Are there red wolves? Maned wolf or guara

Environmental measures are primarily aimed at saving species that are on the verge of extinction and also attract our interest. For a long time, North American met both of these criteria. However, now the question of its origin has become acute. Therefore, its survival may depend on whether it is an independent species at all.

Most wolves belong to the species Canis lupus, which has several distinct morphological types occupying certain parts of its range, including the forest and tundra wolves. In the past, zoologists mostly viewed the red wolf as independent species, distributed throughout the eastern United States, from Pennsylvania in the north to Texas in the west. According to the traditional view, persecution by humans and increasing destruction of habitats as a result of economic activities have doomed this species to extinction. The disappearance of individual red wolf populations began in the 60s. XX century; by 1980, only about 80 individuals remained, most of which live in captivity.

But soon a different view of this problem appeared. Some scientists have even disputed the species status of the red wolf. In their opinion, the red wolf did not evolve over millions of years, but arose as a result of hybridization of coyotes and gray wolves during human settlement and disruption of the structure of natural populations of these animals. The loss of habitat caused the mixing of previously isolated settlements, and such hybrid individuals became a transitional form to the red wolf.

Intensive research into the anatomical and genetic characteristics of the red wolf over the past few years has yielded conflicting results. Study behavioral characteristics, morphological characteristics of the skull, mitochondrial DNA and micro-satellite DNA confirmed the species status of the red wolf. The red wolf arose in the early Pleistocene more than 500,000 years ago, and more importantly, it was the ancestor from which modern coyotes and gray wolves evolved. According to this theory, red wolf numbers began to decline in the wild after 1940. Because of this, coyotes and red wolf-coyote hybrids replaced red wolves throughout much of their original range.

But there is also genetic evidence to support the hybridization theory. Most studies conducted in the 1990s support the new hypothesis that gray wolves and coyotes may have interbred repeatedly before European settlement in the south-central United States, although it is possible that crossbreeding may have occurred more recently in as a result of environmental changes caused by humans.

In a surprising twist, further genetic research revealed a close relationship between the red wolf and the wolves of southeastern Canada, previously thought to be gray wolves. The connection was also confirmed by morphology and fossil remains. Perhaps the most interesting feature of red wolves is their ability to interbreed with coyotes, making both species susceptible to genetic mixing. According to a new point of view, a significant part of those animals that were considered gray wolves living in eastern Canada and the Great Lakes region may turn out to be red wolves or hybrids of gray and red. And the “coyotes” that now inhabit the eastern United States may be hybrids of coyotes and red wolves.

Red wolves appearance almost impossible to distinguish from their much more common relatives, gray wolves. Only some individuals have a pronounced red coloration. An example is this beautiful specimen, which is a mixture of tan, fawn, gray and black.

This new information allowed us to put forward another hypothesis about the origin of the red wolf. She suggests that gray wolves, red wolves and coyotes are descendants of a common North American ancestor, with the red wolf and coyote making up one evolutionary branch and the gray wolf another. According to this model of evolution, the predecessor of all modern wolves migrated to Eurasia 1-2 million years ago, where it developed into modern gray wolf before returning to North America in the Pleistocene, about 300,000 years ago. Around the same time, the Eastern Canadian red wolf and coyote split, which originated in North America.

Clearly, red and gray wolf recovery efforts in North America will need to be re-evaluated if red wolf populations are found to remain in southeastern Canada. This is much more than a purely academic interest, considering that the Ministry of Nature and Fisheries spends approximately 4 million US dollars annually on the reintroduction of the red wolf.

It is now believed that the wolves of southeastern Canada are a mixture of hybrids between in different forms- between the Old World gray wolf lupus and the native New World lycaon wolf, and between the red wolf and coyote and the gray wolf. Some of them may also be gray wolf-coyote hybrids. Although geneticists believe that direct hybridization between gray wolves and coyotes is unlikely to occur, it is possible that it occurred in "steps" with red wolf-coyote hybrids mating with gray wolves.

