142-398: See Subspecies of Canis lupus The wolf ( Canis lupus ; pl. : wolves ), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf , is a canine native to Eurasia and North America . More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus have been recognized, including the dog and dingo , though gray wolves, as popularly understood, only comprise naturally-occurring wild subspecies. The wolf is
284-529: A taxonomic synonym for the dingo . Wozencraft referred to a 1999 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) study as one of the guides in forming his decision, and listed the 38 subspecies of C. lupus under the biological common name of "wolf", the nominate subspecies being the Eurasian wolf ( C. l. lupus ) based on the type specimen that Linnaeus studied in Sweden. Studies using paleogenomic techniques reveal that
426-921: A taxonomic synonym for the dingo. Wozencraft referred to the mDNA study as one of the guides in forming his decision, and listed the 38 subspecies under the biological common name of "wolf", with the nominate subspecies being the Eurasian wolf ( Canis lupus lupus ) based on the type specimen that Linnaeus studied in Sweden. However, the classification of several of these canines as either species or subspecies has recently been challenged . Living subspecies recognized by MSW3 as of 2005 and divided into Old World and New World: Sokolov and Rossolimo (1985) recognised nine Old World subspecies of wolf. These were C. l. lupus , C. l. albus , C. l. pallipes , C. l. cubanensis , C. l. campestris , C. l. chanco , C. l. desortorum , C. l. hattai , and C. l. hodophilax . In his 1995 statistical analysis of skull morphometrics , mammalogist Robert Nowak recognized
568-555: A Pleistocene wolf closer in size to a village dog. In 2021, the American Society of Mammalogists also considered dingos a feral dog ( Canis familiaris ) population. The Italian wolf (or Apennine wolf) was first recognised as a distinct subspecies ( Canis lupus italicus ) in 1921 by zoologist Giuseppe Altobello. Altobello's classification was later rejected by several authors, including Reginald Innes Pocock , who synonymised C. l. italicus with C. l. lupus . In 2002,
710-655: A brightening of 'ochraceous' tones – deep orange or brown – towards the Pacific coast ( C. l. ochropus , C. l. umpquensis ), a reduction in size in Aridoamerica ( C. l. microdon , C. l. mearnsi ) and a general trend towards dark reddish colors and short muzzles in Mexican and Central American populations. [REDACTED] Coyotes occasionally mate with domestic dogs , sometimes producing crosses colloquially known as " coydogs ". Such matings are rare in
852-542: A coyote from Mexico represented the purest specimens. The coyotes from Alaska, California, Alabama, and Quebec show almost no wolf ancestry. Coyotes from Missouri, Illinois, and Florida exhibit 5–10% wolf ancestry. There was 40% wolf to 60% coyote ancestry in red wolves, 60% wolf to 40% coyote in Eastern timber wolves, and 75% wolf to 25% coyote in the Great Lakes wolves. There was 10% coyote ancestry in Mexican wolves and
994-526: A deep sea green colour small and piercing. Their [claws] are rather longer than those of the ordinary wolf or that common to the Atlantic states, none of which are to be found in this quarter, nor I believe above the river Plat. The coyote was first scientifically described by naturalist Thomas Say in September ;1819, on the site of Lewis and Clark's Council Bluffs, 24 km (15 mi) up
1136-493: A den located away from the peripheral zone of their territories, where violent encounters with other packs are less likely to occur. Subspecies of Canis lupus There are 38 subspecies of Canis lupus listed in the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World (2005, 3rd edition). These subspecies were named over the past 250 years, and since their naming, a number of them have gone extinct. The nominate subspecies
1278-416: A den site, to locate each other during a storm, while crossing unfamiliar territory, and to communicate across great distances. Wolf howls can under certain conditions be heard over areas of up to 130 km (50 sq mi). Other vocalizations include growls , barks and whines. Wolves do not bark as loudly or continuously as dogs do in confrontations, rather barking a few times and then retreating from
1420-443: A family of eight wolves (two adults, juveniles, and yearlings), or sometimes two or three such families, with examples of exceptionally large packs consisting of up to 42 wolves being known. Cortisol levels in wolves rise significantly when a pack member dies, indicating the presence of stress. During times of prey abundance caused by calving or migration, different wolf packs may join together temporarily. Offspring typically stay in
1562-567: A genetically and ecologically distinct population separated from other populations by their different types of habitat. The eastern wolf has two proposals over its origin. One is that the eastern wolf is a distinct species ( C. lycaon ) that evolved in North America, as opposed to the gray wolf that evolved in the Old World, and is related to the red wolf. The other is that it is derived from admixture between gray wolves, which inhabited
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#17327911760691704-496: A genomic study on the wolves of China included museum specimens of wolves from southern China that were collected between 1963 and 1988. The wolves in the study formed three clades: northern Asian wolves that included those from northern China and eastern Russia, Himalayan wolves from the Tibetan Plateau, and a unique population from southern China. One specimen from Zhejiang Province in eastern China shared gene flow with
1846-406: A heavily muscled neck. The wolf's legs are moderately longer than those of other canids, which enables the animal to move swiftly, and to overcome the deep snow that covers most of its geographical range in winter, though more short-legged ecomorphs are found in some wolf populations. The ears are relatively small and triangular. The wolf's head is large and heavy, with a wide forehead, strong jaws and
1988-608: A local priest, noted that the "wolves" encountered there were smaller and less daring than European wolves. Another account from the early 1800s in Edwards County mentioned wolves howling at night, though these were likely coyotes. This species was encountered several times during the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806), though it was already well known to European traders on the upper Missouri . Meriwether Lewis , writing on 5 May 1805, in northeastern Montana , described
2130-719: A long, blunt muzzle. The skull is 230–280 mm (9–11 in) in length and 130–150 mm (5–6 in) in width. The teeth are heavy and large, making them better suited to crushing bone than those of other canids, though they are not as specialized as those found in hyenas . Its molars have a flat chewing surface, but not to the same extent as the coyote, whose diet contains more vegetable matter. Females tend to have narrower muzzles and foreheads, thinner necks, slightly shorter legs, and less massive shoulders than males. Adult wolves measure 105–160 cm (41–63 in) in length and 80–85 cm (31–33 in) at shoulder height. The tail measures 29–50 cm (11–20 in) in length,
2272-422: A more slender skull and skeleton than the modern coyote. Ronald Nowak found that the early populations had small, delicate, narrowly proportioned skulls that resemble small coyotes and appear to be ancestral to C. latrans . C. lepophagus was similar in weight to modern coyotes, but had shorter limb bones that indicate a less cursorial lifestyle. The coyote represents a more primitive form of Canis than
2414-464: A mutation that first arose in domestic dogs. A population of non-albino white coyotes in Newfoundland owe their coloration to a melanocortin 1 receptor mutation inherited from Golden Retrievers . Coyotes have hybridized with wolves to varying degrees, particularly in eastern North America . The so-called " eastern coyote " of northeastern North America probably originated in the aftermath of
2556-507: A perceived danger. Aggressive or self-assertive wolves are characterized by their slow and deliberate movements, high body posture and raised hackles , while submissive ones carry their bodies low, flatten their fur, and lower their ears and tail. Scent marking involves urine, feces, and preputial and anal gland scents. This is more effective at advertising territory than howling and is often used in combination with scratch marks. Wolves increase their rate of scent marking when they encounter
