to killing plus mouton, moutons and cows.
BREEDING
Like most other gray wolves, Iberian loups breed only the alpha male and female in order to maintain the strength of the pack. Female loups can usually begin breeding at one year, but don't fully mature until they reach 5 years. Breeding season is at the end of winter. The liter is usually 5 ou 6 pups that are looked after par the entire pack until autumn when they rejoindre in with the others. They must be protected from eagle owls and golden eagles for the first few weeks.
STATUS
The Iberian loup once inhabited the vast majority of the Iberian Peninsula. However throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the loups of Spain became officially recognized as pests par the Spanish government who offered a bounty for dead wolves. The wolves' number decreased to as few as 400 to 500 and they were classified as endangered.
Hunting of loups has since been banned in Portugal and many parts of Spain. Their number has been estimated at about 2,000 in Spain and another 400 in Portugal. Their global, ensemble state has upgraded from endangered to vulnerable. However, the loups of Sierra Morena are classified as critically endangered, and the Extremaduran populations are believed to be extinct. loups have over the years become very wary of people, and actual sightings of loups in the wild are, therefore, rare.
The Iranian Wolf
The Iranian loup was identified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus pallipes in 1931 par ornithologist William Henry Sykes. Because of their overlapping habitat and physical similarities, the Iranian loup and Indian loup were for a long time recognized as one and the same.
HABITAT
The habitat of Iranian loups varies from arid desert regions to dense scrub forests. They can be found in the Middle East and Southwest Asia; plus specifically, Northern Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Turkey Pakistan, and Iran.
CHARACTERISTICS
Because of such a variation between habitats, there is likewise a great variation in physical features and lifestyle among this one subspecies of wolf. Like the Indian wolf, Iranian loups are smaller than loups of Northern Europe and North America. Iranian loups vary from 25 to 40 inches in height, and weigh from 55 to 70 pounds. Because of the drier and harsher climate, their fourrure is a short light-grey with either little ou no undercoat. Just like many other creatures of the desert, Iranian loups have large ears to disperse body heat.
DIET
Iranian loups may be found in packs of 5 to 15. loups in harsher climates may hunt in pairs ou even individually, depending on availability of prey. They feed on a number of small mammals such as rats, squirrels, mongooses, and ground birds such as partridges, quails, jungle fowl, and lapwings.
BREEDING
Mating occurs during winter. To help maintain the strength of the pack, just the dominant pair mates. The mother usually gives birth to 3 to 5 pups. Both the male and female look after pups until they are 6 months old.
STATUS
Iranian loups are forced to share their habitat and prey with an encroaching human population. They are viewed as a threat par many people. Just like the Arabian wolf, the Iranian loup is threatened par interbreeding with domestic dogs. Its life span is from 16 to 20 years in captivity, and 8 to15 years in the wild.
The Italian Wolf
The Italian Wolf, also known as the Apennine Wolf, was originally described in 1921 as subspecies Canis lupus italicus of the common grey loup par Italian zoologist Joseph Altobello. However, in 1999 it was recognized as a species distinct from Canis lupus. There is presently a dispute over whether the Canis lupus italicus is a grey loup subspecies ou an actual species of its own, Canis italicus.
HABITAT
The Italian loup is found mainly in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. They have been found dwelling within 25 miles of Rome. Semi-recently, they have implanted themselves in Southern France, and areas of Switzerland.
CHARACTERISTICS
par grey loup standards, the Italian loup is considered a medium sized subspecies. Their body size varies from 39 to 55 inches in length and weighs 53 to 88 pounds. Females are roughly 10 percent smaller than males. Italian loups are usually a mix of grey and brown. Though rarely seen, black loups have been sighted in the Mugello region and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
DIET
Italian loups are known to hunt at night, feeding mainly on both medium and small sized animaux such as wild boar, roe deer, and red deer, chamois, elk, hares, and rabbits. They will also feed on plants, berries, and herbs for fiber. When around the suburb, loups will feed on garbage, livestock and domestic animals.
Because of the rarity of large prey, loup packs in Italy are often smaller, comprised of just a reproducing pair and a few young.
BREEDING
Young loups usually stay with their birth family until they are old enough to start their own family. Mating season usually occurs around the middle of March. Gestation will then last for 60 days, after which the mother gives birth to anywhere from 2 to 7 pups.
STATUS
par the end of the 1920's, loups throughout the alps and Sicily were annihilated. Their number was also severely reduced in the Appennine regions, all from fierce persecutions. The loup population in Italy continued to decrease until the early 1970's when Luigi Boitani and Eric Zimen took on a study of the loup in the Abruzzo Mountains, east of Rome. As a result, the World Conservation Union expressed great interest in the wolf, listing it in the IUCN's Red Data Book of endangered species. The italian loup population in the wild has since increased to between 500 and 600 and is estimated to be growing par 7 percent annually.
Their largest apparent threat at present is a large number of wolf-dog hybrids altering the genetic integrity of the Italian wolf. A captive breeding program has been started par biologists. However, further controls on the number of domestic chiens are badly needed.
The Steppe Wolf
The steppe loup was classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus campestris in 1804 par Russian scientist Ivan Dwigubski. It is also known as the Caspian Sea loup and the Caucasian wolf. Most taxonomists recognize the Canis lupus campestris, Canis lupus bactrianus, Canis lupus cubanensis, and the Canis lupus desertorum as being one and the same subspecies. The steppe loup is commonly mistaken as being Canis lupus chanco which is the Tibetan loup ou Mongolian wolf.
HABITAT
The historic range of the steppe loup is in the countries surrounding the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. Today, it exists only in a remote area in the extreme south-western portion of Russia that borders the northern half of the Caspian Sea.
CHARACTERISTICS
Steppe loups usually come in desert couleurs to blend into their surroundings. They are not white as are many plus northerly Siberian wolves. Caspian sea loups usually weigh up to 88 pounds, having short coats that display shades of gray with rust ou brown and black hairs over their back with a poorly furred tail.
DIET
They eat almost every animal they can catch. loups usually hunt in packs, but the steppe loup will hunt on its own when nourriture (especially large prey) is scarce. The steppe loup usually feeds on herd animals, rodents, and fish. When nourriture is scarce, it may also eat berries and other fruits.
Though they usually eat almost every animal they can catch, both packs and lone steppe loups have been known to occasionally kill plus than they are capable of feeding on, especially Caspian seals. They are also liable to hunt domestic animaux of nomadic families at any time jour ou night. They hunt when they are hungry but if they are not successful they can go without nourriture for several weeks.
BREEDING
Like most other wolves, mating is usually between the dominant pair of the pack. Breeding usually occurs between January and April. After about 63 days, the mother will give birth to 4 to 7 pups which the entire pack usually takes part in raising.
STATUS
The Canis lupus campestris has been hunted as a nuisance for years. It is listed as endangered in the Mongolian Red liste of Mamals (2007), and can now only be found in a far south-western part of Russia along the Caspian Sea.
The Tibetan Wolf
The Canis lupus chanco was identified as a subspecies of the gray loup in 1863 par British zoologist John Edward Gray. It is also known as the Canis lupus chance, Canis lupsu laniger, the Tibetan wolf, Mongolian wolf, and Chinese wolf. For a long time, the Tibetan loup and the Himalayan loup were recognized as one and the same. However, récent genetic studies suggest the Himalayan loup to be a distinct species, the Canis himalayensis.
HABITAT
The Tibetan loup can be found in central China, the Manschurai, the jungles and deserts of Mongolia, North Sikkim, Tibet, south-western Russia, the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan.
CHARACTERISTICS
The size of the Tibetan loups can vary from 58 to 65 inches (from nose to end of tail) and from 27 to 30 inches high, weighing from 65 to 70 pounds. Compared to the common European wolf, they are slightly larger, with shorter legs. Their skull is similar with a longer thinner muzzle. This "wooly wolf" has a long shaggy manteau which seasonally varies in color, usually a blend of white, yellow, brown, grey, and black.
DIET
The Tibetan loup is an amazing hunter with excellent survival skills. It is known to hunt both during the jour and at night either alone ou in packs. Its preferred prey includes deer, blue sheep, and other large mammals. When nourriture becomes scarce, it will feed on smaller animaux like marmots, hares, ground squirrel, and mice. When hunting, the loup can reach speeds up to 40 mph.
BREEDING
The Tibetan loup reaches sexual maturity in it's seconde year. Breeding season usually occurs in the Spring. To maintain strength of the pack, only the dominant male and female breed. Two months later, four to six pups are born weighing roughly one pound each. At three to four weeks they will leave the den. They are nurtured par their mother for two to three months after which they begin to tag along with their parents hunting.. In the wild, they live anywhere from six to ten years. They can long as twenty years in captivity.
STATUS
Endangered, Schedule I, (1991).
The toundra Wolf
The toundra loup Canis lupus albus is one of the largest subspecies of the gray wolf. It was classified as a subspecies par Robert Kerr in 1792.