The dilemma for conservation organizations is to determine, if such hybridization has occurred, was it caused by human influence? If the red wolf is not real look, then the question of the degree of human participation in this phenomenon becomes more than controversial. If it is a real species and hybridization is a natural phenomenon, then it is a "process" of speciation rather than a "steady state". If hybridization is caused by human activity, then this wolf should be protected for all the reasons we work to preserve biodiversity in nature. The lesson is that we must place equal emphasis on conservation of evolutionary processes and conservation of species. Until now, conservationists have paid attention only to the protection of the species themselves, but this approach is inappropriate on the scale of evolutionary time. It is likely that the evolution of North American wolves has not ended; it is happening before our eyes. Despite the advent of genetic techniques that have increased our ability to study taxonomy, our knowledge of relatedness wild wolves gaping voids remain. The discovery of the recipe for the formation of natural “wolf crosses” in North America is an important area of ​​work to protect endangered species.

Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata Class: Mammals Order: Carnivores Family: Canidae Genus: Wolves Species: Wolf Subspecies: Red wolf

Scientific name: Canis lupus rufus Audubon
Common name:
English – Red Wolf
Species Authority: Audubon & Bachman, 1851

Endangered. For appearance, see the description of the wolf. The length of the body including the tail is 140-165 cm. The length of the tail is 34-42 cm. The build is lighter than that of a wolf. Coloring hairline reddish-brown, especially on the face, ears and outer surfaces of the limbs. There are dark-colored specimens.

By the time the first Europeans arrived in America, red wolves inhabited the territory of the modern United States from Central Texas to Atlantic coast and from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Ohio Valley and Southern Pennsylvania. By the late 1970s, purebred red wolves were believed to exist only in southeast Texas and surrounding areas of Louisiana. By now they have probably disappeared there too.

Previously inhabited forests and coastal prairies. Currently they live in coastal prairie swamps. Active at night. They feed on small mammals: rabbits, squirrels, muskrats, as well as crustaceans and insects.

The decline in numbers is caused by changes in habitat and persecution by humans. Hybridization with coyotes poses a particular danger. Deforestation and agricultural development allowed coyotes to spread eastward from their original range, and the gap between coyotes and red wolves existed by the early 20th century. disappeared. Protected by law.

Photo: Author: Tim Ross - own work, Public domain

IUCN Assessment Information

2004 – Critically Endangered (CR) 1996 – Critically Endangered (CR) 1994 – Endangered (E) 1990 – Endangered (E) 1988 – Endangered (E) (in danger) 1986 – Endangered (E) 1982 – Endangered (E)
Distribution area Photo: Author: & - & , CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org
/w/index.php?curid=32079545
Literature (source): Sokolov V. E. Rare and endangered animals. Mammals: Reference, manual. - M.: Higher. school, 1986.-519 p. l.

The rarest representative of the wolf family is the red wolf (lat. Canis rufus), which in ancient times inhabited a vast area in the eastern United States from Pennsylvania to Texas.

In the 70s of the 20th century, through the efforts of a man who saw the predator as a threat to livestock, it was practically destroyed. Only 14 individuals survived, which became the ancestors of the entire current population.

Today there are about three hundred red wolves in the world, one hundred of which run free in wildlife refuges in North Carolina and Tennessee. They resemble gray wolves in appearance, but their fur is shorter and their limbs and ears are longer. In general, redheads are slimmer than their gray brothers. The body length of males sometimes reaches 130 cm, the tail - up to 42 cm, and the height at the withers - up to 79 cm. Weigh formidable predators from 20 to 40 kg, females are one third less.

Actually, these wolves are red in winter; in summer, an annual molt occurs, which makes the overall color grayish. The back and tip of the tail are usually black, the muzzle and paws are red. all year round. The general color also contains brown and gray colors.

Another danger for the red wolf is its hybridization with a coyote, from which it differs more large sizes. In addition, these two species compete due to a similar diet: the redhead's menu also includes rabbits, rabbits and. Very rarely does a pack manage to catch a deer or pig. They do not disdain carrion and large insects. Sometimes they eat plants and berries.