2698-433: A person approaches them they frequently bark, their note being precisely that of the small dog. They are of an intermediate size between that of the fox and dog, very active fleet and delicately formed; the ears large erect and pointed the head long and pointed more like that of the fox; tale long ... the hair and fur also resembles the fox, tho' is much coarser and inferior. They are of a pale reddish-brown colour. The eye of
2840-748: A press release by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1921, the infamous Custer Wolf relied on coyotes to accompany him and warn him of danger. Though they fed from his kills, he never allowed them to approach him. Interactions have been observed in Eurasia between wolves and golden jackals, the latter's numbers being comparatively small in areas with high wolf densities. Wolves also kill red , Arctic and corsac foxes , usually in disputes over carcasses, sometimes eating them. Brown bears typically dominate wolf packs in disputes over carcasses, while wolf packs mostly prevail against bears when defending their den sites. Both species kill each other's young. Wolves eat
2982-542: A reference to the many vocalizations they produce. ᒣᐢᒐᒑᑲᓂᐢ ( Mescacâkanis ) Perro de monte Isapaippü Itsappü Sedet Domestic dog [REDACTED] Gray wolf [REDACTED] Coyote [REDACTED] African wolf [REDACTED] Golden jackal [REDACTED] Ethiopian wolf [REDACTED] Dhole [REDACTED] African wild dog [REDACTED] Side-striped jackal [REDACTED] Black-backed jackal [REDACTED] Xiaoming Wang and Richard H. Tedford , one of
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#17327911760693124-556: A single group. This population also showed a unique mitochondrial DNA control-region haplotype , the absence of private alleles and lower heterozygosity at microsatellite loci , as compared to other wolf populations. In 2010, a genetic analysis indicated that a single wolf haplotype (w22) unique to the Apennine Peninsula and one of the two haplotypes (w24, w25), unique to the Iberian Peninsula, belonged to
3266-532: A small wolf from the southwestern U.S. named C. l. baileyi and a moderate-sized wolf that was originally found from Texas to Hudson Bay and from Oregon to Newfoundland named C. l. nubilus . The taxonomic classification of Canis lupus in Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition, 2005) listed 27 subspecies of North American wolf, corresponding to the 24 Canis lupus subspecies and the three Canis rufus subspecies of Hall (1981). The table below shows
3408-465: A time when human populations were more isolated from each other. In the third edition of Mammal Species of the World published in 2005, the mammalogist W. Christopher Wozencraft listed under the wolf Canis lupus some 36 wild subspecies, and proposed two additional subspecies: familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 and dingo Meyer, 1793. Wozencraft included hallstromi – the New Guinea singing dog – as
3550-480: A unique history. In 1995, the American mammalogist Robert M. Nowak analyzed data on the skull morphology of wolf specimens from around the world. For North America, he proposed that there were only five subspecies of the wolf. These include a large-toothed Arctic wolf named C. l. arctos , a large wolf from Alaska and western Canada named C. l. occidentalis , a small wolf from southeastern Canada named C. l. lycaon ,
3692-407: A variety of arthropod exoparasites, including fleas , ticks , lice , and mites . The most harmful to wolves, particularly pups, is the mange mite ( Sarcoptes scabiei ), though they rarely develop full-blown mange , unlike foxes. Endoparasites known to infect wolves include: protozoans and helminths ( flukes , tapeworms , roundworms and thorny-headed worms ). Most fluke species reside in
3834-408: A weight of 69–79 kg (152–174 lb). The wolf has very dense and fluffy winter fur, with a short undercoat and long, coarse guard hairs . Most of the undercoat and some guard hairs are shed in spring and grow back in autumn. The longest hairs occur on the back, particularly on the front quarters and neck. Especially long hairs grow on the shoulders and almost form a crest on the upper part of
3976-581: Is a Spanish borrowing of its Nahuatl name coyōtl pronunciation ) comes from the historian Francisco Javier Clavijero 's Historia de México in 1780. The first time it was used in English occurred in William Bullock 's Six months' residence and travels in Mexico (1824), where it is variously transcribed as cayjotte and cocyotie . The word's spelling was standardized as "coyote" by
4118-597: Is a prominent character in Native American folklore, mainly in Aridoamerica , usually depicted as a trickster that alternately assumes the form of an actual coyote or a man. As with other trickster figures, the coyote uses deception and humor to rebel against social conventions. The animal was especially respected in Mesoamerican cosmology as a symbol of military might. After the European colonization of
4260-478: Is difficult and ambiguous, with some authors choosing to include C. mosbachensis (which first appeared around 1.4 million years ago) as an early subspecies of C. lupus. Considerable morphological diversity existed among wolves by the Late Pleistocene . Many Late Pleistocene wolf populations had more robust skulls and teeth than modern wolves, often with a shortened snout , a pronounced development of
4402-563: Is distinguished by its mitochondrial DNA , which is basal to all other wolves. The taxonomic name of this wolf is disputed, with the species Canis himalayensis being proposed based on two limited DNA studies. In 2017, a study of mitochondrial DNA , X-chromosome (maternal lineage) markers and Y-chromosome (male lineage) markers found that the Himalayan wolf was genetically basal to the Holarctic grey wolf and has an association with
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4544-522: Is dominated by wild medium-sized hoofed mammals and domestic species. The wolf depends on wild species, and if these are not readily available, as in Asia, the wolf is more reliant on domestic species. Across Eurasia, wolves prey mostly on moose , red deer , roe deer and wild boar . In North America, important range-wide prey are elk , moose, caribou , white-tailed deer and mule deer . Prior to their extirpation from North America, wild horses were among
4686-556: Is evidence of gene flow between golden jackals and Middle Eastern wolves, less so with European and Asian wolves, and least with North American wolves. This indicates the golden jackal ancestry found in North American wolves may have occurred before the divergence of the Eurasian and North American wolves. The common ancestor of the coyote and the wolf admixed with a ghost population of an extinct unidentified canid. This canid
4828-579: Is gray-brown, with reddish legs, ears, and flanks. No significant differences exist between eastern and western coyotes in aggression and fighting, though eastern coyotes tend to fight less, and are more playful. Unlike western coyote pups, in which fighting precedes play behavior, fighting among eastern coyote pups occurs after the onset of play. Eastern coyotes tend to reach sexual maturity at two years of age, much later than in western coyotes. Eastern and red wolves are also products of varying degrees of wolf-coyote hybridization. The eastern wolf probably
4970-425: Is highly flexible in social organization, living either in a family unit or in loosely knit packs of unrelated individuals. Primarily carnivorous , its diet consists mainly of deer , rabbits , hares , rodents , birds , reptiles , amphibians , fish , and invertebrates , though it may also eat fruits and vegetables on occasion. Its characteristic vocalization is a howl made by solitary individuals. Humans are
5112-1216: Is itself thought to be derived from the Proto-Germanic * wulfaz . The Proto-Indo-European root * wĺ̥kʷos may also be the source of the Latin word for the animal lupus (* lúkʷos ). The name "gray wolf" refers to the grayish colour of the species. Since pre-Christian times, Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons took on wulf as a prefix or suffix in their names. Examples include Wulfhere ("Wolf Army"), Cynewulf ("Royal Wolf"), Cēnwulf ("Bold Wolf"), Wulfheard ("Wolf-hard"), Earnwulf ("Eagle Wolf"), Wulfstān ("Wolf Stone") Æðelwulf ("Noble Wolf"), Wolfhroc ("Wolf-Frock"), Wolfhetan ("Wolf Hide"), Scrutolf ("Garb Wolf"), Wolfgang ("Wolf Gait") and Wolfdregil ("Wolf Runner"). Gray wolf [REDACTED] Coyote [REDACTED] African wolf [REDACTED] Ethiopian wolf [REDACTED] Golden jackal [REDACTED] Dhole [REDACTED] African wild dog [REDACTED] Side-striped jackal [REDACTED] Black-backed jackal [REDACTED] In 1758,