HABITAT
The toundra loup can be found throughout Northern Europe and Asia from Northern Finland to the Kamchatka Peninsula, from the far north of Russia into the Arctic. They primarily reside in the northern arctic and boreal regions of Russia roughly between 65 and 71 degrees latitude.Although they were eliminated from some of the Arctic islands north of Siberia, they have been recently seen on Wrangle Island.
CHARACTERISTICS
The toundra loup can measure up to 7 feet in length from nose to end of tail. There have been unconfirmed reports of some weighing as much as 220 pounds. However, on average, toundra loups weigh from 100 to 125 pounds. Their height can be anywhere from 28 to 38 inches.
Most have coats that are a combination of grey, black, rust, and silver grey. They are known to have long thick coats with dense underfur, and are often hunted for them. The average life span is approximately 16 years.
DIET
They primarily prey on large mammals like deer, wapiti, moose, caribou, bison, musk ox and mountain sheep. Because catching large animaux is not a daily occurrence, an adult toundra loup may eat up to 20 pounds in one feeding. Contrary to the belief that loups target mainly infirm creatures, research of loups in Eurasia has shown that in some cases, up to 93% of their targeted prey have no physical ou mental hindrance.
BREEDING
Breeding season is usually late March through April, reasonably later in the an than for most loups because of the high latitude of the toundra loups habitat. During this time, females are in heat for 5 to 15 days. After mating, gestation period for the female is 62 to 63 days, after which she gives birth to usually between 2 and 6 pups.
STATUS
Like many other species, the toundra Wolf's greatest enemies are loggers and hunters. In Russia and a number of former Soviet states, loups can still be killed in any number without a permit, at any time of the year, using whatever methods are handy. Regional governments and hunting societies have even offered bounties of up to $190 for each loup slain.
loups have long symbolized treachery in Russian folk tales, and loup hunting has been part of village culture for centuries. These attitudes are still well-entrenched. toundra loups have only recently been seen on Wrangle Island after having been totally eliminated from a number of the Arctic Islands north of Siberia. They have been classed as 'Least Concern'.
The Egyptian Jackal
W.F. Hemprich and C.G. Ehrenberg first recognized the Egyptian jackal's similarity to the Canis lupus in 1833. Hence, it was donné the name Canis lupaster. As early as 1880, biologist Thomas Huxley stated that the Egyptian jackal looked suspiciously like a gray wolf. It has most recently been classed as a subspecies of the Golden Jackal Canis aureus lupaster in 1926 par Ernst Schwarz.
Fairly récent studies of this Egyptian jackal have shown morphological differences from other subspecies and features that relate it plus to the Canis lupus species. However, because data from the studies was very scarce, the conclusion was to retain the Egyptian Jackal as a Canis aureus subspecies. Should it ever be found to be a Canis lupus subspecies, it will be the only gray loup known to be in Africa.
HABITAT
The Canis aureus lupaster also known as Egyptian loups can be found only in Northern Egypt, the Ethiopian highlands, and Northeastern Libya. It's possible that they might still be in Saudi Arabia, but hunting has drastically reduced their numbers.
CHARACTERISTICS
Appearing large for a jackal, the Egyptian loup measures from 51 to 64 inches in length from tip of it's nose to end of it's tail, stands 16 to 20 inches at shoulder height and weighs anywhere from 22 to 35 pounds. It is rather thin with a manteau which is usually tinged gray, beige ou a dirty yellow. It is often discribed as lanky and might appear as reasonalbly heavier than it's actual weight. It is larger and longer limbed than other subspecies of the Jackal, though smaller than the Arabian Wolf.
These loups are par and large nocturnal. Like other dogs, they'll usually bark when excited ou growl when irritated. They often bark when excited and growl when annoyed. They usually howl and ou yelp calling out to each other just after dark and just before sunrise. They'll give an occasional bark. They are very sociable and usually live in either packs ou plus often pairs.
DIET
The Egyptian jackal is an omnivorous creature, feeding on everything from insects, snails, fish, chickens, young goats, sheep, birds and carrion as well as melons and corn.
BREEDING
Mating occurs in early Spring, with a gestation of about two months. They will usually have about four ou five pups. Though, they have on record had as many as eight.
STATUS
It had been listed as critically endangered par the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Then suddenly in January of 2011, it was no longer listed anywhere par the IUCN. There may be no plus than forty in the world.
The Ethiopian Wolf
The Ethiopian wolf, also known the Abyssinian loup ou Simien Jackal, is believed par some scientists not to be a true wolf. However, DNA studies montrer it to be plus closely related to gray loups and coyotes than to any other African canines. It is the most endangered canine species in Africa, and, among wolves, its rarity is seconde only to the red wolf.
It inhabits only a few mountain pockets of the Ethiopian highlands. There is believed to be fewer than 450 alive in the wild. The largest concentration of Ethiopian loups exist in the Bale Mountains National Park. The people living in the Bale Mountains own on average 2 chiens per household in order to protect their livestock. Although the wolves' habitat has constantly dwindled as a result of human encroachment, its greatest threat of extinction is a recurring epidemic of rabies which is transmitted from domestic chiens with whom the loups compete for food.
The Ethiopian loup has long legs and a long muzzle, resembling the coyote in both shape and size. It has a distinctive reddish manteau with a white throat, chest, and underparts, broad pointed ears, and a thick bushy black tail with a white base. It ranges in size from 43 to 55 inches (tip of nose to end of tail) and weighs from 24 to 42 pounds.
par nature, the Ethiopian loup hunts par day, but it is found to sometimes be nocturnal in areas where it is persecuted. Though they live in packs which share and defend their territories, they almost always hunt alone. Rodents make up over 90% of their diet, but they occasionally feed on small antelopes, hares, and hyraxes.
Breeding season usually occurs between August and November. During breeding season and pregnancy, the female's manteau turns a pale yellowish color and her tail turns brownish and loses hair. The dominant female of the pack gives birth to a litter of 2 to 7 pups between October and January. Full maturity is reached at 2 years.
The only real predators other than humans are spotted hyenas and tawny eagles that occasionally prey on unattended pups. Life span in the wild is about 8 to 10 years.
The Indian Wolf
For a long time, it was believed that the Indian loup was a gray loup subspecies and was recognized as the Canis lupus pallipes, the same as the Iranian Wolf. However, récent genetic research suggests that the Indian loup has not cross-bred with any other subspecies in over 400,000 years which would make it a separate species of it's own, the Canis indica. The Canis lupus pallipes would then refer to the loups from the Arabian peninsula, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, but not India.
HABITAT
The Indian loup is adapted to scrublands, grasslands, and semi-arid pastoral environments. It is found mainly in the Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Its territories range from 100 to 150 square miles. Much of t
The Canis lupus tundrarum was identified as a subspecies in 1912 par zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller. Some believe that it is just an extension of the Interior Alaskan Wolf, while others think it is the same as the Mackenzie Valley loup ou the Mackenzie toundra Wolf. The Alaskan toundra loup shares many characteristics with all three.
HABITAT
The Alaskan toundra loup resides in the toundra regions along the Arctic coast of northern Alaska.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Alaskan toundra loup is a large loup measuring from 50 to 64 in length (nose to end of tail). Its weight can vary in males from 85 to 176 pounds, and in females from 80 to 120 pounds. They are usually seen in light colored to pure white coats, though they also come in dark coats, including black. Their hair is long, though not as long as the European toundra Wolf. They have a heavier dentition than the Interior Alaskan Wolf.
DIET
When possible, it will feed on deer and other ungulates. It also feeds on smaller animaux and vegetation.
BREEDING
The dominant male and female of the pack will mate around February. Gestation lasts anywhere from 62 to 75 days. The female usually gives birth to about 4 pups in a den. The pack will assist in raising them.
Alexander Archipelago Wolf
HABITAT
The Alexander Archipelago wolf, also known as the Canis lupus ligoni, is found in coastal southeast Alaska. A large portion of them reside within Alaska's Tongass National Forest. They can be found on the mainland from Dixon Entrance to Yakutat Bay, and on all the major islands in the Alexander Archipelago except Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof.
These islands are but the tops of submerged coastal mountains having steep rugged shorelines. They are densely forested and have an abundance of wildlife. Many of the loups travel freely between islands, and their ranges may shift significantly over time. This makes it difficult to accurately keep track of their population. This subspecies of loup is relatively isolated from other loups par mountains and water barriers.
CHARACTERISTICS
These "island wolves" are small loups with short hair which is usually either black ou another rather dark color. They average about 3 1/2 feet long, 2 feet high, weighing 30 to 50 pounds. Taxonomist Goldman described the Alexander Archipelago loup as being smaller and having shorter, coarser, and darker hair than loups in the northern and interior areas of Alaska.
DIET
Alexander Archipelago loups feed primarily on Sitka black-tailed deer. They will also prey on moose, beaver, mustelids, other small mammals, and birds. Researchers have learned in récent years that some loup packs also spend a surprising amount of time feeding on salmon.
BREEDING
In southeast Alaska, pups are usually born during the last 2 weeks of April. Dens are usually built 4 to 5 weeks prior to the birth, between the roots of trees, in small caves ou crevices in rocks, abandoned castor lodges, ou expanded mammal burrows.