But red-haired predators prefer to avoid meeting people. Throughout history, not a single case of their attacks on people has been recorded. Obviously, the poor guys already have enough from alligators, other wolves, and so on to look for additional dangers.

The lifestyle of these dogs is similar to other species. Only their flocks are usually small, but they are also dominated by one pair, which produces offspring. All other members of the family are wolf cubs from different generations. Inside the pack, everyone lives amicably - the elders take care of the younger ones and together they bring food to the nursing wolf.

The breeding season lasts from January to March, pregnancy lasts about two months and ends with the birth of 3-6 (less often 12) wolf cubs. The female makes a den in abandoned burrows of other animals, in sandy slopes or in holes under trees. Babies feed on mother's milk for 8-10 weeks, gradually switching to “adult” food. By the age of one year they become independent and reach sexual maturity.

If they decide to stay in the pack, they do not have the right to have offspring. Although the atmosphere inside such a family is warm, they treat other wolves aggressively. They communicate with each other using body language, pheromones, vocalizations and touches. The territory is marked with scent extremely rarely.

It has been established that one family of red wolves needs about 100 square meters for a normal life. m. At the same time, they remain in one place for no more than 10 days, constantly wandering in search of new prey. These red predators are an important part of the local ecosystem, controlling the population of rodents that represent Agriculture greater danger than the wolves themselves.

Currently, work continues to restore their population in the wild, and the species is listed in the International Red Book.

International scientific name

Canis lupus rufus Audubon & ,

Synonyms Area Security status

Taxonomy on Wikispecies

Images on Wikimedia Commons

ITIS NCBI EOL

The taxonomic status of the red wolf is controversial. It is considered either a subspecies of the gray wolf or an independent species [ ], or the product of natural hybridization between the gray wolf and the coyote, which has been occurring over the past few thousand years.

Most rare representative of the wolf family, the red wolf once inhabited much of the eastern United States, from Pennsylvania to Texas. However, in the 20th century, due to extermination and habitat destruction, red wolves were on the verge of extinction. Their range was first reduced to the extreme southwest of Louisiana and southeast Texas, and by the end of the 70s of the 20th century, red wolves in the wild finally disappeared, and only individuals survived in zoos and nurseries. Since 1988, work has been underway to return red wolves to their natural habitat - the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Appearance [ | ]

Evolution of wolves

Red wolf and coyote.

Red wolves differ from their closest relative, the gray wolf, in their smaller size. The red wolf is slimmer, has longer legs and ears, and shorter fur. However, it is larger than a coyote: its body length is 100-130 cm, tail - 30-42 cm, height at the withers - 66-79 cm. Adult males weigh 20-41 kg, females, as a rule, are 1/3 lighter.

The fur color includes red, brown, gray and black. The back is usually black. The muzzle and limbs are reddish, the end of the tail is black. The red coloration, from which the species gets its name, predominated among Texas populations. Red fur is also dominant in winter. The annual molt occurs in the summer.

Lifestyle and nutrition[ | ]

In terms of lifestyle, the red wolf is close to the common wolf. Initially they lived in forests, swampy lowlands and coastal prairies; were nocturnal. Now red wolves are being reintroduced into hard-to-reach mountainous and swampy areas.

Red wolves have smaller packs than gray ones; they consist of a married (breeding) couple and its offspring, both young and grown. Sometimes families grow significantly larger. There are practically no manifestations of aggression in the family, but family members are unfriendly towards unfamiliar wolves.

The red wolf's food consists primarily of rodents (including nutria and muskrats), rabbits and raccoons; Occasionally a flock catches a deer. Supplementing the diet are insects and berries, as well as carrion.

In turn, red wolves can become victims of other wolves, including relatives from other packs, alligators or pumas. Young animals are preyed upon by predators such as bobcats.

Reproduction [ | ]

Red wolves live in families in which only dominant pairs breed. A pair, like other wolves, is created for a long time. The remaining members of the group help raise the offspring and bring food for the lactating wolves.