5254-537: Is largely survivable in wolves, but can be lethal to pups. Bacterial diseases carried by wolves include: brucellosis , Lyme disease , leptospirosis , tularemia , bovine tuberculosis , listeriosis and anthrax . Although lyme disease can debilitate individual wolves, it does not appear to significantly affect wolf populations. Leptospirosis can be contracted through contact with infected prey or urine, and can cause fever , anorexia , vomiting, anemia , hematuria , icterus , and death. Wolves are often infested with
5396-497: Is longer and denser than in southern forms, with the fur of some Mexican and Central American forms being almost hispid (bristly). Generally, adult coyotes (including coywolf hybrids) have a sable coat color, dark neonatal coat color, bushy tail with an active supracaudal gland , and a white facial mask. Albinism is extremely rare in coyotes. Out of a total of 750,000 coyotes killed by federal and cooperative hunters between March 1938 and June 1945, only two were albinos. The coyote
5538-635: Is most likely used mainly to induce vomiting to rid themselves of intestinal parasites or long guard hairs. They are known to eat the berries of mountain-ash , lily of the valley , bilberries , cowberries , European black nightshade , grain crops, and the shoots of reeds. In times of scarcity, wolves will readily eat carrion . In Eurasian areas with dense human activity, many wolf populations are forced to subsist largely on livestock and garbage. As prey in North America continue to occupy suitable habitats with low human density, North American wolves eat livestock and garbage only in dire circumstances. Cannibalism
5680-558: Is not uncommon in wolves during harsh winters, when packs often attack weak or injured wolves and may eat the bodies of dead pack members. Wolves typically dominate other canid species in areas where they both occur. In North America, incidents of wolves killing coyotes are common, particularly in winter, when coyotes feed on wolf kills. Wolves may attack coyote den sites, digging out and killing their pups, though rarely eating them. There are no records of coyotes killing wolves, though coyotes may chase wolves if they outnumber them. According to
5822-676: Is now extirpated (locally extinct) from much of its range in Western Europe, the United States and Mexico, and completely in the British Isles and Japan. In modern times, the wolf occurs mostly in wilderness and remote areas. The wolf can be found between sea level and 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Wolves live in forests, inland wetlands , shrublands , grasslands (including Arctic tundra ), pastures , deserts, and rocky peaks on mountains. Habitat use by wolves depends on
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5964-534: Is plentiful, or when wolf populations are heavily managed, wolves can rear pups at younger ages to better exploit abundant resources. Females are capable of producing pups every year, one litter annually being the average. Oestrus and rut begin in the second half of winter and lasts for two weeks. Dens are usually constructed for pups during the summer period. When building dens, females make use of natural shelters like fissures in rocks, cliffs overhanging riverbanks and holes thickly covered by vegetation. Sometimes,
6106-457: Is that the red wolf is a distinct species ( C. rufus ) that has undergone human-influenced admixture with coyotes. The other is that it was never a distinct species but was derived from past admixture between coyotes and gray wolves, due to the gray wolf population being eliminated by humans. The taxonomic reference Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition, 2005) does not recognize Canis rufus ; however, NCBI / Genbank does list it. In 2021,
6248-528: Is the Eurasian wolf ( Canis lupus lupus ). In 1758, the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus published in his Systema Naturae the binomial nomenclature – or the two-word naming – of species . Canis is the Latin word meaning "dog", and under this genus he listed the dog-like carnivores including domestic dogs, wolves, and jackals. He classified the domestic dog as Canis familiaris , and on
6390-514: Is typically smaller than the gray wolf, but has longer ears and a relatively larger braincase , as well as a thinner frame, face, and muzzle. The scent glands are smaller than the gray wolf's, but are the same color. Its fur color variation is much less varied than that of a wolf. The coyote also carries its tail downwards when running or walking, rather than horizontally as the wolf does. Coyote tracks can be distinguished from those of dogs by their more elongated, less rounded shape. Unlike dogs,
6532-434: Is usually founded by an unrelated dispersing male and female, travelling together in search of an area devoid of other hostile packs. Wolf packs rarely adopt other wolves into their fold and typically kill them. In the rare cases where other wolves are adopted, the adoptee is almost invariably an immature animal of one to three years old, and unlikely to compete for breeding rights with the mated pair. This usually occurs between
6674-577: The African golden wolf . In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN /SSC Canid Specialist Group noted that the Himalayan wolf's distribution included the Himalayan range and the Tibetan Plateau. The group recommends that this wolf lineage be known as the "Himalayan wolf" and classified as Canis lupus chanco until a genetic analysis of the holotypes is available. In 2020, further research on the Himalayan wolf found that it warranted species-level recognition under
6816-467: The American Society of Mammalogists also considered Canis rufus a valid species. Coyote The coyote ( Canis latrans ), also known as the American jackal , prairie wolf , or brush wolf , is a species of canine native to North America . It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf , and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf . It fills much of
6958-598: The Eurasian lynx , which may feed on smaller prey where wolves are present and may be suppressed by large wolf populations. Wolves encounter cougars along portions of the Rocky Mountains and adjacent mountain ranges. Wolves and cougars typically avoid encountering each other by hunting at different elevations for different prey ( niche partitioning ). This is more difficult during winter. Wolves in packs usually dominate cougars and can steal their kills or even kill them, while one-to-one encounters tend to be dominated by
7100-530: The Quaternary extinction event . Compared to their modern Holocene counterparts, Pleistocene coyotes ( C. l. orcutti ) were larger and more robust, likely in response to larger competitors and prey. Pleistocene coyotes were likely more specialized carnivores than their descendants, as their teeth were more adapted to shearing meat, showing fewer grinding surfaces suited for processing vegetation. Their reduction in size occurred within 1,000 years of
7242-510: The incubation period for rabies is eight to 21 days, and results in the host becoming agitated, deserting its pack, and travelling up to 80 km (50 mi) a day, thus increasing the risk of infecting other wolves. Although canine distemper is lethal in dogs, it has not been recorded to kill wolves, except in Canada and Alaska. The canine parvovirus, which causes death by dehydration , electrolyte imbalance , and endotoxic shock or sepsis ,
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#17327911760697384-537: The rabies virus , may infect wolves. The global wild wolf population was estimated to be 300,000 in 2003 and is considered to be of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Wolves have a long history of interactions with humans, having been despised and hunted in most pastoral communities because of their attacks on livestock, while conversely being respected in some agrarian and hunter-gatherer societies. Although
7526-610: The temporalis muscle, and robust premolars . It is proposed that these features were specialized adaptations for the processing of carcass and bone associated with the hunting and scavenging of Pleistocene megafauna . Compared with modern wolves, some Pleistocene wolves showed an increase in tooth breakage similar to that seen in the extinct dire wolf . This suggests they either often processed carcasses, or that they competed with other carnivores and needed to consume their prey quickly. The frequency and location of tooth fractures in these wolves indicates they were habitual bone crackers like