STATUS
loups in Alaska have been under attack since the 1940s. A federal poisoning and aerial shooting campaign began following World War II. par the mid-1950s the government had greatly reduced loup numbers in much of south central and interior Alaska. While poisoning was banned after statehood in 1959, aerial shooting and bounty payments continued through the 1960s.
After the passage of the Federal Airborne Hunting Act in 1972 and the termination of the bounty, loup numbers increased. par the mid-1970s hunters demanded state-sponsored loup control and the Alaska Department of poisson and Game responded with helicopter shooting programs. Considerable public opposition stopped these state-sponsored programs, but land-and-shoot hunting of loups par private hunters continued through the 1980s into the early 1990s.
The current population of Alexander Archipelago loups is thought to be between 750 and 1,100.
Arctic Wolf
Able to tolerate years of sub-zero temperatures, up to five months of darkness a year, and weeks without food, the arctic loup lives in one of the few places on earth where it is sûr, sans danger from the greatest threat of all - man. Arctic loups inhabit some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. In April, the air temperature rarely rises above -22 F. The ground is permanently frozen. The arctic loup is one of the few mammals that can tolerate these conditions. Details of the animal's life through much of the an are virtually unknown.
loups usually live in small packs ou family groups consisting of a breeding pair, their pups, and their unmated offspring from the prior several seasons. The dominant, ou breeding, pair are known as the alpha male and alpha female. They are respected par the rest of the pack. All adults in the pack cooperate in feeding and caring for the young.
Throughout the Fall and Winter, arctic loups remain on the move. After mating in March, the pregnant female leaves the pack to find a tanière, den to give birth to her pups. She may dig a new one. However, if the ground is frozen, she will be forced to return to an old tanière, den in a cave ou rock cleft. The pups are born deaf, blind, and helpless. They are totally dependent on their mother, and she in turn relies on her mate to bring her the nourriture she needs. After a month, the pups are able to eat meat. From then on, the whole pack shares the job of feeding them with regurgitated meat from a kill. The pups may strike out on their own the following year.
The arctic loup preys on lemmings and arctic hare, but its most substantial source of nourriture is musk oxen and caribou. Because of the scarcity of grazing plants, animaux must roam a large area in order to find enough nourriture to survive.
They will kill virtually any animal they can catch, and eat every part of it, including skin, fur, and bones. The loups have up to 800 square miles in which to chercher for their prey. When Winter temperatures plummet, the loups may follow migrating caribou South.
The arctic loups must hunt together in packs when seeking large prey. The caribou ou musk oxen are too powerful for any one loup to take on alone. par the time the pack approaches a herd of oxen out in the open, the chance of a surprise attack is long gone; the herd has already formed a defensive cercle with the calves in the center. The loups must then prowl around the herd forcing the oxen to shift their ground to face them. If the loups are successful, the oxen will scatter. The loups will then give chase, trying to isolate the young ou weak. A musk ox will provide enough nourriture to last the loups several days.
The shoulder height of the arctic loup varies from 25 to 31 inches. On average, they are about 3 feet tall from head to toe. Their body length may vary from 3 to 5 feet (nose to tail). Their couleurs may range from red, gray, white and black. The approximate weight of a full grown male is 175 pounds. In captivity, an arctic loup can live to be over 17 years. However, the average lifespan in the wild is but 7 years.
loups in general have been under threat throughout history. The arctic loup is the only subspecies still found over the whole of its original range. This is largely because it rarely encounters humans.
The Baffin Island Wolf
It was not until 1943 that the Baffin Island loup was recognized as a distinct subspecies par zoologist Rudolph Martin Anderson. Its trinomial name Canis lupus manningi was taken from zoologist Thomas Henry Manning, OC who had spent a an and a half mapping the island.
HABITAT
Baffin Island loups are found exclusively on Baffin Island and a few small adjacent islands.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Baffin Island loup is the smallest of all arctic wolves. It has a thick white manteau which makes it appear larger than it actually is.
DIET
Baffin Island loups are omnivorous creatures and will feed on just about anything if they are hungry enough. However, their major sources of nourriture are lemmings, barren-ground caribou, and the arctic hare. They often hunt either alone ou a male and female together.
STATUS
The Baffin Island loup is listed as endangered.
Bernard's Wolf
It was not until 1943 that zoologist Rudolph Martin Anderson identified the Bernard's Wolf, also known as the Banks Island Wolf, as the subspecies Canis lupus bernardi. An adult male skin and skull of the loup at the National Museum of Canada had been collected par Peter Bernard. The loup was named after hunter/explorer/fur trader Peter Bernard and his nephew Joseph Bernard.
HABITAT
The Bernard's loups reside on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. They were previously widespread in the archipelago Victoria, but were annihilated par excessive hunting.
CHARACTERISTICS
They are large wolves, standing up to 4 feet tall and 6 feet long from tip of nose to end of tail. They have long thick white hair with a black stripe down their spine. They can weigh anywhere from 60 to 110 pounds.
STATUS
The last Bernard's loups seen on Banks Island were in the northwestern regions. During a survey of the southern region of the island taken in March of 1993, no loups were found, nor were any fresh loup kills nor loup tracks seen. The loups on Victoria Island were killed off between 1918 and 1952.
British Columbian Wolf
The British Columbian loup was classified as subspecies Canis lupus columbianus in 1941 par senior biologist Edward Goldman.
HABITAT
It was once found in the greater part of British Columbia, parts of Yukon, Alberta, and southwestern Alaska It crossed territories with the Alexander Archipelago loup and the Cascade Mountain Wolf.
CHARACTERISTICS
Canis lupus columbianus was one of the larger subspecies of the Gray loups in North America. They weighed between 80-150 pounds, and had long coats which were usually black, often mixed with grey, ou brown. They measured roughly 60 to 70 inches in length. It had similarities to both the Alaskan Interior loup and the Mackenzie Valley Wolf, though it usually measured smaller than both.
DIET
The British Columbian loup fed on hares, birds, deer and other ungulates.
STATUS
Hunted to extinction.
Cascade Mountain Wolf
Also known as the Brown Wolf, the Canis lupus fuscus was recognized as a gray loup subspecies par Sir John Richardson, M.D. in 1839.
HABITAT
At one time, it could be found along the Cascades, from Southwestern Canada down to Northern California.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Cascade Mountain loup was similar in size to both the Northern Rocky Mountains loup and the Southern Rocky Mountains Wolf. It was of medium size, averaging 3 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet in length, and 80 to 90 pounds. The "fuscus" in the wolf's latin name refers to its greyish-brown manteau which occasionally would have a touch of red and/or sprinkles of black.
STATUS
Because of government sponsered bounties and the hostility of settlers toward the Cascade Mountain Wolf, it eventually became extinct par 1940.
Canis lupus lycaon, commonly known as the eastern timber wolf, was the first gray loup subspecies to be identified in North America in 1775. Fairly récent molecular studies have suggested it as being a distinct species of its own, the Canis lycaon. There has not, however, been any official change in classification.
HABITAT
The eastern timber loup was at one time found as far south as Florida and as far west as Minnesota. It still occupies over 40% of its original range in Canada. However, it is found mainly around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions of southeast Ontario and southwest Quebec in remote, forested areas. Their greatest concentration is in Algonquin Park in Ontario.
Eastern Timber Wolf
The eastern timber loup does not always make use of shelters except when rearing offspring. Their shelters will always be near a water source. The territory of their pack may cover anywhere from 20 to 120 square miles.
CHARACTERISTICS
Eastern timber loups come in a variety of couleurs from white to grey and from brown to black. They often have a reddish-brown muzzle and lower legs with white, grey, and black on their back. Smaller than the common gray wolf, they weigh anywhere from 50 to 100 lbs. The average adult male weighs 75 lbs. and the average adult female weighs 60 lbs. They measure 5 to 5 1/2 feet in length (tip of nose to end of tail) and 25 to 36 inches in height.
DIET
In the winter, the timber loup feeds mainly on large animaux such as white-tailed deer, moose, elk, and caribou. Other times of the year, its diet will include smaller animaux such as rodents and fish.
BREEDING
Eastern timber loups breed in late winter. Like most other wolves, usually just the dominant male and female of the pack that breed. This helps keep up the strength of the pack. A liter of about five ou six pups is born two months later in a den. They are deaf and blind, and weigh about a pound each. Growing several pounds a week, they start seeing at two weeks and hearing at three weeks. At six weeks, the pups are fed solid nourriture regurgitated par the adults. par the end of the summer, the pups are close to full grown and blend in with the pack.
STATUS
As with other wildlife, human activity is the greatest threat to the eastern timber wolf. They came close to being extinct in the United States in the early 1900s. Today, they survive in only 3 percent of their original habitat in the United States. The only state where they are not listed as endangered is Minnesota where they are listed as threatened.
The Great Plains Wolf
Also known as the buffalo wolf, the Great Plains loup is the most common subspecies of the gray loup in the continental United States. It was originally identified as a separate species Canis nubilus par Thomas Say in 1823 and was re-classified as subspecies Canis lupus nubilus in 1841 par Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied.