The breeding season lasts from January to March. Pregnancy lasts 60-63 days; In a litter there are on average 3-6 puppies (rarely - up to 12), which are born in the spring. Females make dens in pits under fallen trees, in sandy slopes, along river banks. Both parents care for the offspring; puppies become independent at 6 months.

The average lifespan of a red wolf in nature is 8 years; in captivity they lived up to 14 years.

Population status[ | ]

The red wolf is listed in the International Red Book with the status of “critically endangered species” ( Critically endangered).

Until the middle of the 20th century, red wolves were exterminated for attacks on livestock and a bird. In 1967 the species was declared endangered ( Endangered) and measures began to be taken to save him. The entire current population of red wolves descended from 14 individuals kept in captivity. There are now approximately 270 individuals left in the world, 100 of which were released into the wild in

A wolf is a predatory mammal that belongs to the order Carnivora, family Canidae (canines, wolves).

The Russian word “wolf” is consonant with some Slavic names of the beast: Bulgarians call the predator vylk, Serbs - vuk, Ukrainians - vovk. The origin of the name goes back to the Old Slavonic word “vylk”, which meant to drag, to drag away.

Predators have a long and thick tail, which in some species grows up to 56 cm in length and is always lowered down. The wolf's head is massive, with pointed ears set high, and the muzzle is elongated and wide. The skull of the red and maned wolves is shaped like a fox.

The wolf's mouth is armed with 42 teeth: the carnassial teeth are designed to tear prey into pieces and grind bones, and with the help of fangs the animal firmly holds and drags its victim.

Only for red wolves dental formula contains fewer molars.

Wolf cubs are born from blue eyes, but by the third month the iris acquires an orange or golden yellow color, although there are wolves that remain blue-eyed all their lives.

Wolf fur is thick and two-layered: the undercoat is formed by waterproof down, and upper layer constitute guard hairs that repel dirt and moisture. The low thermal conductivity of wool allows animals to survive in the harshest climatic conditions.

The color of wolves has a rich spectrum of shades, including various variations of gray, white, black and brown colors, although the fur is often red, pure white or almost black. It is believed that the color of the coat allows predators to blend harmoniously with the surrounding landscape, and the mixture of different shades emphasizes the individuality of the animals.

Wolves are digitigrade animals: relying on their toes allows them to balance their weight while moving. Strong limbs, a narrow sternum and a sloping back allow predators to travel long distances in search of food. The usual gait of a wolf is a light trot at a speed of about 10 km/h. The speed of a wolf chasing prey can reach 65 km/h.

The wolf has excellent hearing, vision is much weaker, but the sense of smell is excellent: the predator can smell prey 3 km away, and has the ability to distinguish several million different shades of odor great importance during the rutting season, during hunting and during communicative communication of animals. Urine and fecal marks are used to mark territory boundaries.

The vocal range of wolves is rich and varied: predators howl, grunt, bark, squeal, growl, whine and convey complex messages to other members of the pack. At dawn you can hear the “choral singing” of wolves. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon, but in fact, by howling, animals inform pack members about their location and drive away strangers. Solitary animals that live outside the pack rarely howl, so as not to get themselves into trouble.

The facial expressions of wolves are also very highly developed: thanks to the position of the mouth, lips, ears and tail, as well as the display of teeth, predators express their emotional condition. Like a domestic dog, a wolf's raised tail and ears indicate wariness or aggression.

Lifespan of wolves

In nature, wolves live from 8 to 16 years; in captivity, life expectancy can reach 20 years.

Historically, wolves' range was second in area to that of humans in the Northern Hemisphere, but today it has declined significantly. Wolves live in Europe (the Baltics, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Poland, the Balkans and Scandinavian countries), Asia (countries such as China, Korea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran , Iraq, northern Arabian Peninsula), Africa (Ethiopia), North America (Canada, Mexico, USA, including Alaska), South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). In Russia, wolves are distributed throughout the entire territory, except for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The following types of wolves live in Russia:

• red wolf (2 subspecies out of 10);
• Gray wolf;
• tundra wolf;
• steppe wolf;
• Eurasian wolf, also known as Tibetan or Carpathian;
• polar Wolf.