7668-547: The 1880s. The English pronunciation is heard both as a two-syllable word (with the final "e" silent) and as three-syllables (with the final "e" pronounced), with a tendency for the three-syllable pronunciation in eastern states and near the Mexican border, and outside the United States, with two syllables in western and central states. Alternative English names for the coyote include "prairie wolf", "brush wolf", "cased wolf", "little wolf" and "American jackal". Its binomial name Canis latrans translates to "barking dog",
7810-575: The Americas , it was seen in Anglo-American culture as a cowardly and untrustworthy animal. Unlike wolves, which have seen their public image improve, attitudes towards the coyote remain largely negative. Coyote males average 8 to 20 kg (18 to 44 lb) in weight, while females average 7 to 18 kg (15 to 40 lb), though size varies geographically. Northern subspecies, which average 18 kg (40 lb), tend to grow larger than
7952-597: The Atlantic Coast wolves, 5% in Pacific Coast and Yellowstone wolves, and less than 3% in Canadian archipelago wolves. If a third canid had been involved in the admixture of the North American wolf-like canids, then its genetic signature would have been found in coyotes and wolves, which it has not. In 2018, whole genome sequencing was used to compare members of the genus Canis . The study indicates that
8094-399: The Eurasian wolf is a mixture of ochreous (yellow to orange) and rusty ochreous (orange/red/brown) colours with light gray. The muzzle is pale ochreous gray, and the area of the lips, cheeks, chin, and throat is white. The top of the head, forehead, under and between the eyes, and between the eyes and ears is gray with a reddish film. The neck is ochreous. Long, black tips on the hairs along
8236-448: The Great Lakes area and coyotes, forming a hybrid that was classified as a distinct species by mistake. The taxonomic reference Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition, 2005) does not recognize Canis lycaon ; however, NCBI / Genbank does list it. In 2021, the American Society of Mammalogists also considered Canis lycaon a valid species. The red wolf is an enigmatic taxon, of which there are two proposals over its origin. One
8378-419: The Himalayan wolf. The taxonomic status of this wolf clade is disputed, with the separate species Canis indica being proposed based on two limited DNA studies. The proposal has not been endorsed because it relied on a limited number of museum and zoo samples that may not have been representative of the wild population, and a call for further fieldwork has been made. The taxonomic reference Mammal Species of
8520-685: The Middle East, and Asia is estimated to be fairly recent at around 1,600 years ago. Among New World wolves, the Mexican wolf diverged around 5,400 years ago. In the distant past, there was gene flow between African wolves , golden jackals , and gray wolves. The African wolf is a descendant of a genetically admixed canid of 72% wolf and 28% Ethiopian wolf ancestry. One African wolf from the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula showed admixture with Middle Eastern gray wolves and dogs. There
8662-571: The Missouri River from the mouth of the Platte during a government-sponsored expedition with Major Stephen Long . He had the first edition of the Lewis and Clark journals in hand, which contained Biddle's edited version of Lewis's observations dated 5 May 1805. His account was published in 1823. Say was the first person to document the difference between a " prairie wolf " (coyote) and on
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#17327911760698804-475: The Quaternary extinction event, when their large prey died out. Furthermore, Pleistocene coyotes were unable to exploit the big-game hunting niche left vacant after the extinction of the dire wolf ( Aenocyon dirus ), as it was rapidly filled by gray wolves, which likely actively killed off the large coyotes, with natural selection favoring the modern gracile morph. In 1993, a study proposed that
8946-408: The Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus published in his Systema Naturae the binomial nomenclature . Canis is the Latin word meaning " dog ", and under this genus he listed the doglike carnivores including domestic dogs, wolves, and jackals . He classified the domestic dog as Canis familiaris , and the wolf as Canis lupus . Linnaeus considered the dog to be a separate species from
9088-785: The Unified Species Concept, the Differential Fitness Species Concept, and the Biological Species Concept. It was identified as an Evolutionary Significant Unit that warranted assignment onto the IUCN Red List for its protection. The Indian plains wolf is a proposed clade within the Indian wolf ( Canis lupus pallipes ) that is distinguished by its mitochondrial DNA, which is basal to all other wolves except for
9230-538: The World (3rd edition, 2005) does not recognize Canis indica ; however, NCBI / Genbank lists it as a new subspecies, Canis lupus indica . In 2017, a comprehensive study found that the gray wolf was present across all of mainland China, both in the past and today. It exists in southern China, which refutes claims made by some researchers in the Western world that the wolf had never existed in southern China. This wolf has not been taxonomically classified. In 2019,
9372-439: The abundance of prey, snow conditions, livestock densities, road densities, human presence and topography . Like all land mammals that are pack hunters , the wolf feeds predominantly on ungulates that can be divided into large size 240–650 kg (530–1,430 lb) and medium size 23–130 kg (51–287 lb), and have a body mass similar to that of the combined mass of the pack members. The wolf specializes in preying on
9514-412: The age of 35 days, with eastern coyote pups having longer legs than their western counterparts. Differences in dental development also occurs, with tooth eruption being later, and in a different order in the eastern coyote. Aside from its size, the eastern coyote is physically similar to the western coyote. The four color phases range from dark brown to blond or reddish blond, though the most common phase
9656-477: The age of the pack's pups. They tend to increase in size in areas with low prey populations, or when the pups reach the age of six months when they have the same nutritional needs as adults. Wolf packs travel constantly in search of prey, covering roughly 9% of their territory per day, on average 25 km/d (16 mi/d). The core of their territory is on average 35 km (14 sq mi) where they spend 50% of their time. Prey density tends to be much higher on
9798-410: The anterior ones near the wrist; tail bushy, fusiform, straight, varied with gray and cinnamon, a spot near the base above, and tip black; the tip of the trunk of the tail, attains the tip of the os calcis , when the leg is extended; beneath white, immaculate, tail cinnamon towards the tip, tip black; posterior feet four toed, anterior five toed. The first published usage of the word "coyote" (which
9940-473: The arctic region may be nearly all white. Of all members of the genus Canis , the wolf is most specialized for cooperative game hunting as demonstrated by its physical adaptations to tackling large prey, its more social nature , and its highly advanced expressive behaviour , including individual or group howling . It travels in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair accompanied by their offspring. Offspring may leave to form their own packs on
10082-438: The assumptions made, that all of the North American wolves and coyotes diverged from a common ancestor about 51,000 years ago. However, the proposed timing of the wolf / coyote divergence conflicts with the discovery of a coyote-like specimen in strata dated to 1 Mya. The study also indicated that all North American wolves have a significant amount of coyote ancestry and all coyotes some degree of wolf ancestry, and that
10224-436: The back form a broad stripe, with black hair tips on the shoulders, upper chest and rear of the body. The sides of the body, tail, and outer limbs are a pale dirty ochreous colour, while the inner sides of the limbs, belly, and groin are white. Apart from those wolves which are pure white or black, these tones vary little across geographical areas, although the patterns of these colours vary between individuals. In North America,
10366-652: The brown bears they kill, while brown bears seem to eat only young wolves. Wolf interactions with American black bears are much rarer because of differences in habitat preferences. Wolves have been recorded on numerous occasions actively seeking out American black bears in their dens and killing them without eating them. Unlike brown bears, American black bears frequently lose against wolves in disputes over kills. Wolves also dominate and sometimes kill wolverines , and will chase off those that attempt to scavenge from their kills. Wolverines escape from wolves in caves or up trees. Wolves may interact and compete with felids , such as
