Types of wolves and their characteristics

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 23 January 2021
Update Date: 18 May 2024
Anonim
Types of Wolves
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The wolf is a carnivorous mammal, often considered a relative of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), despite the obvious differences in size and behavior.

Did you know that there are different types of wolves, each with its own characteristics? These species are distributed in different areas of the world, in most of which they occupy the highest place in the food chain. If you are interested in getting to know the different ones species of wolves that exist, don't miss this article from PeritoAnimal. Keep reading!

Wolf Characteristics

The wolf has existed on Earth for approximately 800,000 years. At that time, they were distributed throughout much of the world, including America, Asia and Europe. Today, however, that has changed. Where do wolves live? Mainly in the United States and part of Europe, especially in the area that belongs to Russia, and they live in packs.


Among the characteristics of wolves stands out their similarity to domestic puppies. In addition, they reach a weight between 40 and 80 kilos, depending on the breed of wolf, and possess a massive body with strong, muscular legs, accompanied by a powerful jaw with sharp teeth.

the wolf breeds reach a speed between 10 and 65 km/h, in addition to being able to make great leaps, necessary to overcome the mountainous terrain and capture their prey. Your sense of smell is highly developed, and your eyes have the ability to see in the dark because they have tapetum lucidum, a membrane capable of filtering small amounts of light present in dark environments.

On the other hand, the coat of the wolves is dense, thick and hard. In this way, it protects them from adverse conditions and dirt, in addition to keeping them warm during frost and serving as a camouflage.


These are some of the characteristics of wolves. Next, we'll talk in more detail about the different wolf breeds that exists.

types of wolves

There are several species and subspecies of wolves that are distributed in different parts of the world, but how many types of wolves are there? We'll tell you next.

At the gender Kennels, are registered 16 different species, among them the kennels lupus. This species, in turn, records 37 different subspecies, including a cross between a domestic dog and a gray wolf. There is also the Kennels mesomelas elongae, a subspecies of the species mesomeles kennels, which are not wolves but jackals, as well as Canis simensis, who is also a coyote.

Now, as not all species registered in the genus Kennels are wolves, how many types of wolves are there? According to official organizations, the different studies carried out[1][2] and as the shared toxicogenomics database (CTD) shows, the following species are unique wolf species that exist, within which there are different subspecies:


  • Anthus kennels
  • Kennels indicates
  • lycaon kennels
  • kennels himalayensis
  • kennels lupus
  • kennels rufus

In the following sections, we'll talk about the most popular species and subspecies.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

O kennels lupus or Gray wolf is a species of carnivorous canine from which descend many of the subspecies that constitute the different types of wolves. Currently, this species is distributed mainly in the U.S, where it is one of the largest predators.

The species is characterized by living in packs governed under a social hierarchy. Thanks to this organization, they hunt and feed together. This behavior, however, considerably reduced their possibility of living in other areas, as the species represents a danger to farms and livestock.

There are more than 10 gray wolf subspecies, and we'll talk about some of them below.

Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus)

The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) it is a subspecies of Lupus kennels, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. It is characterized by reaching up to 50 kilos and presenting a distinct coat: brown or beige on the belly, black on the back and with lighter patches from the middle of the body to the tail.

Iberian is one of the most common types of wolf in Spain. Its carnivorous diet consists of hunting sheep, rabbits, wild boar, reptiles and some birds, in addition to a small portion (5%) of plant foods.

Arctic wolf (Canus lupus arctos)

O Canus lupus arctos, or Arctic wolf, is a species that only live in canada and the Greenland. Their size is smaller than that of other wolves and, in most cases, they weigh about 45 kilograms. As a way of adapting to the cold environment in which it spends its life, this type of wolf has a white or light yellow coat, which allows it to easily camouflage itself in the snow. This is also a subspecies of kennels lupus.

This species usually lives in rocky caves and feeds on other mammals found in Arctic areas, such as moose, oxen and caribou, in addition to hunting seals and partridges.

Arabian Wolf (Canis lupus arabs)

Another of the wolf breeds is the Arabian wolf (kennels lupus arabs), which is also a subspecies of the gray wolf, and is distributed by the Sinai Peninsula and in several countries of the Middle East. It is a small desert wolf as it weighs only 20 kilos and feeds on carrion and smaller animals such as hares.

Unlike what happens with other species of wolves, the Arab doesn't howl or live in packs. Their fur is sepia to brown in color, both in light tones to allow for better camouflage in the sand and rocky areas where they live.

black wolf

the black wolf is just a variation of the gray wolf's coat (kennels lupus), that is, it is not a subspecies of the order of the wolves. Like the gray wolf, the black wolf is distributed throughout North America, Asia and Europe.

This coat variation is due to a genetic mutation which occurred in the cross between domestic dogs and wild wolves. In the past, however, there was the black wolf of Florida (Canis lupus floridanus), but was declared extinct in 1908.

European Wolf (Canis lupus lupus)

O kennels lupus lupus it is the most widespread subspecies of the gray wolf that exists. this type of wolf inhabits a large part of Europe, but also larger Asian territories such as China. Among European species, it is one of the biggest, as it weighs between 40 and 70 kilos. Its coat is the well-known gray mantle with cream-colored abdomen.

As for its diet, the European wolf is a predator of hares, deer, moose, deer, goats and wild boar.

Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus albus)

Among the types of wolves that inhabit cold areas is the kennels lupus lupus or tundra wolf. inhabits the Russian tundra and the Siberian region until reaching Scandinavia. It weighs between 40 and 50 kilos and has a long, spongy coat that allows it to survive in the freezing climate.