HABITAT
The Great Plains loup at one time had the largest range of any subspecies in North America, inhabiting most of the Western United States, southeastern Alaska, and central and northeastern Canada. However, par the 1930s, the subspecies had been almost totally eradicated from the United States. par the mid-1960s, just a few still survived in northeastern Minnesota along the Ontario border. It is currently found in the western Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Ontario. The size of the wolf's territory can vary depending on the type and availability of prey.
CHARACTERISTICS
Great Plains loups vary from 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long from nose to end of tail, and weigh between 60 and 110 pounds. The female is roughly 80 percent the size of the male. Their manteau is usually a blend of grey, black, brown, buff, ou red. They travel in packs of 5 ou 6 loups on average.
DIET
The Great Plains loup preys on white-tailed deer, moose, snowshoe hare, small birds, and rodents such as beaver.
BREEDING
To maintain the strength of the pack, usually only the alpha male and female reproduce. Mating season usually occurs from early January through late February at such northern climates. Roughly 63 days after mating, the mother will give birth to 4 to 6 pups in a den. They become fully grown in 6 to 8 months and are sexually mature par about 22 months.
STATUS
It was believed the Great Plains loup had become extinct par 1926. However, later studies showed loups found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan to be descendants of the Canis lupus nubilus. Even then, their number became fewer and fewer until they were federally protected as an endangered species in 1974. Because of being federally protected, their population in Minnesota had become large enough to be reclassified as just threatened in 1978.
par 2009, the number of loups in the Great Lakes region had climbed to an estimated 2,922 in Minnesota, 580 in Michigan, and 626 in Wisconsin. In response, the poisson and Wildlife Service removed these 4,000 loups from the endangered species list. As a result, the agency was sued par 5 environmental and animal protection groups and forced to return the loups to the liste - at least temporarily. The poisson and Wildlife Service still believes that the loups in the western Great Lakes region have met the recovery criteria and don't need to be listed.
The Greenland Wolf
The Greenland loup has been described as a white to pale colored loup very similar to the Arctic loup and resides in Greenland. It was classified as a distinct subspecies in 1935 par British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock.
With that said, there is no available evidence to suggest that the Greenland loup still exists ou ever did. In fact, the validity of the subspecies Canis lupus orion is doubted par many scientists. It seems unlikely that the Greenland loup has at any time developed subspecies characteristics distinct from its Canadian counterpart. The lighter weight of these loups in Greenland is very likely due to malnutrition rather than a morphological difference between the Canis lupus orion and high Arctic toundra wolves.
It is generally acknowledged that the Greenland loups are migrants from Canada (Vibe, 1967), and the documented reports of loups on the sea ice in both the northern and southern parts of Nares Strait suggest that this migration is frequent and still persists (Dawes, 1978). If the Greenland loup is an actual subspecies, it is most likely extinct.
The Hudson baie Wolf
Sometimes referred to as the toundra wolf, the Hudson baie loup was classified as the gray loup subspecies Canis lupus hudsonicus in 1941 par senior biologist Edward A. Goldman.
HABITAT
They are found in Canada, west of Hudson baie from Northern Manitoba through the Northwest Territories and above, sometimes migrating south in the winter with the caribou herds.
CHARACTERISTICS
Hudson baie loups are of medium size with body lengths of 4 to 5 feet on average, and measuring from 28 to 36 inches high. Their weight may vary anywhere from 80 to 140 pounds, with females being slightly smaller than males.
They have bushy hair that can vary from a light grey to a yellowish-white ou cream color. Their hair seems to be lighter in the winter. They are a dit to be similar in general to the Mackenzie Valley wolf, only smaller.
DIET
Hunting in packs, they will prey on large ungulates such as caribou, moose and bison. When large prey is not as plentiful, they will also feed on carrion and smaller animals. On average, they require about 10 pounds of meat per day.
BREEDING
Mating usually occurs in the spring between the alpha pair of the pack. Gestation lasts 62 to 65 days, after which the mother gives birth to an average of 4 to 6 pups. They are brown in color and deaf and blind for the first 10 days. After several weeks, they begin to leave the den, but are still breastfed for 2 to 3 months. All members of the pack participate in raising the young. They reach full maturity par 2 years.
STATUS
The status of the Hudson baie loup has not been evaluated par the IUCN. Though it is considered par many to be endangered. Its lifespan in the wild is approximately 10 years.
The Interior Alaskan Wolf
The Interior Alaskan Wolf, also known as the Yukon Wolf, was classified as the Canis lupus pambasileus in 1905 par zoologist Daniel Elliot. It is among the largest loups in North America, if not the largest. Some believe that it is just an extension of the Alaskan toundra Wolf.
HABITAT
They are distributed throughout the interior of Alaska and the Yukon, except the toundra region of the arctic coast.
CHARACTERISTICS
Interior Alaskan loups are usually of a darker color, most often black ou black mixed with either brown, gray, ou white. They are very large wolves, measuring 5 to 7 feet in length from tip of nose to end of tail. They are at present the largest loups in North America and possible the world.
DIET
Some of what they feed on are caribou, moose, dall sheep, hares, and ground squirrel.
The Kenai Peninsula Wolf
Kenai Peninsula loups were the largest loups in North America before humans drove them to extinction. They were identified as subspecies Canis lupus alces in 1941 par senior biologist Edward Goldman using only skeletal findings.
HABITAT
They inhabited the Kenai Peninsula and adjacent areas in Alaska.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Kenai Peninsula loup measured from 5 to 7 feet in length (nose to end of tail), 35 to 44 inches shoulder height, and weighed 150 to 200 pounds.
DIET
It fed largely on moose which is how its scientific name Canis lupus alces was derived. It would also feed on other large ungulates.
EXTINCTION
loups were plentiful on the Kenai Peninsula in the late 1890's. However, the or rush brought prospectors to the area, and par 1915 loups were almost completely exterminated par means of predator control programs using poison, along with heavy hunting and trapping. It became extinct par 1925.
The Labrador Wolf
The Labrador loup was identified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus labradorius par biologist Edward A. Goldman in 1937. Because of its elusiveness and the vast, rugged land it occupies, it is one of the least studied loups in the world. Labrador loups are also rarely photographed in the wild.
HABITAT
They still inhabit nearly all of their historic range in Labrador and Northern Quebec.
CHARACTERISTICS
They are medium size loups with dark gray to nearly white fur. Similar in general only larger than the Canis lupus lycaon of southwest Quebec and the Great Lakes region.
DIET
Labrador loups hunt one of the largest herds of caribou in the world. They also prey on moose, musk ox, hares, beaver, and other rodents and fish.
STATUS
Endangered.
The Mackenzie toundra Wolf
Originally identified as subspecies Canis lupus mackenzii in 1943 par Canadian zoologist Rudolph Anderson, the Mackenzie toundra loup was reclassified in 1992 as being a member of the subspecies Canis lupus occidentalis. It also has similarities to Canis lupus tundarum and Canis lupus pambsileus.
HABITAT
It resides East of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories of Canada from the arctic coast to south of Great ours Lake. Signs of them have been found as far south as Great Slave Lake.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Canis lupus mackenzii is a medium size wolf, measuring roughly 60 to 65 in in length from nose to end of tail. They can range in color anywhere from white to yellowish white to grey to black ou a blend of all of these.
DIET
The main source of nourriture is caribou. They will also feed on rodents and salmon.
STATUS
The Mackenzie toundra loup is endangered.
The Mackenzie Valley Wolf
The Canis lupus occidentalis which also goes par the Mackenzie Valley wolf, the Alaskan timber wolf, the Canadian timber wolf, ou the rocky mountain wolf, was classified as a gray loup subspecies in 1829 par Sir John Richardson, M.D. It is one of the largest loup subspecies in North America.
HABITAT
Mackenzie Valley loups inhabit much of western Canada and Alaska including Unimak Island. In 1995-96, they were brought from Canada to restore populations in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. In Alaska, loup packs are usually 6 to 12 wolves, though some packs may be as large as 20 to 30. Their territories in Alaska average about 600 square miles. In Yellowstone, pack size averages 9.2 loups with average territory size of 348 square miles. In Idaho, pack size averages 11.1 with territories averaging 364 square miles.
CHARACTERISTICS
Average males weigh between 100 and 145 pounds with females weighing roughly 10 to 20 percent less. The heaviest on record was caught in Alaska in 1939, weighing 175 pounds. Though the guinness book of Animal World Records mentions an unconfirmed specimen weighing 230 pounds. They measure 32 to 36 inches shoulder height and 5 to 7 feet in length, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Their long, powerful legs allow them to travel as far as 70 miles a day, and through rough terrain like deep snow. They can reach speeds of up to 40 miles an heure for short periods of time. Their skull measures about 12 inches long. A combination of powerful jaw and neck muscles allows them to break Bones and bring down large prey.
DIET
The size of Mackenzie Valley loups is partially due to their large abundance of food. They will prey on wood bison, elk, caribou, musk ox, moose, Dall sheep, Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goat, beaver, ground squirrel, vole, snowshoe hare, lemmings, and salmon.