10508-641: The cat, who likewise will kill wolves. Wolves more broadly affect cougar population dynamics and distribution by dominating territory and prey opportunities and disrupting the feline's behaviour. Wolf and Siberian tiger interactions are well-documented in the Russian Far East , where tigers significantly depress wolf numbers, sometimes to the point of localized extinction . In Israel, Palestine, Central Asia and India wolves may encounter striped hyenas , usually in disputes over carcasses. Striped hyenas feed extensively on wolf-killed carcasses in areas where
10650-606: The coat colours of wolves follow Gloger's rule , wolves in the Canadian arctic being white and those in southern Canada, the U.S., and Mexico being predominantly gray. In some areas of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia, the coat colour is predominantly black, some being blue-gray and some with silver and black. Differences in coat colour between sexes is absent in Eurasia; females tend to have redder tones in North America. Black-coloured wolves in North America acquired their colour from wolf-dog admixture after
10792-425: The common ancestor of the coyote and gray wolf has genetically admixed with a ghost population of an extinct, unidentified canid. The "ghost" canid was genetically close to the dhole , and had evolved after the divergence of the African wild dog from the other canid species. The basal position of the coyote compared to the wolf is proposed to be due to the coyote retaining more of the mitochondrial genome from
10934-506: The coyote in these terms: The small wolf or burrowing dog of the prairies are the inhabitants almost invariably of the open plains; they usually associate in bands of ten or twelve sometimes more and burrow near some pass or place much frequented by game; not being able alone to take deer or goat they are rarely ever found alone but hunt in bands; they frequently watch and seize their prey near their burrows; in these burrows, they raise their young and to them they also resort when pursued; when
11076-401: The coyote's usual characteristics . F 1 hybrids tend to be intermediate in form between dogs and coyotes, while F 2 hybrids (second generation) are more varied. Both F 1 and F 2 hybrids resemble their coyote parents in terms of shyness and intrasexual aggression. Hybrids are fertile and can be successfully bred through four generations. Melanistic coyotes owe their black pelts to
11218-508: The coyote's greatest threat, followed by cougars and gray wolves. Despite predation by gray wolves, coyotes sometimes mate with them, and with eastern, or red wolves, producing " coywolf " hybrids. In the northeastern regions of North America, the eastern coyote (a larger subspecies, though still smaller than wolves) is the result of various historical and recent matings with various types of wolves. Genetic studies show that most North American wolves contain some level of coyote DNA. The coyote
11360-445: The den is the appropriated burrow of smaller animals such as foxes, badgers or marmots. An appropriated den is often widened and partly remade. On rare occasions, female wolves dig burrows themselves, which are usually small and short with one to three openings. The den is usually constructed not more than 500 m (550 yd) away from a water source. It typically faces southwards where it can be better warmed by sunlight exposure, and
11502-1597: The domestic dog is recognised as a species. alco C. E. H. Smith, 1839, americanus Gmelin, 1792, anglicus Gmelin, 1792, antarcticus Gmelin, 1792, aprinus Gmelin, 1792, aquaticus Linnaeus, 1758, aquatilis Gmelin, 1792, avicularis Gmelin, 1792, borealis C. E. H. Smith, 1839, brevipilis Gmelin, 1792, cursorius Gmelin, 1792, domesticus Linnaeus, 1758, extrarius Gmelin, 1792, ferus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, fricator Gmelin, 1792, fricatrix Linnaeus, 1758, fuillus Gmelin, 1792, gallicus Gmelin, 1792, glaucus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, graius Linnaeus, 1758, grajus Gmelin, 1792, hagenbecki Krumbiegel, 1950, haitensis C. E. H. Smith, 1839, hibernicus Gmelin, 1792, hirsutus Gmelin, 1792, hybridus Gmelin, 1792, islandicus Gmelin, 1792, italicus Gmelin, 1792, laniarius Gmelin, 1792, leoninus Gmelin, 1792, leporarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839, major Gmelin, 1792, mastinus Linnaeus, 1758, melitacus Gmelin, 1792, melitaeus Linnaeus, 1758, minor Gmelin, 1792, molossus Gmelin, 1792, mustelinus Linnaeus, 1758, obesus Gmelin, 1792, orientalis Gmelin, 1792, pacificus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, plancus Gmelin, 1792, pomeranus Gmelin, 1792, sagaces C. E. H. Smith, 1839, sanguinarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839, sagax Linnaeus, 1758, scoticus Gmelin, 1792, sibiricus Gmelin, 1792, suillus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, terraenovae C. E. H. Smith, 1839, terrarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839, turcicus Gmelin, 1792, urcani C. E. H. Smith, 1839, variegatus Gmelin, 1792, venaticus Gmelin, 1792, For North America, in 1944
11644-414: The ears 90–110 mm ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 4 + 3 ⁄ 8 in) in height, and the hind feet are 220–250 mm ( 8 + 5 ⁄ 8 – 9 + 7 ⁄ 8 in). The size and weight of the modern wolf increases proportionally with latitude in accordance with Bergmann's rule . The mean body mass of the wolf is 40 kg (88 lb), the smallest specimen recorded at 12 kg (26 lb) and
11786-402: The extant gray wolf was the result of substantial dog-into-wolf gene flow , with little evidence of the reverse. The wolf is the largest extant member of the family Canidae , and is further distinguished from coyotes and jackals by a broader snout, shorter ears, a shorter torso and a longer tail. It is slender and powerfully built, with a large, deeply descending rib cage , a sloping back, and
11928-1629: The extant subspecies, with the extinct ones listed in the following section. alco C. E. H. Smith, 1839, americanus Gmelin, 1792, anglicus Gmelin, 1792, antarcticus Gmelin, 1792, aprinus Gmelin, 1792, aquaticus Linnaeus, 1758, aquatilis Gmelin, 1792, avicularis Gmelin, 1792, borealis C. E. H. Smith, 1839, brevipilis Gmelin, 1792, cursorius Gmelin, 1792, domesticus Linnaeus, 1758, extrarius Gmelin, 1792, ferus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, fricator Gmelin, 1792, fricatrix Linnaeus, 1758, fuillus Gmelin, 1792, gallicus Gmelin, 1792, glaucus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, graius Linnaeus, 1758, grajus Gmelin, 1792, hagenbecki Krumbiegel, 1950, haitensis C. E. H. Smith, 1839, hibernicus Gmelin, 1792, hirsutus Gmelin, 1792, hybridus Gmelin, 1792, islandicus Gmelin, 1792, italicus Gmelin, 1792, laniarius Gmelin, 1792, leoninus Gmelin, 1792, leporarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839, major Gmelin, 1792, mastinus Linnaeus, 1758, melitacus Gmelin, 1792, melitaeus Linnaeus, 1758, minor Gmelin, 1792, molossus Gmelin, 1792, mustelinus Linnaeus, 1758, obesus Gmelin, 1792, orientalis Gmelin, 1792, pacificus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, plancus Gmelin, 1792, pomeranus Gmelin, 1792, sagaces C. E. H. Smith, 1839, sanguinarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839, sagax Linnaeus, 1758, scoticus Gmelin, 1792, sibiricus Gmelin, 1792, suillus C. E. H. Smith, 1839, terraenovae C. E. H. Smith, 1839, terrarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839, turcicus Gmelin, 1792, urcani C. E. H. Smith, 1839, variegatus Gmelin, 1792, venaticus Gmelin, 1792, Increasingly proposed as
12070-531: The extant wolf C. lupus from the earlier C. mosbachensis (which in turn descended from C. etruscus ) is widely accepted. Among the oldest fossils of the modern grey wolf is from Ponte Galeria in Italy, dating to 406,500 ± 2,400 years ago. Remains from Cripple Creek Sump in Alaska may be considerably older, around 1 million years old, though differentiating between the remains of modern wolves and C. mosbachensis
12212-652: The extermination of gray and eastern wolves in the northeast, thus allowing coyotes to colonize former wolf ranges and mix with the remnant wolf populations. This hybrid is smaller than either the gray or eastern wolf, and holds smaller territories, but is in turn larger and holds more extensive home ranges than the typical western coyote. As of 2010 , the eastern coyote's genetic makeup is fairly uniform, with minimal influence from eastern wolves or western coyotes. Adult eastern coyotes are larger than western coyotes, with female eastern coyotes weighing 21% more than male western coyotes. Physical differences become more apparent by