Predators have mastered and adapted to life in a wide variety of natural areas: wolves live in the tundra, forests, deserts and semi-deserts, on plains, in mountains forest areas, sometimes settle near populated areas.

Wolves are territorial and social animals, forming packs of 3 to 40 individuals that occupy a personal range of 65-300 square kilometers, marked by scent marks. At the head of the pack is a monogamous pair of leaders: an alpha male and an alpha female, the remaining members of the pack are their offspring, other relatives and lone wolves, subordinate to a strict hierarchy. During the rutting period, the flock breaks up, the territory is divided into small fragments, but the best area always goes to the dominant pair. While moving through their territory, leaders leave scent marks once every 3 minutes. At the border of the territory, the density of tags may be even more frequent.

Being nocturnal animals, during the day wolves rest in various natural shelters, thickets and shallow caves, but they often use the holes of marmots, arctic foxes or, and they themselves dig holes extremely rarely.

What does a wolf eat?

Wolves are one of the most agile, fast and hardy predators, tracking and tirelessly pursuing their prey. The wolf's diet depends on the availability of food and in most species consists primarily of animal food. Wolves hunt equally successfully in packs and alone, but they can drive and attack large prey, for example, reindeer, bison or yak can only be hunted together. In 60% of cases, wolves attack young, old, sick or wounded animals, and they perfectly sense whether the animal is strong and healthy or sick and weakened.

In the wild, the wolf feeds on large animals (roe deer, saigas, bison, wild boars), smaller mammals (armadillos, lemmings), as well as fish, brooding birds, and their eggs. The prey of wolves is often large and small domestic animals and birds (geese,), as well as foxes, wild dogs and corsacs.

In the absence of a main source of food, wolves do not disdain small amphibians (for example,), insects (,) and carrion (for example, dead seals washed ashore). In the warm season, berries, mushrooms and ripe fruits appear in the diet of predators.

In the steppes, wolves quench their thirst in fields with melons - watermelons and melons. Hungry predators even attack hibernating animals; they will not miss the opportunity to tear apart a weakened and sick animal, eating up to 10-14 kg of meat at a time. A hungry polar wolf eats a white hare whole, with bones and skin. Interesting feature Wolves are considered to have a habit of returning to the corpses of half-eaten prey, as well as hiding excess meat in reserve.

Types of wolves, photos and names

In the canine (wolf) family there are several genera, which include different types wolves:

1. Genus Wolves (lat. Canis)
   • Wolf, also known as the gray wolf, or common wolf (lat. Canis lupus), which includes many subspecies, including domestic dogs and Dingo dogs (secondary feral):
     • Canis lupus albus(Kerr, 1792) – tundra wolf,
     • † Canis lupus alces(Goldman, 1941)
     • Canis lupus arabs(Pocock, 1934) – Arabian wolf,
     • Canis lupus arctos(Pocock, 1935) – Melvillean island wolf,
     • Canis lupus baileyi(Nelson and Goldman, 1929) – Mexican wolf,
     • † Canis lupus beothucus(G. M. Allen and Barbour, 1937) - Newfoundland wolf,
     • † Canis lupus bernardi(Anderson, 1943)
     • Canis lupus campestris(Dwigubski, 1804) – desert wolf, also known as steppe wolf,
     • Canis lupus chanco(Gray, 1863),
     • Canis lupus columbianus(Goldman, 1941)
     • Canis lupus crassodon(Hall, 1932) – Vancouver Island wolf,
     • † Canis lupus deitanus(Cabrera, 1907) (in some classifications it is a synonym of the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus dingo(Meyer, 1793) - Dingo dog, or secondarily feral domestic dog,
     • Canis lupus familiaris(Linnaeus, 1758) – dog,
     • Canis lupus filchneri(Matschie, 1907),
     • Canis lupus floridanus(Miller, 1912)
     • † Canis lupus fuscus(Richardson, 1839)
     • Canis lupus gregoryi(Goldman, 1937)
     • † Canis lupus griseoalbus(Baird, 1858)
     • Canis lupus hallstromi(Troughton, 1958) – New Guinea singing dog (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus dingo),
     • † Canis lupus hattai(Kishida, 1931) - Japanese wolf, or shaman,
     • † Canis lupus hodophilax(Temminck, 1839),
     • Canis lupus hudsonicus(Goldman, 1941) – Hudson wolf,
     • † Canis lupus irremotus(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus labradorius(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus ligoni(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus lupus(Linnaeus, 1758) - European wolf, also known as Eurasian wolf, Chinese wolf, or common wolf,
     • Canis lupus lycaon(Schreber, 1775) - eastern wolf, or North American timber wolf,
     • Canis lupus mackenzii(Anderson, 1943)
     • Canis lupus manningi(Anderson, 1943)
     • † Canis lupus minor(M. Mojsisovics, 1887) (in some classifications it is a synonym of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris),
     • † Canis lupus mogollonensis(Goldman, 1937)
     • † Canis lupus monstrabilis(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus nubilus(Say, 1823) - buffalo wolf, or Great Plains wolf,
     • Canis lupus occidentalis(Richardson, 1829) - Mackenza plains wolf, also known as Alaskan wolf, Canadian wolf or Rocky Mountain wolf,
     • Canis lupus orion(Pocock, 1935)
     • Canis lupus pallipes(Sykes, 1831) – Asian, also known as Indian or Iranian wolf,
     • Canis lupus pambasileus(Elliot, 1905),
     • Canis lupus rufus(Audubon and Bachman, 1851) – red wolf,
     • Canis lupus signatus(Cabrera, 1907) – Iberian wolf (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus tundrarum(Miller, 1912) – polar wolf,
     • † Canis lupus youngi(Goldman, 1937) is a wolf of the southern Rocky Mountains.
2. Genus Maned wolves (lat. Chrysocyon)
   • Maned wolf, or guara, or aguarachai (lat. Chrysocyon brachyurus)
3. Genus Red wolves
   • Red wolf, or mountain wolf, or Himalayan wolf, or buanzu (lat. Cuon alpinus)

Below is a description of several varieties of wolves.

• Red Wolf, aka mountain wolf, Himalayan wolf or buanzu(Cuon alpinus)

A large predator, externally combining the features of a wolf, fox and jackal. Mature males grow from 76 to 110 cm in length. At the same time, the weight of the red wolf is 17-21 kg. The animals' tail is longer than that of other wolves, fluffy, like a fox's, and grows to 45-50 cm in length. The red wolf has a short, pointed muzzle and big ears with a high posture. The main color of the animals is various shades of red, and the tip of the tail is always black. Distinctive feature The subspecies is considered to have fewer teeth and 6 to 7 pairs of nipples. Differences in fur density, color and body size made it possible to divide the species into 10 subspecies.

The biotopes of predators are tied to mountains, rocks and gorges (up to 4 thousand m above sea level). The red wolf feeds on small animals - amphibians and rodents, as well as large animals: sambar, axis and antelope. In summer, wolves happily eat various vegetation.

A significant part of the animals’ range extends across Central and South Asia; predators live from the Altai Mountains and Tien Shan to Hindustan, Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The largest population is found in the Himalayas, southern Iran, India and Pakistan's Indus Valley. In other habitats, the red wolf is extremely scarce or completely extinct, so the species is classified as endangered and is protected.

• Maned wolf, aka guara or aguarachai (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

A unique representative of the family, its name translates as “short-tailed golden dog.” Long hair up to 13 cm long grows on the nape of predators, forming a thick mane. Externally, the maned wolf resembles a large long-legged fox, the body length of adult individuals is 125-130 cm, due to excessively elongated limbs, the height of the wolf at the withers reaches 74-87 cm, and the animals weigh from 20 to 23 kg. The obvious disproportions of the body are especially emphasized by the long muzzle, large, high-set ears and a short tail with a length of 28 to 45 cm. The wolf's fur is reddish-yellow in color, a strip of black fur runs along the spine, the legs are almost black, and the chin and the end of the tail are light.

