Tag Archives: wolf species

Dec

2017

Domesticating Wolves: Why Did Humans Do It? Are There Any Consequences?

The process of domesticating wolves started thousands of years ago but how has it fared so far?

Wolf Training At Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Lower Austria: domesticating wolves

Wolf Training At Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Lower Austria (Photo: Wolfgang Glock, cc 3.0)

Scientifically called Canis Lupus, humans acknowledge wolves as wild animals since they became aware of this creature’s existence many thousands of years ago.

The Canis part of its scientific name is what gave rise to our popular name for domesticated dogs: canines. In addition, we know that wolves and dogs are related genetically and this has been proven time and time again.

We have successfully domesticated dogs (Canis Lupus Familiaris), but wolves on the other

Nov

2017

Spotlight On The 2 Women Managing German Wolves

Spotlight on the 2 women managing German wolves against all odds.

Tatjana Schneider With A Wolf: Women managing German Wolves

Tatjana Schneider With A Wolf (Photo:Wolfspark Werner Freund/G. Kopp)

Wolves are predators of the family Canidae, and although they do not target humans directly as prey, farmers consider them as enemies of their livestock. Generally, if given the chance they will feed on sheep, calves, and other livestock. Therefore, farmers in Germany are asking for a right to kill wolves.

But this issue is not as straight forward as these farmers think. Humans have been encroaching on jungles and forests to build homes, plant crops, and rear livestock for centuries. Of course as

Oct

2017

Species Profile: The Eastern Wolf

The Eastern Wolf has one of the most widely contested classification among wolf species.

An Eastern Wolf (Photo: Parks Canada)

The Eastern Wolf is an animal native to the northeastern part of North America’s Great Lakes region.

This wolf belongs to the same species as the Red Wolf (Canis Rufus), with both animals being smaller in size than the Gray Wolf.

As a matter of fact, many people seeing the eastern wolf for the first time are often surprised at its small size. And unlike gray wolves, eastern wolves have never been recorded with an all-black or all-white fur. Rather, their fur is a mix of reddish-brown, grizzled gray-brown, and

Oct

2017

Here’s How Coyote-Wolf Hybrids Are Taking Over North America

Coyote-Wolf Hybrids now number in their millions across Eastern North America.

A Hybrid In Virginia: Coyote-Wolf Hybrids

A Coyote-Wolf Hybrid In Virginia (Photo: www.ForestWander.com/Wikimedia Commons. cc by-s.a. 3.0)

By now, residents of Eastern Canada and the USA are accustomed to a smart, fast, and very adaptable “coyote-like” animal living around them. This creature lurks around in the wild in forests, in parks, and sometimes even right in busy cities.

In 2013, Javier Monzón a canine geneticist decided to investigate reports of a group of coyotes living in northeastern North America. However, further observation revealed that these “coyotes” were bigger, stronger, and faster than the usual coyotes.

It turns out these animals aren’t true coyotes at all. Actually, they would be better classified as

Oct

2017

Species Profile: The Indian Wolf

The Indian Wolf has one of the worst records regarding human attacks and fatalities

An Indian Wolf At Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pune – Maharashtra, India (Photo: Rudraksha Chodankar/Wikimedia Commons cc by-s.a. 4.0)

The Indian Wolf is currently classified as a subspecies of the Gray Wolf though there are proposals to recognize it as a distinct species on its own.

This wolf is a much smaller species than the gray wolf: it’s actually somewhere in-between the Tibetan and Arabian wolf in size. It’s native to the Indian Subcontinent. Because of the warm climate in which it lives, its fur is much shorter and thinner than other wolf species. Also, its reddish/brown coat often causes people to mistake it for a fox.

Black colored individuals are very rare but a few have been sighted in India’s Solapur

Sep

2017

15 Of The Most Common Wolf Questions Answered

Get all the answers to the most common Wolf Questions here.

The Gray wolf can vary in color: Wolf Questions

A Pair Of Gray Wolves (Author: Stefan/Wikimedia Commons cc 2.0)

There’s still so much misinformation about wolves out there. But if you’re looking for the facts and nothing else, then you’ll need to read this.

Below are 15 of the most common Wolf Questions that people frequently ask along with their answers.

15 Of The Most Common Wolf Questions Answered.

1) How many types/species of wolves exist on Earth today?

There are four species of wolves worldwide today. They are: the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the red

Jun

2017

Species Profile: The Ethiopian Wolf

Meet Africa’s most endangered canine, the Ethiopian wolf.

The Ethiopian Wolf Is The Most Endangered Wolf Species Today (Author: Stuart Orford cc by-s.a. 2.0)

The Ethiopian wolf is native to the Ethiopian Highlands and is remarkably similar to the North American coyote in appearance, size, and build. This is a highly specialized wolf because unlike other canids (members of the dog family), it has a specific diet and habitat in which it thrives. It is one of five Canis species living in Africa.

They have a more slender build than the more popular gray wolf, its closest relative. This species has a bushy and relatively long tail, pointed ears, slender elongated snout, and long slim legs. They are easily mistaken for foxes and jackals.

May

2017

Species Profile: The Gray Wolf

People have been fascinated with, and yet, afraid of the gray wolf for centuries now. Here are the facts about the largest wolf breed on earth, the gray wolf.

Closeup Of The Gray Wolf.

The gray wolf (or grey wolf) is a native animal of the wilderness and some remote areas of Eurasia and North America.

It’s the largest and most well-known wolf species to humans easily distinguished from other wolves by its sheer size and less pointed ears and muzzle.

Though called gray wolf, their fur varies in color from mottled gray, pure white, red, brown, and even black.