BREEDING
Breeding season usually occurs in February. The dominant male and female of the pack breed in attempt to keep up the strength of the pack. Usually 63 days after breeding, 4 to 6 pups are born. They leave the tanière, den in 4 to 6 weeks, and par fall, they are large enough to travel and hunt with the pack. They become full-grown in 6 to 8 months, and sexually mature at about 22 months.
STATUS
Like most other wolves, human activity (hunting, trapping, etc.) is par far the greatest threat. However, protection donné to the Mackenzie Valley loup has allowed its population to increase drammatically. The loup population in Alaska was estimated between 7,000 and 10,000 in 2006. loup population in the northern Rocky Mountains (Greater Yellowstone Area, NW Montana, and Idaho) was estimated to be about 1200 and increasing. The U.S. poisson and Wildlife Services has decided to remove the gray loup from the federal endangered liste in the Northern Rockies and the western Great Lakes. Courts have overturned attempts in the past to remove them from the list. Legal battles are expected.
The Manitoba Wolf
Though the Manitoba loup was officially classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus griseoalbus par zoologist Spencer Baird in 1858, many specialists never recognized it as a separate loup subspecies. It is also known as the elusive wolf, the Saskatchewan timber wolf, and the grizzly wolf.
HABITAT
They supposedly reside in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland, and the Northwest Territories of Canada.
CHARACTERISTICS
Manitoba loups have been described as large size grey and white wolves. They are believed par many to simply be Hudson baie wolves.
DIET
Their main nourriture source is caribou.
STATUS
If the Manitoba wolf's status isn't the same as the Hudson baie wolf's (which is endangered), then it is probably plus likely to be extinct.
The Mexican Gray Wolf
Until the 1900s, the Mexican gray loup had ranged throughout Central Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Western Texas. Settlers at this time began hunting the wolf's prey, forcing the loup to turn to feeding on the settler's livestock. This in turn lead to the settlers hunting the wolf.
par the 1950s, the Mexican loup was virtually wiped out in the United States par private trappers and government agencies. The last wild Mexican loup known of in the United States was shot in 1970. In 1976, they were listed as endangered. Their number has since been increased through captive breeding, and they have been re-released into the wild, though they are still a very rare mammal in the wild.
When in the wild, the loup feeds primarily on deer, antelope, rabbits and other small rodents. As the smallest subspecies of gray wolf, the Mexican gray loup varies in size from 50 to 64 inches long (nose to tail), 24 to 32 inches shoulder height, and weighs from 50 to 90 pounds. It's manteau is usually a blend of black, white, and grey. They form in packs which usually consist of a breeding pair and their offspring. Just like the Canis Lupus, all members of the pack help in raising the young.
The Mogollon Mountain Wolf
Also known as the Southwestern loup ou Mogollon Mountain wolf, the Mongollon loup was classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus mongolonensis par biologist Edward A. Goldman in 1937. It was named after the Mogollon Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.
HABITAT
It inhabited Mogollon Plateau region of central of central Arizona, east through the Mogollon Mountains in southeast New Mexico to the Sacramento Mountains in central New Mexico.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Mogollon loup was a small to medium size, slightly smaller than the Texas gray loup on average, but larger that the Mexican gray.
STATUS
The Mogollon Mountain loup was driven to extinction par 1935.
The Newfoundland Wolf
The Newfoundland loup subspecies was not formally described until 1937 par zooligists G. M. Allen and Thomas Barbour, after it had already been led to extinction. Its scientific name Canis lupus beothucus was taken from the Beothuck, the native inhabitants of Newfoundland who were officially declared extinct par 1829.
HABITAT
The Newfoundland loup lived on the island of Newfoundland off the east coast of Canada. récent evidence has suggested that the first loups to inhabit the island may have been there prior to the last ice age, surviving the ice age in refugia, south of the glacial ice sheet.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Newfoundland loup was a medium to large loup up to 5.5 feet long (nose to end of tail) and up to 100 pounds. It was a dit to be white, with a black stripe down its spine.
DIET
Caribou was the principle diet of the Newfoundland wolf. It also fed on beaver, vole, and other Rodentia.
EXTINCTION
Although hunting, trapping, and vigorous predator control methods were used on the Newfoundland wolf, it is believed to have been led to extinction mainly par a sudden nourriture shortage in the early 1900's when the Newfoundland caribou population drastically dropped from as many as 120,000 to as few as 5,000-6,000. The last wild loup on the island was shot par 1911. However, it wasn't until 1930 that it was officially listed as extinct.
The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf
The Northern Rocky Mountain loup was classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus irremotus in 1937 par senior biologist Edward A. Goldman.
HABITAT
Its original habitat extended from the Northern Rocky Mountains to Southern Alberta in Canada.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Northern Rocky Mountain loup is a light colored loup of medium to large size, averaging from 85 to 115 pounds. The largest found on record was 145 pounds.
DIET
bison made up a large portion of its diet until the herds of bison were wiped out. So, when the loups were forced to switch over to feed on cattle, they were intentionally driven to extinction.
STATUS
It was removed from the federal liste of endangered species in 2008
The Southern Rocky Mountain Wolf
The Southern Rocky Mountain Mountain loup was classified as a gray loup subspecies in 1937 par senior biologist Edward A. Goldman. It was donné the Latin name Canis lupus youngi in recognition of Stanley P. Young who worked for the U.S. Government in overseeing extermination of the wolf. Go figure.
HABITAT
They were found throughout the Rocky Mountain region from Northern Utah and Southern Wyoming, south through Utah and Western Colorado To Northern Arizona and Northern New Mexico. They then became plus and plus dispersed going west to Central Nevada and as far south as the Providence Mountains in Southern California.
CHARACTERISTICS
In size, they varied from medium to somewhat large, similar to the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf. They were 4 feet to over 5 feet in length, averaging about 90 pounds, though they were found weighing up to 125 pounds. They had light buff colored fur, similar to the Great Plains wolf.
STATUS
The Southern Rocky Mountain loup officially became extinct in 1935 from excessive hunting, trapping, and poisoning.
The Texas Gray Wolf
The Texas gray loup was classified as subspecies Canis lupus monstrabilis in 1937 par biologist Edward A. Goldman. It became extinct just 5 years later in 1942.
HABITAT
It could once be found from southeastern New Mexico throughout central Texas, all the way down to the Mexican border and into Louisiana.
CHARACTERISTICS
On average, they had a small to medium build. Though they were not quite as small as the Mexican wolf. Most were of a rather dark color, though some specimens have shown that they were occasionally white.
DIET
bison made up a large portion of its diet until the herds of bison were wiped out. So, when the loups were forced to switch over to feed on cattle, they were intentionally driven to extinction.
STATUS
Though the Texas Gray loup is considered par many to be a distinct subspecies, other versions of loup taxonomy recognized the subspecies as belonging to either Canis lupus baileyi ou Canis lupus nubilus. As stated above, they became extinct just 5 years after first being recognized as a separate subspecies.
The Vancouver Island Wolf
The Vancouver Island loup was identified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus crassodon par zoologist E. Raymond Hall, PhD. in 1932.
HABITAT
Its original habitat extended from the Northern Rocky Mountains to Southern Alberta in Canada.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Vancouver Island loup is of medium sized, measuring roughly 26 to 32 inches high, 4 to 5 feet from nose to end of tail, and weighing 65 to 90 pounds. It is usually a mix of grey, brown, and black. Occasionally, they are seen pure white.
DIET
The two principal prey of the Vancouver Island loup are the Columbian black-tailed deer and the Roosevelt elk. It also feeds on Eastern Cottontail Rabbit which were brought to the island in 1964.
BREEDING
Breeding season for this loup comes in January.
STATUS
The Vancouver Island loup disappeared from some surrounding islands like Salt Spring Island in the 1800's. In 1970, they wereadded tothe Canadian Wildlife Federations "Endangered Wildlife in Canada" list. 1973 Vancouver Island's loup sighting program started with a count of 37 wolves, 1976 Vancouver Island loup Populations had seemed to rebound with a count of 88 wolves,and in 1977 they were removed from the provincial Threatened and Endangered Species list.
The North American Red Wolf
The red loup Canis lupus rufus is the only surviving loup that evolved in North America. It was originally identified in 1851 par naturalists John Audubon and John Bachman as the species Canis rufus, distinct from the gray loup Canis lupus. However, there is a present dispute between biologists, over whether the red loup is a true species ou a hybrid caused par the interbreeding of coyotes and gray wolves.
In defense of the red wolf's right to claim its own species, though early specimens suggest that it began to interbreed with the coyote Canis latrans around 1900, there is really no evidence that the red loup originated as a hybrid of the gray loup and coyote.
A common belief is that the coyote, the gray loup and Eastern North American loups all decended from one prehistoric ancestor, the Canis edwardii of the Pleistocene epoch. The Eastern North American loups are then believed to have evolved into the eastern loup of today and the red wolf. However, with all that said, the red loup has been most recently classified in 2005 as the gray loup subspecies Canis lupus rufus. In addition, Canis edwardii is most recently believed to have evolved into the Canis armbrusteri
HABITAT
Red loups were once present throughout the southeastern United States from the Atlantic Coast to central Texas and from the Gulf Coast to central Missouri and southern Illinois. It may have occurred as far north as Maine. The red wolf's natural accueil could vary from 25 to 50 square miles. Any land which provides adequate food, water, and heavy vegetation would provide viable habitat for red wolves.