12354-482: The fear of wolves exists in many human societies, the majority of recorded attacks on people have been attributed to animals suffering from rabies . Wolf attacks on humans are rare because wolves are relatively few, live away from people, and have developed a fear of humans because of their experiences with hunters, farmers, ranchers, and shepherds. The English "wolf" stems from the Old English wulf , which
12496-463: The first arrival of dogs across the Bering Strait 12,000 to 14,000 years ago. Research into the inheritance of white colour from dogs into wolves has yet to be undertaken. Wolves occur across Eurasia and North America. However, deliberate human persecution because of livestock predation and fear of attacks on humans has reduced the wolf's range to about one-third of its historic range; the wolf
12638-700: The first four of those subspecies, synonymized campestris , chanco and desortorum with C. l. lupus , but did not examine the two Japanese subspecies. In addition, he recognized C. l. communis as a subspecies distinct from C. l. lupus . In 2003, Nowak also recognized the distinctiveness of C. l. arabs , C. l. hattai , C. l. italicus , and C. l. hodophilax . In 2005, MSW3 included C. l. filchneri . In 2003, two forms were distinguished in southern China and Inner Mongolia as being separate from C. l. chanco and C. l. filchneri and have yet to be named. Sometimes included within Canis familiaris when
12780-538: The foremost authorities on carnivore evolution, proposed that the genus Canis was the descendant of the coyote-like Eucyon davisi and its remains first appeared in the Miocene 6 million years ago (Mya) in the southwestern US and Mexico. By the Pliocene (5 Mya), the larger Canis lepophagus appeared in the same region and by the early Pleistocene (1 Mya) C. latrans (the coyote)
12922-428: The genomic structure and admixture of North American wolves, wolf-like canids, and coyotes using specimens from across their entire range that mapped the largest dataset of nuclear genome sequences against the wolf reference genome. The study supports the findings of previous studies that North American gray wolves and wolf-like canids were the result of complex gray wolf and coyote mixing. A polar wolf from Greenland and
13064-403: The gray wolf, as shown by its relatively small size and its comparatively narrow skull and jaws, which lack the grasping power necessary to hold the large prey in which wolves specialize. This is further corroborated by the coyote's sagittal crest , which is low or totally flattened, thus indicating a weaker bite than the wolves. The coyote is not a specialized carnivore as the wolf is, as shown by
13206-428: The lachrymal sac black-brown; rostrum cinnamon, tinctured with grayish on the nose; lips white, edged with black, three series of black seta; head between the ears intermixed with gray, and dull cinnamon, hairs dusky plumbeous at base; sides paler than the back, obsoletely fasciate with black above the legs; legs cinnamon on the outer side, more distinct on the posterior hair: a dilated black abbreviated line on
13348-755: The larger chewing surfaces on the molars , reflecting the species' relative dependence on vegetable matter. In these respects, the coyote resembles the fox-like progenitors of the genus more so than the wolf. The oldest fossils that fall within the range of the modern coyote date to 0.74–0.85 Ma (million years) in Hamilton Cave, West Virginia; 0.73 Ma in Irvington, California; 0.35–0.48 Ma in Porcupine Cave, Colorado, and in Cumberland Cave, Pennsylvania. Modern coyotes arose 1,000 years after
13490-503: The largest at 79.4 kg (175 lb). On average, European wolves weigh 38.5 kg (85 lb), North American wolves 36 kg (79 lb), and Indian and Arabian wolves 25 kg (55 lb). Females in any given wolf population typically weigh 2.3–4.5 kg (5–10 lb) less than males. Wolves weighing over 54 kg (119 lb) are uncommon, though exceptionally large individuals have been recorded in Alaska and Canada. In central Russia, exceptionally large males can reach
13632-447: The largest wild extant member of the family Canidae , and is further distinguished from other Canis species by its less pointed ears and muzzle, as well as a shorter torso and a longer tail. The wolf is nonetheless related closely enough to smaller Canis species, such as the coyote and the golden jackal , to produce fertile hybrids with them. The wolf's fur is usually mottled white, brown, gray, and black, although subspecies in
13774-474: The lineage that led to dogs from other Old World wolves around 11,100–12,300 years ago. An extinct Late Pleistocene wolf may have been the ancestor of the dog, with the dog's similarity to the extant wolf being the result of genetic admixture between the two. The dingo, Basenji , Tibetan Mastiff and Chinese indigenous breeds are basal members of the domestic dog clade. The divergence time for wolves in Europe,
13916-425: The marks of wolves from other packs. Lone wolves will rarely mark, but newly bonded pairs will scent mark the most. These marks are generally left every 240 m (260 yd) throughout the territory on regular travelways and junctions. Such markers can last for two to three weeks, and are typically placed near rocks, boulders, trees, or the skeletons of large animals. Raised leg urination is considered to be one of
14058-422: The middle of the back is 60–70 mm ( 2 + 3 ⁄ 8 – 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 in), and the guard hairs on the shoulders generally do not exceed 90 mm ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 in), but can reach 110–130 mm ( 4 + 3 ⁄ 8 – 5 + 1 ⁄ 8 in). A wolf's coat colour is determined by its guard hairs. Wolves usually have some hairs that are white, brown, gray and black. The coat of
14200-522: The modern spotted hyena . Genomic studies suggest modern wolves and dogs descend from a common ancestral wolf population. A 2021 study found that the Himalayan wolf and the Indian plains wolf are part of a lineage that is basal to other wolves and split from them 200,000 years ago. Other wolves appear to share most of their common ancestry much more recently, within the last 23,000 years (around
14342-420: The modern wolf and the dog are sister taxa , as modern wolves are not closely related to the population of wolves that was first domesticated . In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN /Species Survival Commission's Canid Specialist Group considered the New Guinea singing dog and the dingo to be feral Canis familiaris , and therefore should not be assessed for the IUCN Red List . The phylogenetic descent of
14484-399: The months of February and May. Adoptee males may mate with an available pack female and then form their own pack. In some cases, a lone wolf is adopted into a pack to replace a deceased breeder. Wolves are territorial and generally establish territories far larger than they require to survive assuring a steady supply of prey. Territory size depends largely on the amount of prey available and
14626-951: The most frequently consumed prey of North American wolves. Wolves can digest their meal in a few hours and can feed several times in one day, making quick use of large quantities of meat. A well-fed wolf stores fat under the skin, around the heart, intestines, kidneys, and bone marrow, particularly during the autumn and winter. Nonetheless, wolves are not fussy eaters. Smaller-sized animals that may supplement their diet include rodents , hares , insectivores and smaller carnivores. They frequently eat waterfowl and their eggs. When such foods are insufficient, they prey on lizards , snakes , frogs , and large insects when available. Wolves in some areas may consume fish and even marine life. Wolves also consume some plant material. In Europe, they eat apples, pears, figs , melons, berries and cherries . In North America, wolves eat blueberries and raspberries . They also eat grass, which may provide some vitamins, but
14768-505: The most important forms of scent communication in the wolf, making up 60–80% of all scent marks observed. Wolves are monogamous , mated pairs usually remaining together for life. Should one of the pair die, another mate is found quickly. With wolves in the wild, inbreeding does not occur where outbreeding is possible. Wolves become mature at the age of two years and sexually mature from the age of three years. The age of first breeding in wolves depends largely on environmental factors: when food