The tundra wolf feeds on reindeer, hares and arctic foxes. In addition, it is a nomadic species that travels following the movement of animals that are part of its diet.

Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)

Another type of wolf is the Canis lupus baileyi, subspecies that inhabit the North America, where he prefers to live in deserts and temperate forest areas. It weighs up to 45 kilos and its coat has several colors, among which cream, yellow and black stand out.

The species feeds on cattle, hares, sheep and rodents. Because they attack cattle, these wolves were persecuted and today, they are considered extinct in nature, although there are different programs intended for its reproduction in captivity.

Baffin Wolf (Canis lupus manningi)

The Baffin's Wolf (Canis lupus manningi) is a rare subspecies that inhabits only the Baffin Island, Canada. Its fur and size are similar to those of the Arctic wolf. Little is known about this species, but it feeds on foxes and hares.

Yukon Wolf (Canis lupus pambasileus)

Another of the wolf breeds is Canis lupus pambasileus, also called wolf-of-yukón or Alaskan black wolf. It inhabits Yukón, a province in Alaska that gives it its name. Its between the biggest wolves in the world, coming to to weight up to 70 kilos.

It is characterized by a coat that combines different shades, ranging from white, grey, beige and black, colors that are distributed in a disorderly way on the body.

Dingo (Canis lupus dingo)

The dingo (Lupus dingo kennels) is a variety distributed by Australia and some areas of Asia. It is a small wolf, weighing only 32 kilos, and for this reason it is often considered a dog and is even adopted as a pet.

The dingo's coat has a uniform color that varies between reddish and yellow. In addition, it is also possible to find individuals with albinism.

Vancouver Wolf (Canis lupus crassodon)

O Canis lupus crassodon é endemic to Vancouver Island, Canada. Like the Arctic wolf, it has a white coat that allows it to camouflage itself in the environment. Although there is little information about this species of wolf, it is known that it lives in packs of up to 35 individuals and rarely approaches areas inhabited by humans.

Western Wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis)

The Western Wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis) inhabits the coasts of the Arctic Glacial ocean to the States United. It's one of the biggest wolf species, reaching 85 centimeters in length, although it weighs only between 45 and 50 kilos.

As for the coat, it can be black, gray or brown with white. Its diet is varied, as it feeds on oxen, hares, fish, reptiles, deer and moose.

Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

Leaving aside the gray wolf subspecies, within the wolf species we also find the kennels rufus or red wolf. It only lives in some areas of the Mexico, United States and Canada, because it's in critical extinction hazard due to hunting of the species it uses for food, the introduction of specimens into its habitat and the effect of road construction.

The red wolf is characterized by weighing about 35 kilos and presenting a spotted coat in which it is possible to notice reddish, gray and yellow areas. They feed on deer, raccoons and rodents.

Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)

Also called the Abyssinian, the Canis simensis or Ethiopian wolf is actually a jackal orcoyote, therefore, does not consider himself one of the types of wolf. It lives only 3000 meters high in the mountains of Ethiopia. It has a small size, similar to a dog, weighing only between 10 and 20 kilos. Also, its fur is reddish, with white spots under the neck and black tail.

They live in packs organized by hierarchy. Currently, is in danger of extinction due to the destruction of its habitat and the attacks it receives from humans to keep it away from livestock.

African Golden Wolf (Canis anthus)

The African Golden Wolf (Anthus kennels) is a type of wolf found on the African continent. This wolf is adapted to the semi-desert climate, but prefers to live in areas with nearby water sources.

As for its physical characteristics, its size is smaller than that of other wolves. It weighs about 15 kilos and it has a dark coat on its back and tail, and a sandy color on its legs and abdomen.

Indian Wolf (Canis indica)

The Indian Wolf (Kennels indicates) is from Israel, Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan, where he prefers to live in semi-desert areas. It is a wolf with a stylized appearance, as it weighs only 30 kilos, with a reddish or light brown coat, which allows it to be camouflaged in sand and rocky areas.

This breed of wolf feeds mainly on cattle, which is why it has been persecuted in India for several centuries.

Eastern Canadian Wolf (Canis lycaon)

Another type of wolf is the Eastern Canadian wolf (lycaon kennels), what inhabits the southeastern part of Canada. This wolf has a coat of stiff, long hair in black and light cream, which is distributed in a disorderly manner throughout the body.

This wolf species inhabits the forested areas of Canada, where it feeds on smaller vertebrates and lives in packs. It is also a endangered species, due to the destruction of their habitat and the fragmentation of populations that this caused in the packs.

Himalayan Wolf (Canis himalayensis)

The Himalayan Wolf (kennels himalayensis) é from Nepal and North India. They live in small communities and currently there are a small number of adult individuals.

As for its appearance, it is a small, thin wolf. Its coat is hard and presents in light shades of brown, gray and cream.

Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is one of the most widespread animals in the world and is among the favorite pets. Their physical characteristics vary between the different recognized breeds that exist, which have great differences in size, color and type of coat, personality and life expectancy, among others.

the domestic dog is a distinct subspecies. At its origins, more recent theories suggest that the dog, as it is known today, is the result of crosses between dingo wolves, basenji wolves and jackals. However, 14,900 years ago, the bloodlines of dogs and wolves split, even though they are known to have shared a common ancestor. From this separation, each species developed in a different way, and the dog could be domesticated.

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