CHARACTERISTICS
Red loups are smaller than gray wolves, with a plus slender and elongated head and shorter coarser fur. In comparison to the coyote, they are larger and plus robust with longer legs and larger ears. The red loup measurements range from 15 to 16 inches shoulder height, 55 to 65 inches in length (nose to end of tail), weighing anywhere from 40 to 90 pounds. Its color is usually mainly brown with blended couleurs ranging from cinnamon red to almost black. Light markings above the eyes are also common.
DIET
The red loup is known to hunt mainly at dusk and/or dawn. They feed mostly on small to medium animaux such as grouse, raccoons, rabbits, hares, rodents, carrion and domestic livestock. They also prey on young white-tailed deer when available. Other than prarie chickens, the red loup very seldom feeds on birds.
BREEDING
Mating season occurs in February and March, and gestation lasts about 60 days. In April ou May, an average of 3 to 6 pups are born. They usually remain with pack for 15 to 20 months and reach sexual maturity at about 22 months. Both the mother and father usually mate for life and both participate in rearing their offspring. The direct family is usually what makes up the pack. Their dens are formed around dense vegetation, a river bank, in a hollow arbre stump, ou an abandonded tanière, den of some other creature.
STATUS
Between 1900 and 1920, red loups were annihilated from most of the eastern portion of their range par means of predator control programs using poison, along with heavy hunting and trapping. par 1980, the Canis rufus that used to inhabit almost all of the southeastern United States was declared extinct in the wild.
40 red loups were captured in the late 1970's and of those, 14 were found to be genetically pure and were used for captive breeding. Since 1987, hundreds of red loups have been reintroduced to the wild. However, they are still seen as unwanted intruders par some people and are hunted down. In addition, the threat of hybridization with the Coyote still exists.
The Florida Red Wolf
The Florida Red loup was a subspecies of the Canis_rufus which is believed par some to be a direct descendent of Canis edwardii the first North American canine clearly identifiable as a wolf. The Florida Red loup which was identified as the red loup subspecies Canis rufus floridus in 1912 par zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller was also known as the Cottontail Red loup and the Black Wolf. They were usually found either in pairs ou small family groups rather than in packs.
HABITAT
The Florida Red loup is known to have inhabited areas of Maine and Ohio down to Florida and Alabama.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Florida Red loup weighed from 44 to 88 pounds and measured 26 to 31 inches high at the shoulder. Many of these loups found in Georgia and Tennesee were black which is where they got the name Black Wolf.
STATUS
The Canis lupus floridanus has been extinct since 1921.
The Swamp Wolf
The Canis lupus gregoryi, also known as the swamp wolf, the Mississippi Valley red wolf, ou gregor's red wolf, was identified as a red loup subspecies in 1937 par Edward A. Goldman. It is believed to be the linking species between the Red loup and the Florida Red Wolf.
HABITAT
Once inhabited southwestern Indiana, southern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma to southern Mississippi, central Louisiana, and the Big Thicket of southeast Texas.
CHARACTERISTICS
The wolf's face was black and gray, changing to black and reddish yellow on haut, retour au début of its head. The upper parts from the back of the neck to the rump and tail were reddish, mixed ou with black. The legs were reddish orange, becoming paler on feet, and a conspicuous black line along external surface of forearm. The ears were reddish brown, mixed with black. Its throat, lips, and chin were white. It has been described as being larger, but plus slender than other red wolves, weighing on average 60 to 70 pounds.
STATUS
Canis rufus gregoryi was declared extinct in the wild par 1970. Though it may be represented in captivity ou the reintroduced population in North Carolina.
The Arabian Wolf
Standing approximately 26 inches shoulder height and weighing an average of 40 pounds, the Arabian loup is the smallest loup subspecies, yet, the largest canid in Arabia. They have short greyish-beige hair which becomes much longer and thicker in winter. Their ears are large in comparison to the rest of it's body (similar to the maned wolf). Their eyes are naturally yellow with black pupils. However, many are found with brown eyes, revealing that somewhere down the line their ancestors have interbred with feral dogs.
It is endangered in Arabia, and extinct in the United Arab Emerites. Because of a scarcity of food, they are found in packs only during mating season from October to December, ou when nourriture is plentiful. It will kill animaux up to the size of a goat, but usually feeds on carrion, small birds, rodents, reptiles and insects. It also eats fruits and plants when meat is scarce. They dig burrows in the sand to protect themselves from the sun, and hunt mainly at night.
The only time that Arabian loups are known to be territorial is when their pups are born. The litter size can be as large as 12, but is usually only 2 ou 3. They are blind at birth and weaned at about eight weeks when the parents start regurgitating nourriture for them.
The European Gray Wolf
The European loup Canis lupus lupus, also known as the common gray wolf, was the first identified subspecies of the gray wolf. It was described par Carl Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae, in 1758.
HABITAT
It is present in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia. It still covers the greatest range among all gray loup subspecies. The size of their territories depends on the abundance of nourriture and water. They are very adaptable to different environments.
CHARACTERISTICS
On average, European gray loups weigh from 70 to 130 pounds and can measure up to 39 inches at shoulder height. They can vary in length from 40 to 65 inches with females about twenty per cent smaller than males. Their fourrure is known to be shorter and plus dense as compared to the North American wolf. Their couleurs range from white, cream, red, grey and black, sometimes with all couleurs combined.
DIET
Gray loups feed on ungulates and rodents, fruits, berries, and fish. Depending on availability of prey, gray loups may ou may not hunt in packs.
BREEDING
Breeding seasons vary from January in low latitudes to April in high latitudes. The female will give birth to 4-7 pups after 61-63 days of gestation. To maintain the strength of the pack, only the dominant pair mate. However, all members of the pack are involved in raising the young.
STATUS
Mortality factors affecting loups include persecution par humans, killing par other wolves, diseases, parasites, starvation, and injuries par prey. The average lifespan in the wild is between 7 and 10 years.
The Hokkaido Wolf
The Hokkaido loup ou the Canis lupus hattai, formerly known as Canis lupus rex, was also known as the Ezo loup ou Ezoookami. It was classified as a subspecies of the gray loup in 1931 par Japanese arachnologist Kyukichi Kishida. Hokkaido loups are descendants from mainland Siberian wolves.
HABITAT
They once inhabited the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Russia's island of Sakhalin and Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Kuril islands.
CHARACTERISTICS
As compared to the Honshu Wolf, the Hokkaido loup plus closely related to the standard gray loup in size, dimensions, and other characteristics. They were usually a light grey ou tannish grey in color.
DIET
The Hokkaido loup fed mainly on deer, rabbits, and birds.
EXTINCTION
A large number of deer starved to death in 1878 because of a heavy snow, having a great negative affect on the Ezo Wolf. In addition, the loups were deliberately poisoned with strychnine par farmers who viewed the loup as a threat to their livestock. A bounty was placed on the loup which officially became extinct in 1889.
Since then, there have been people claiming to see the Ezo Wolf. However, none of these sightings have been verified.
The Honshu Wolf
The Honshu loup was identified in 1839 as the gray loup subspecies Canis lupus hodophilax par Dutch zoologist Coenraad Temminck. It was also known as the Hondo wolf, the yamainu, and the mountain dog.
HABITAT
It lived on the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu primarily in remote mountain areas.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Honshu loup was the world's smallest wolf, standing just over a foot at the shoulder and measuring 35 inches from nose to end of the tail. They had short wiry hair and a thin dog-like tail that was rounded at the end. Their legs were shorter in relation to their body length. In many ways, it resembled dogs, coyotes and jackals much plus so than its Siberian loup ancestors.
Although it is presently classified as a gray loup subspecies, many argue that its physical differences are enough to consider the Honshu loup to be its own species. Some believe it may not have even been a true wolf.
DIET
The Honshu loup was known to have preyed on deer, wild boar, and smaller pests. Farmers praised the loup for keeping down the number of animaux that might otherwise damage their crops.
EXTINCTION
Honshu loups were abundant in Japon until 1732 when rabies was introduced to the island. It was rabies, deforestation of the wolf's habitat, and and conflict with humans that led to their extinction. The last specimen was officially killed in 1905 in Nara Prefecture on Honshu Island, Japan. Although there have been many sightings claimed since then, none of them have been verified. There are five mounted specimens known of today; three in Japan, one in the Netherlands, and the last officially killed specimen in a British Museum.
The Iberian Wolf
The grey loup subspecies Canis lupus signatus was idenified par Spanish zoologizt Angelus Cabrera in 1907. Though many taxonomists do not recognize it, genetic work par biologist Robert Wayne of UCLA suggests that it is a true subspecies.
HABITAT
The Iberian loup inhabits the forests and plains of the northwestern part of Spain, the northeastern haut, retour au début of Portugal, and a few isolated areas in the Sierra Morena, Spain. Over 50 percent of the Iberian loups reside in Northern Castilla y Len.