14910-416: The neck. The hairs on the cheeks are elongated and form tufts. The ears are covered in short hairs and project from the fur. Short, elastic and closely adjacent hairs are present on the limbs from the elbows down to the calcaneal tendons . The winter fur is highly resistant to the cold. Wolves in northern climates can rest comfortably in open areas at −40 °C (−40 °F) by placing their muzzles between
15052-437: The next page he classified the wolf as Canis lupus . Linnaeus considered the dog to be a separate species from the wolf because of its head, body, and cauda recurvata – its upturning tail – which is not found in any other canid . In 1999, a study of mitochondrial DNA indicated that the domestic dog may have originated from multiple wolf populations, with the dingo and New Guinea singing dog "breeds" having developed at
15194-665: The next page of his journal a wolf which he named Canis nubilus ( Great Plains wolf ). Say described the coyote as: Canis latrans . Cinereous or gray, varied with black above, and dull fulvous, or cinnamon; hair at base dusky plumbeous, in the middle of its length dull cinnamon, and at tip gray or black, longer on the vertebral line; ears erect, rounded at tip, cinnamon behind, the hair dark plumbeous at base, inside lined with gray hair; eyelids edged with black, superior eyelashes black beneath, and at tip above; supplemental lid margined with black-brown before, and edged with black brown behind; iris yellow; pupil black-blue; spot upon
15336-517: The noted paleontologist R.M. Nowak reaffirmed the morphological distinctiveness of the Italian wolf and recommended the recognition of Canis lupus italicus . A number of DNA studies have found the Italian wolf to be genetically distinct. In 2004, the genetic distinction of the Italian wolf subspecies was supported by analysis which consistently assigned all the wolf genotypes of a sample in Italy to
15478-473: The number of worms and the age of the host. The wolf is a social animal . Its populations consist of packs and lone wolves, most lone wolves being temporarily alone while they disperse from packs to form their own or join another one. The wolf's basic social unit is the nuclear family consisting of a mated pair accompanied by their offspring. The average pack size in North America is eight wolves and 5.5 in Europe. The average pack across Eurasia consists of
15620-456: The onset of sexual maturity and in response to competition for food within the pack. Wolves are also territorial , and fights over territory are among the principal causes of mortality. The wolf is mainly a carnivore and feeds on large wild hooved mammals as well as smaller animals, livestock, carrion , and garbage. Single wolves or mated pairs typically have higher success rates in hunting than do large packs. Pathogens and parasites, notably
15762-448: The pack for 10–54 months before dispersing. Triggers for dispersal include the onset of sexual maturity and competition within the pack for food. The distance travelled by dispersing wolves varies widely; some stay in the vicinity of the parental group, while other individuals may travel great distances of upwards of 206 km (128 mi), 390 km (240 mi), and 670 km (420 mi) from their natal (birth) packs. A new pack
15904-463: The pads come in contact with ice and snow. In warm climates, the fur is coarser and scarcer than in northern wolves. Female wolves tend to have smoother furred limbs than males and generally develop the smoothest overall coats as they age. Older wolves generally have more white hairs on the tip of the tail, along the nose, and on the forehead. Winter fur is retained longest by lactating females, although with some hair loss around their teats. Hair length on
16046-473: The peak and the end of the Last Glacial Maximum ), originating from Siberia or Beringia . While some sources have suggested that this was a consequence of a population bottleneck , other studies have suggested that this a result of gene flow homogenising ancestry. A 2016 genomic study suggests that Old World and New World wolves split around 12,500 years ago followed by the divergence of
16188-654: The principal causes of wolf mortality, one study concluding that 14–65% of wolf deaths in Minnesota and the Denali National Park and Preserve were due to other wolves. Wolves communicate using vocalizations, body postures, scent, touch, and taste. The phases of the moon have no effect on wolf vocalization, and despite popular belief, wolves do not howl at the Moon. Wolves howl to assemble the pack usually before and after hunts, to pass on an alarm particularly at
16330-434: The publishing of MSW3 in 2005 which have gone extinct over the past 150 years: In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN /SSC Canid Specialist Group considered the New Guinea singing dog and the dingo to be feral dogs ( Canis familiaris ). In 2020, a literature review of canid domestication stated that modern dogs were not descended from the same Canis lineage as modern wolves, and proposed that dogs may be descended from
16472-409: The rear legs and covering their faces with their tail. Wolf fur provides better insulation than dog fur and does not collect ice when warm breath is condensed against it. In cold climates, the wolf can reduce the flow of blood near its skin to conserve body heat. The warmth of the foot pads is regulated independently from the rest of the body and is maintained at just above tissue-freezing point where
16614-451: The red wolf and eastern wolf are highly admixed with different proportions of gray wolf and coyote ancestry. Genetic studies relating to wolves or dogs have inferred phylogenetic relationships based on the only reference genome available, that of the Boxer dog. In 2017, the first reference genome of the wolf Canis lupus lupus was mapped to aid future research. In 2018, a study looked at
16756-478: The same ecological niche as the golden jackal does in Eurasia ; however, the coyote is generally larger. The coyote is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature , due to its wide distribution and abundance throughout North America. The species is versatile, able to adapt to and expand into environments modified by humans; urban coyotes are common in many cities. The coyote
16898-603: The same haplogroup as the prehistoric wolves of Europe. Another haplotype (w10) was found to be common to the Iberian peninsula and the Balkans. These three populations with geographic isolation exhibited a near lack of gene flow and spatially correspond to three glacial refugia. The taxonomic reference Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition, 2005) does not recognize Canis lupus italicus ; however, NCBI / Genbank publishes research papers under that name. The Iberian wolf
17040-420: The snow can thaw more quickly. Resting places, play areas for the pups, and food remains are commonly found around wolf dens. The odor of urine and rotting food emanating from the denning area often attracts scavenging birds like magpies and ravens . Though they mostly avoid areas within human sight, wolves have been known to nest near homes, paved roads and railways . During pregnancy, female wolves remain in
17182-522: The southern subspecies of Mexico, which average 11.5 kg (25 lb). Total length ranges on average from 1.0 to 1.35 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 5 in); comprising a tail length of 40 cm (16 in), with females being shorter in both body length and height. The largest coyote on record was a male killed near Afton, Wyoming , on November 19, 1937, which measured 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) from nose to tail, and weighed 34 kg (75 lb). Scent glands are located at
17324-489: The species Canis familiaris but debated The C. l. occidentalis of Nowak (1995) synonymizes alces , columbianus , griseoalbus , mackenzii , pambasileus and tundrarum , which is the currently (2022) recognized classification. As of 2022 the classification of the more broadly defined C. l. nubilus of Nowak (1995) synonymizes beothucus , fuscus , hudsonicus , irremotus , labridorius , manningi , mogollonensis , monstrabilis and youngi , in which case
17466-625: The study proposed that Canis lupus ligoni (the Alexander Archipelago wolf ), Canis lupus columbianus (the British Columbian wolf ), and Canis lupus crassodon (the Vancouver Coastal Sea wolf ) should be recognized as a single subspecies of Canis lupus , synonymized as Canis lupus crassodon . They share the same habitat and prey species, and form one study's six identified North American ecotypes –
17608-424: The subspecies is extant in Canada (see infobox map). Subspecies recognized by MSW3 as of 2005 which have gone extinct over the past 150 years: Currently (2022) synonymized under C. l. arctos Currently (2022) synonymized under C. l. nubilus Currently (2022) synonymized under C. l. occidentalis Currently (2022) synonymized under C. l. nubilus Subspecies discovered since
