Wolves: Gray Wolf
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/RhyDin/Zoology/MexicanWolfSmithsonian.jpg
Canis lupus
There are five subspecies of gray wolves in North America, including Mexican wolves, the most endangered.
Physical Description: The largest wild members of the dog family, gray wolves generally have grizzled coats, with gray, black, and light brown fur covering their head and upper body, and yellowish white fur on the legs and belly.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/RhyDin/Zoology/cover_wolfdrinking.jpg
Some subspecies?not Mexican wolves?have pure white or black coats. Thick winter undercoats give them the appearance of added bulk; when they shed in the spring, they look thin. They have bushy tails, legs longer than coyotes' and dogs' legs, and oversized paws.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/RhyDin/Zoology/20021015-4807twowolves.jpg
Size: Gray wolves' head and body length is 40 to 58 inches (1 to 1.5 meters), plus a tail 13 to 20 inches long (one-third to half a meter). Their weight varies greatly by subspecies, ranging from 40 to 175 pounds (18 to 79 kg), with an average between 60 to 100 pounds (27 to 45 kg).
Geographic Distribution: Today, gray wolves can be found in Alaska, Canada, some northern U.S. states, particularly Minnesota, as well as Russia and a few eastern European countries. Mexican wolves have been reintroduced in New Mexico and Arizona.
Status: Depending on where they live, populations of gray wolves have differing status levels. Those in the western distinct population segment are threatened; those in the eastern group are considered threatened but are being considered for delisting; the subspecies of Mexican gray wolves in the southwest are endangered.
Habitat: Historically, gray wolves have the largest range of any land mammal, other than people. They have lived in all habitats in the Northern Hemisphere except for tropical forest.
Natural Diet: Gray wolves are carnivores, often preying on animals larger than they are, including elk, caribou, and deer, as well as beavers, hares, and other small animals.
((Photos and text taken from the Smithsonian Zoological Park, all content is the property of the Smithsonian Organisation.))
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/RhyDin/Zoology/MexicanWolfSmithsonian.jpg
Canis lupus
There are five subspecies of gray wolves in North America, including Mexican wolves, the most endangered.
Physical Description: The largest wild members of the dog family, gray wolves generally have grizzled coats, with gray, black, and light brown fur covering their head and upper body, and yellowish white fur on the legs and belly.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/RhyDin/Zoology/cover_wolfdrinking.jpg
Some subspecies?not Mexican wolves?have pure white or black coats. Thick winter undercoats give them the appearance of added bulk; when they shed in the spring, they look thin. They have bushy tails, legs longer than coyotes' and dogs' legs, and oversized paws.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/RhyDin/Zoology/20021015-4807twowolves.jpg
Size: Gray wolves' head and body length is 40 to 58 inches (1 to 1.5 meters), plus a tail 13 to 20 inches long (one-third to half a meter). Their weight varies greatly by subspecies, ranging from 40 to 175 pounds (18 to 79 kg), with an average between 60 to 100 pounds (27 to 45 kg).
Geographic Distribution: Today, gray wolves can be found in Alaska, Canada, some northern U.S. states, particularly Minnesota, as well as Russia and a few eastern European countries. Mexican wolves have been reintroduced in New Mexico and Arizona.
Status: Depending on where they live, populations of gray wolves have differing status levels. Those in the western distinct population segment are threatened; those in the eastern group are considered threatened but are being considered for delisting; the subspecies of Mexican gray wolves in the southwest are endangered.
Habitat: Historically, gray wolves have the largest range of any land mammal, other than people. They have lived in all habitats in the Northern Hemisphere except for tropical forest.
Natural Diet: Gray wolves are carnivores, often preying on animals larger than they are, including elk, caribou, and deer, as well as beavers, hares, and other small animals.
((Photos and text taken from the Smithsonian Zoological Park, all content is the property of the Smithsonian Organisation.))