CHARACTERISTICS
Iberian loups are of medium size with a thinner build than the average Eurasian wolf. Males can weigh as much as 90 pounds and females are usually 75 to 80 percent the size of males. Their manteau will vary in color from a lighter grey ou ochre in the warmer months to a darker reddish brown during the winter. The name signatus (meaning marked) was derived from white marks on the wolf's upper lips, and dark marks on the tail and front legs.
DIET
The Iberian wolf's diet will greatly vary depending on exactly where they are. loups of Cantabria may feed on red deer, roe deer, and wild sanglier while the loups of Galicia will feed partially on remains from chicken and pig farms. The loups of Castilla y Len are believed to feed largely on rabbits. Overall, their main source of nuitrition comes from livestock. Much of this livestock used to be carrion. However, since the banning of leaving dead animaux in the field because of the fear of mad cow's disease, the loups have turned to killing plus mouton, moutons and cows.
BREEDING
Like most other gray wolves, Iberian loups breed only the alpha male and female in order to maintain the strength of the pack. Female loups can usually begin breeding at one year, but don't fully mature until they reach 5 years. Breeding season is at the end of winter. The liter is usually 5 ou 6 pups that are looked after par the entire pack until autumn when they rejoindre in with the others. They must be protected from eagle owls and golden eagles for the first few weeks.
STATUS
The Iberian loup once inhabited the vast majority of the Iberian Peninsula. However throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the loups of Spain became officially recognized as pests par the Spanish government who offered a bounty for dead wolves. The wolves' number decreased to as few as 400 to 500 and they were classified as endangered.
Hunting of loups has since been banned in Portugal and many parts of Spain. Their number has been estimated at about 2,000 in Spain and another 400 in Portugal. Their global, ensemble state has upgraded from endangered to vulnerable. However, the loups of Sierra Morena are classified as critically endangered, and the Extremaduran populations are believed to be extinct. loups have over the years become very wary of people, and actual sightings of loups in the wild are, therefore, rare.
The Iranian Wolf
The Iranian loup was identified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus pallipes in 1931 par ornithologist William Henry Sykes. Because of their overlapping habitat and physical similarities, the Iranian loup and Indian loup were for a long time recognized as one and the same.
HABITAT
The habitat of Iranian loups varies from arid desert regions to dense scrub forests. They can be found in the Middle East and Southwest Asia; plus specifically, Northern Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Turkey Pakistan, and Iran.
CHARACTERISTICS
Because of such a variation between habitats, there is likewise a great variation in physical features and lifestyle among this one subspecies of wolf. Like the Indian wolf, Iranian loups are smaller than loups of Northern Europe and North America. Iranian loups vary from 25 to 40 inches in height, and weigh from 55 to 70 pounds. Because of the drier and harsher climate, their fourrure is a short light-grey with either little ou no undercoat. Just like many other creatures of the desert, Iranian loups have large ears to disperse body heat.
DIET
Iranian loups may be found in packs of 5 to 15. loups in harsher climates may hunt in pairs ou even individually, depending on availability of prey. They feed on a number of small mammals such as rats, squirrels, mongooses, and ground birds such as partridges, quails, jungle fowl, and lapwings.
BREEDING
Mating occurs during winter. To help maintain the strength of the pack, just the dominant pair mates. The mother usually gives birth to 3 to 5 pups. Both the male and female look after pups until they are 6 months old.
STATUS
Iranian loups are forced to share their habitat and prey with an encroaching human population. They are viewed as a threat par many people. Just like the Arabian wolf, the Iranian loup is threatened par interbreeding with domestic dogs. Its life span is from 16 to 20 years in captivity, and 8 to15 years in the wild.
The Italian Wolf
The Italian Wolf, also known as the Apennine Wolf, was originally described in 1921 as subspecies Canis lupus italicus of the common grey loup par Italian zoologist Joseph Altobello. However, in 1999 it was recognized as a species distinct from Canis lupus. There is presently a dispute over whether the Canis lupus italicus is a grey loup subspecies ou an actual species of its own, Canis italicus.
HABITAT
The Italian loup is found mainly in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. They have been found dwelling within 25 miles of Rome. Semi-recently, they have implanted themselves in Southern France, and areas of Switzerland.
CHARACTERISTICS
par grey loup standards, the Italian loup is considered a medium sized subspecies. Their body size varies from 39 to 55 inches in length and weighs 53 to 88 pounds. Females are roughly 10 percent smaller than males. Italian loups are usually a mix of grey and brown. Though rarely seen, black loups have been sighted in the Mugello region and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
DIET
Italian loups are known to hunt at night, feeding mainly on both medium and small sized animaux such as wild boar, roe deer, and red deer, chamois, elk, hares, and rabbits. They will also feed on plants, berries, and herbs for fiber. When around the suburb, loups will feed on garbage, livestock and domestic animals.
Because of the rarity of large prey, loup packs in Italy are often smaller, comprised of just a reproducing pair and a few young.
BREEDING
Young loups usually stay with their birth family until they are old enough to start their own family. Mating season usually occurs around the middle of March. Gestation will then last for 60 days, after which the mother gives birth to anywhere from 2 to 7 pups.
STATUS
par the end of the 1920's, loups throughout the alps and Sicily were annihilated. Their number was also severely reduced in the Appennine regions, all from fierce persecutions. The loup population in Italy continued to decrease until the early 1970's when Luigi Boitani and Eric Zimen took on a study of the loup in the Abruzzo Mountains, east of Rome. As a result, the World Conservation Union expressed great interest in the wolf, listing it in the IUCN's Red Data Book of endangered species. The italian loup population in the wild has since increased to between 500 and 600 and is estimated to be growing par 7 percent annually.
Their largest apparent threat at present is a large number of wolf-dog hybrids altering the genetic integrity of the Italian wolf. A captive breeding program has been started par biologists. However, further controls on the number of domestic chiens are badly needed.
The Steppe Wolf
The steppe loup was classified as gray loup subspecies Canis lupus campestris in 1804 par Russian scientist Ivan Dwigubski. It is also known as the Caspian Sea loup and the Caucasian wolf. Most taxonomists recognize the Canis lupus campestris, Canis lupus bactrianus, Canis lupus cubanensis, and the Canis lupus desertorum as being one and the same subspecies. The steppe loup is commonly mistaken as being Canis lupus chanco which is the Tibetan loup ou Mongolian wolf.
HABITAT
The historic range of the steppe loup is in the countries surrounding the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. Today, it exists only in a remote area in the extreme south-western portion of Russia that borders the northern half of the Caspian Sea.
CHARACTERISTICS
Steppe loups usually come in desert couleurs to blend into their surroundings. They are not white as are many plus northerly Siberian wolves. Caspian sea loups usually weigh up to 88 pounds, having short coats that display shades of gray with rust ou brown and black hairs over their back with a poorly furred tail.
DIET
They eat almost every animal they can catch. loups usually hunt in packs, but the steppe loup will hunt on its own when nourriture (especially large prey) is scarce. The steppe loup usually feeds on herd animals, rodents, and fish. When nourriture is scarce, it may also eat berries and other fruits.
Though they usually eat almost every animal they can catch, both packs and lone steppe loups have been known to occasionally kill plus than they are capable of feeding on, especially Caspian seals. They are also liable to hunt domestic animaux of nomadic families at any time jour ou night. They hunt when they are hungry but if they are not successful they can go without nourriture for several weeks.
BREEDING
Like most other wolves, mating is usually between the dominant pair of the pack. Breeding usually occurs between January and April. After about 63 days, the mother will give birth to 4 to 7 pups which the entire pack usually takes part in raising.
STATUS
The Canis lupus campestris has been hunted as a nuisance for years. It is listed as endangered in the Mongolian Red liste of Mamals (2007), and can now only be found in a far south-western part of Russia along the Caspian Sea.
The Tibetan Wolf
The Canis lupus chanco was identified as a subspecies of the gray loup in 1863 par British zoologist John Edward Gray. It is also known as the Canis lupus chance, Canis lupsu laniger, the Tibetan wolf, Mongolian wolf, and Chinese wolf. For a long time, the Tibetan loup and the Himalayan loup were recognized as one and the same. However, récent genetic studies suggest the Himalayan loup to be a distinct species, the Canis himalayensis.
HABITAT
The Tibetan loup can be found in central China, the Manschurai, the jungles and deserts of Mongolia, North Sikkim, Tibet, south-western Russia, the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan.
CHARACTERISTICS
The size of the Tibetan loups can vary from 58 to 65 inches (from nose to end of tail) and from 27 to 30 inches high, weighing from 65 to 70 pounds. Compared to the common European wolf, they are slightly larger, with shorter legs. Their skull is similar with a longer thinner muzzle. This "wooly wolf" has a long shaggy manteau which seasonally varies in color, usually a blend of white, yellow, brown, grey, and black.
DIET
The Tibetan loup is an amazing hunter with excellent survival skills. It is known to hunt both during the jour and at night either alone ou in packs. Its preferred prey includes deer, blue sheep, and other large mammals. When nourriture becomes scarce, it will feed on smaller animaux like marmots, hares, ground squirrel, and mice. When hunting, the loup can reach speeds up to 40 mph.