17750-546: The territory's periphery. Wolves tend to avoid hunting on the fringes of their range to avoid fatal confrontations with neighbouring packs. The smallest territory on record was held by a pack of six wolves in northeastern Minnesota, which occupied an estimated 33 km (13 sq mi), while the largest was held by an Alaskan pack of ten wolves encompassing 6,272 km (2,422 sq mi). Wolf packs are typically settled, and usually leave their accustomed ranges only during severe food shortages. Territorial fights are among
17892-472: The two species interact. One-to-one, hyenas dominate wolves, and may prey on them, but wolf packs can drive off single or outnumbered hyenas. There is at least one case in Israel of a hyena associating and cooperating with a wolf pack. Viral diseases carried by wolves include: rabies , canine distemper , canine parvovirus , infectious canine hepatitis , papillomatosis , and canine coronavirus . In wolves,
18034-408: The unknown extinct canid. As of 2005 , 19 subspecies are recognized. Geographic variation in coyotes is not great, though taken as a whole, the eastern subspecies ( C. l. thamnos and C. l. frustor ) are large, dark-colored animals, with a gradual paling in color and reduction in size westward and northward ( C. l. texensis , C. l. latrans , C. l. lestes , and C. l. incolatus ),
18176-522: The upper canines of coyotes extend past the mental foramina . At the time of the European colonization of the Americas, coyotes were largely confined to open plains and arid regions of the western half of the continent. In early post-Columbian historical records, determining whether the writer is describing coyotes or wolves is often difficult. One record from 1750 in Kaskaskia, Illinois , written by
18318-530: The upper side of the base of the tail and are a bluish-black color. The color and texture of the coyote's fur vary somewhat geographically. The hair's predominant color is light gray and red or fulvous , interspersed around the body with black and white. Coyotes living at high elevations tend to have more black and gray shades than their desert -dwelling counterparts, which are more fulvous or whitish-gray. The coyote's fur consists of short, soft underfur and long, coarse guard hairs. The fur of northern subspecies
18460-401: The vulnerable individuals of large prey, with a pack of 15 able to bring down an adult moose . The variation in diet between wolves living on different continents is based on the variety of hoofed mammals and of available smaller and domesticated prey. In North America, the wolf's diet is dominated by wild large hoofed mammals (ungulates) and medium-sized mammals. In Asia and Europe, their diet
18602-633: The wild, as the mating cycles of dogs and coyotes do not coincide, and coyotes are usually antagonistic towards dogs. Hybridization usually only occurs when coyotes are expanding into areas where conspecifics are few, and dogs are the only alternatives. Even then, pup survival rates are lower than normal, as dogs do not form pair bonds with coyotes, thus making the rearing of pups more difficult. In captivity, F 1 hybrids (first generation) tend to be more mischievous and less manageable as pups than dogs, and are less trustworthy on maturity than wolf-dog hybrids . Hybrids vary in appearance, but generally retain
18744-604: The wild. In the Caucasus Mountains , ten percent of dogs including livestock guardian dogs , are first generation hybrids. Although mating between golden jackals and wolves has never been observed, evidence of jackal-wolf hybridization was discovered through mitochondrial DNA analysis of jackals living in the Caucasus Mountains and in Bulgaria. In 2021, a genetic study found that the dog's similarity to
18886-488: The wolf because of its "cauda recurvata" (upturning tail) which is not found in any other canid . In the third edition of Mammal Species of the World published in 2005, the mammalogist W. Christopher Wozencraft listed under C. lupus 36 wild subspecies, and proposed two additional subspecies: familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) and dingo (Meyer, 1793). Wozencraft included hallstromi —the New Guinea singing dog —as
19028-468: The wolf's intestines. Tapeworms are commonly found in wolves, which they get though their prey, and generally cause little harm in wolves, though this depends on the number and size of the parasites, and the sensitivity of the host. Symptoms often include constipation , toxic and allergic reactions , irritation of the intestinal mucosa , and malnutrition . Wolves can carry over 30 roundworm species, though most roundworm infections appear benign, depending on
19170-423: The wolves from southern China; however, its genome was 12–14 percent admixed with a canid that may be the dhole or an unknown canid that predates the genetic divergence of the dhole . The wolf population from southern China is believed to still exist in that region. A study of the three coastal wolves indicates a close phylogenetic relationship across regions that are geographically and ecologically contiguous, and
19312-567: The wolves of North America display skull traits more similar to the coyote than wolves from Eurasia. In 2010, a study found that the coyote was a basal member of the clade that included the Tibetan wolf , the domestic dog , the Mongolian wolf and the Eurasian wolf , with the Tibetan wolf diverging early from wolves and domestic dogs. In 2016, a whole-genome DNA study proposed, based on
19454-525: The zoologist Edward Goldman recognized as many as 23 subspecies based on morphology . In 1959, E. Raymond Hall proposed that there had been 24 subspecies of lupus in North America. In 1970, L. David Mech proposed that there was "probably far too many subspecific designations...in use", as most did not exhibit enough points of differentiation to be classified as separate subspecies. The 24 subspecies were accepted by many authorities in 1981 and these were based on morphological or geographical differences, or
19596-494: Was a result of a wolf-coyote admixture, combined with extensive backcrossing with parent gray wolf populations. The red wolf may have originated during a time of declining wolf populations in the Southeastern Woodlands , forcing a wolf-coyote hybridization, as well as backcrossing with local parent coyote populations to the extent that about 75–80% of the modern red wolf's genome is of coyote derivation. Like
19738-674: Was first recognised as a distinct subspecies ( Canis lupus signatus ) in 1907 by zoologist Ángel Cabrera . The wolves of the Iberian peninsula have morphologically distinct features from other Eurasian wolves and each are considered by their researchers to represent their own subspecies. The taxonomic reference Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition, 2005) does not recognize Canis lupus signatus ; however, NCBI / Genbank does list it. Domestic dog [REDACTED] Holarctic gray wolf [REDACTED] Late Pleistocene wolf † [REDACTED] Indian plains wolf [REDACTED] Himalayan wolf [REDACTED] The Himalayan wolf
19880-665: Was genetically close to the dhole and evolved after the divergence of the African hunting dog from the other canid species. The basal position of the coyote compared to the wolf is proposed to be due to the coyote retaining more of the mitochondrial genome of this unidentified canid. Similarly, a museum specimen of a wolf from southern China collected in 1963 showed a genome that was 12–14% admixed from this unknown canid. In North America, some coyotes and wolves show varying degrees of past genetic admixture . In more recent times, some male Italian wolves originated from dog ancestry, which indicates female wolves will breed with male dogs in
20022-600: Was in existence. They proposed that the progression from Eucyon davisi to C. lepophagus to the coyote was linear evolution. C. latrans and C. aureus are closely related to C. edwardii , a species that appeared earliest spanning the mid- Blancan ( late Pliocene ) to the close of the Irvingtonian (late Pleistocene), and coyote remains indistinguishable from C. latrans were contemporaneous with C. edwardii in North America. Johnston describes C. lepophagus as having
20164-477: Was sighted in eastern Panama (across the Panama Canal from their home range) for the first time in 2013. The coyote has 19 recognized subspecies . The average male weighs 8 to 20 kg (18 to 44 lb) and the average female 7 to 18 kg (15 to 40 lb). Their fur color is predominantly light gray and red or fulvous interspersed with black and white, though it varies somewhat with geography. It
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