BREEDING
The Tibetan loup reaches sexual maturity in it's seconde year. Breeding season usually occurs in the Spring. To maintain strength of the pack, only the dominant male and female breed. Two months later, four to six pups are born weighing roughly one pound each. At three to four weeks they will leave the den. They are nurtured par their mother for two to three months after which they begin to tag along with their parents hunting.. In the wild, they live anywhere from six to ten years. They can long as twenty years in captivity.
STATUS
Endangered, Schedule I, (1991).
The toundra Wolf
The toundra loup Canis lupus albus is one of the largest subspecies of the gray wolf. It was classified as a subspecies par Robert Kerr in 1792.
HABITAT
The toundra loup can be found throughout Northern Europe and Asia from Northern Finland to the Kamchatka Peninsula, from the far north of Russia into the Arctic. They primarily reside in the northern arctic and boreal regions of Russia roughly between 65 and 71 degrees latitude.Although they were eliminated from some of the Arctic islands north of Siberia, they have been recently seen on Wrangle Island.
CHARACTERISTICS
The toundra loup can measure up to 7 feet in length from nose to end of tail. There have been unconfirmed reports of some weighing as much as 220 pounds. However, on average, toundra loups weigh from 100 to 125 pounds. Their height can be anywhere from 28 to 38 inches.
Most have coats that are a combination of grey, black, rust, and silver grey. They are known to have long thick coats with dense underfur, and are often hunted for them. The average life span is approximately 16 years.
DIET
They primarily prey on large mammals like deer, wapiti, moose, caribou, bison, musk ox and mountain sheep. Because catching large animaux is not a daily occurrence, an adult toundra loup may eat up to 20 pounds in one feeding. Contrary to the belief that loups target mainly infirm creatures, research of loups in Eurasia has shown that in some cases, up to 93% of their targeted prey have no physical ou mental hindrance.
BREEDING
Breeding season is usually late March through April, reasonably later in the an than for most loups because of the high latitude of the toundra loups habitat. During this time, females are in heat for 5 to 15 days. After mating, gestation period for the female is 62 to 63 days, after which she gives birth to usually between 2 and 6 pups.
STATUS
Like many other species, the toundra Wolf's greatest enemies are loggers and hunters. In Russia and a number of former Soviet states, loups can still be killed in any number without a permit, at any time of the year, using whatever methods are handy. Regional governments and hunting societies have even offered bounties of up to $190 for each loup slain.
loups have long symbolized treachery in Russian folk tales, and loup hunting has been part of village culture for centuries. These attitudes are still well-entrenched. toundra loups have only recently been seen on Wrangle Island after having been totally eliminated from a number of the Arctic Islands north of Siberia. They have been classed as 'Least Concern'.
The Egyptian Jackal
W.F. Hemprich and C.G. Ehrenberg first recognized the Egyptian jackal's similarity to the Canis lupus in 1833. Hence, it was donné the name Canis lupaster. As early as 1880, biologist Thomas Huxley stated that the Egyptian jackal looked suspiciously like a gray wolf. It has most recently been classed as a subspecies of the Golden Jackal Canis aureus lupaster in 1926 par Ernst Schwarz.
Fairly récent studies of this Egyptian jackal have shown morphological differences from other subspecies and features that relate it plus to the Canis lupus species. However, because data from the studies was very scarce, the conclusion was to retain the Egyptian Jackal as a Canis aureus subspecies. Should it ever be found to be a Canis lupus subspecies, it will be the only gray loup known to be in Africa.
HABITAT
The Canis aureus lupaster also known as Egyptian loups can be found only in Northern Egypt, the Ethiopian highlands, and Northeastern Libya. It's possible that they might still be in Saudi Arabia, but hunting has drastically reduced their numbers.
CHARACTERISTICS
Appearing large for a jackal, the Egyptian loup measures from 51 to 64 inches in length from tip of it's nose to end of it's tail, stands 16 to 20 inches at shoulder height and weighs anywhere from 22 to 35 pounds. It is rather thin with a manteau which is usually tinged gray, beige ou a dirty yellow. It is often discribed as lanky and might appear as reasonalbly heavier than it's actual weight. It is larger and longer limbed than other subspecies of the Jackal, though smaller than the Arabian Wolf.
These loups are par and large nocturnal. Like other dogs, they'll usually bark when excited ou growl when irritated. They often bark when excited and growl when annoyed. They usually howl and ou yelp calling out to each other just after dark and just before sunrise. They'll give an occasional bark. They are very sociable and usually live in either packs ou plus often pairs.
DIET
The Egyptian jackal is an omnivorous creature, feeding on everything from insects, snails, fish, chickens, young goats, sheep, birds and carrion as well as melons and corn.
BREEDING
Mating occurs in early Spring, with a gestation of about two months. They will usually have about four ou five pups. Though, they have on record had as many as eight.
STATUS
It had been listed as critically endangered par the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Then suddenly in January of 2011, it was no longer listed anywhere par the IUCN. There may be no plus than forty in the world.
The Ethiopian Wolf
The Ethiopian wolf, also known the Abyssinian loup ou Simien Jackal, is believed par some scientists not to be a true wolf. However, DNA studies montrer it to be plus closely related to gray loups and coyotes than to any other African canines. It is the most endangered canine species in Africa, and, among wolves, its rarity is seconde only to the red wolf.
It inhabits only a few mountain pockets of the Ethiopian highlands. There is believed to be fewer than 450 alive in the wild. The largest concentration of Ethiopian loups exist in the Bale Mountains National Park. The people living in the Bale Mountains own on average 2 chiens per household in order to protect their livestock. Although the wolves' habitat has constantly dwindled as a result of human encroachment, its greatest threat of extinction is a recurring epidemic of rabies which is transmitted from domestic chiens with whom the loups compete for food.
The Ethiopian loup has long legs and a long muzzle, resembling the coyote in both shape and size. It has a distinctive reddish manteau with a white throat, chest, and underparts, broad pointed ears, and a thick bushy black tail with a white base. It ranges in size from 43 to 55 inches (tip of nose to end of tail) and weighs from 24 to 42 pounds.
par nature, the Ethiopian loup hunts par day, but it is found to sometimes be nocturnal in areas where it is persecuted. Though they live in packs which share and defend their territories, they almost always hunt alone. Rodents make up over 90% of their diet, but they occasionally feed on small antelopes, hares, and hyraxes.
Breeding season usually occurs between August and November. During breeding season and pregnancy, the female's manteau turns a pale yellowish color and her tail turns brownish and loses hair. The dominant female of the pack gives birth to a litter of 2 to 7 pups between October and January. Full maturity is reached at 2 years.
The only real predators other than humans are spotted hyenas and tawny eagles that occasionally prey on unattended pups. Life span in the wild is about 8 to 10 years.
The Indian Wolf
For a long time, it was believed that the Indian loup was a gray loup subspecies and was recognized as the Canis lupus pallipes, the same as the Iranian Wolf. However, récent genetic research suggests that the Indian loup has not cross-bred with any other subspecies in over 400,000 years which would make it a separate species of it's own, the Canis indica. The Canis lupus pallipes would then refer to the loups from the Arabian peninsula, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, but not India.
HABITAT
The Indian loup is adapted to scrublands, grasslands, and semi-arid pastoral environments. It is found mainly in the Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Its territories range from 100 to 150 square miles. Much of t
Jonathan and Buddy were Lost it was only me,Lily,Hank, and Ashely and we were in trouble then out of the silence a ear busting scream from Lily
Me-Lily....Lily!!!!!!!
I ran into a side room to see her laying face up on the floor her eyes open but she wasnt moving as I picked her up a dog with red eyes jumped out
Hank-Don't look into its eyes it will paraylize you
I shot it with my MG42 and put Lily over my shoulder and carried her down stairs when I remember blacking out I can't remember much I guess it will be another persons point of view I leave u with a goodnight season 2 will be out soon.
P.S. The suivant season will be written par me but from Hanks perspective
Me-Lily....Lily!!!!!!!
I ran into a side room to see her laying face up on the floor her eyes open but she wasnt moving as I picked her up a dog with red eyes jumped out
Hank-Don't look into its eyes it will paraylize you
I shot it with my MG42 and put Lily over my shoulder and carried her down stairs when I remember blacking out I can't remember much I guess it will be another persons point of view I leave u with a goodnight season 2 will be out soon.
P.S. The suivant season will be written par me but from Hanks perspective
1. first of all copy the first image press CTRL + J then go to Filter > Gaussian Blur, set 17.0 press OK
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2. On Layer 1 click the lowest black and white icone then choose Levels.
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3. Set the level is 0 1.53 168
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4. then, click on the layer 1 choose "screen"
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5. the last step is set the opacity as toi want :D
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2. On Layer 1 click the lowest black and white icone then choose Levels.
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3. Set the level is 0 1.53 168
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4. then, click on the layer 1 choose "screen"
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5. the last step is set the opacity as toi want :D
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