Maned wolves live exclusively on the plains, and, having evolved, acquired their surprisingly long limbs, allowing them to make their way through thickets of grass. The species range extends from northeast Brazil to eastern regions Bolivia, in the south it captures Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande Do Sul. According to the IUCN, the population is becoming vulnerable.

Predators feed on rodents, rabbits, armadillos, amphibians, insects, and also eat guava and nightshade, which rids animals of nematodes.

• Eastern wolf, aka North American timber wolf(Canis lupus lycaon)

It still does not have a specific classification: a number of scientists consider it as an independent species ( Canis lycaon) or is considered a hybrid of a gray wolf with a red wolf or coyote. The height at the shoulders of mature males reaches 80 cm, females - 75 cm, with a body weight of 40 and 30 kg, respectively. The fur of the eastern wolf is yellowish-brown, shaggy, black hair grows on the back and sides, and the area behind the ears is distinguished by a reddish-brown tint.

Eastern wolves are primarily carnivores, their prey being deer, elk and rodents.

These animals live in forests from the southeast of the Canadian province of Ontario to the province of Quebec.

• Common wolf or Gray wolf(Canis lupus)

One of the largest predators among canines, with a body size reaching 1-1.6 m. The height at the shoulders of seasoned individuals is from 66 to 86 cm, in particularly large specimens it can be up to 90 cm. An ordinary wolf weighs from 32 to 62 kg, among the inhabitants northern regions range, body weight varies from 50 to 80 kg. The tail of predators grows up to 52 cm. The color of animal fur is quite variable: forest inhabitants are usually gray-brown, tundra inhabitants are almost white, desert predators are gray with red, only the undercoat is always gray.

The favorite food of wolves is various ungulate mammals: deer, elk, roe deer, antelope, wild boar and small animals: mice, hares, gophers. Wolves do not disdain representatives of their own family, for example, small foxes and raccoon dogs; various domestic animals often become their prey. During the ripening period, predators quench their thirst on melon fields, eating watermelons and melons, because they need a lot of moisture.

The range of the gray wolf extends across Eurasia and North America. In Europe, predators are distributed from Spain and Portugal to Ukraine, Scandinavia and the Balkans. In Russia, the gray wolf lives everywhere except Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. In Asia, animals are distributed from Korea, China and Hindustan to Afghanistan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. In North America, the animals are found from Alaska to Mexico.

• Red wolf(Canis lupus rufus)

At first it was considered as an independent species (lat. Canis rufus), but DNA tests allowed it to be considered a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote.

These predators are smaller than their gray relatives, but larger than coyotes, their size ranges from 1 to 1.3 m excluding the tail, and the height of the animals ranges from 66 to 79 cm. Seasoned wolves weigh from 20 to 41 kg. Red wolves are slimmer and longer-legged than their gray relatives, their ears are more elongated and their fur is shorter. The red color of the fur is characteristic of the inhabitants of Texas; other animals have gray, brownish and black tones in color along with red; the back is usually black.

The diet of predators consists mainly of rodents, raccoons and hares; hunting for large prey is rare. The secondary food is insects and various berries; on occasion, carrion is eaten.

The red wolf is the rarest subspecies, its range, originally covering the eastern United States, was reduced to small areas of Texas and Louisiana, and in the 70s of the 20th century the red wolf was completely exterminated, with the exception of 14 specimens preserved in captivity. Thanks to measures aimed at restoring the population, of the 300 individuals bred, about a hundred predators today live within the state of North Carolina.

• Tundra wolf(Canis lupus albus)

One of the particularly large and little-studied subspecies, externally similar to its close relative, the polar wolf, but somewhat inferior to it in size: average weight predators are about 42-49 kg. Although pure white wolves are found among the population, most individuals are gray-white and dark gray in color with a complete absence of brown.

The developed massive jaws of the wolf with strong teeth allow it to hunt large prey, although the diet includes rodents and white hares.

Tundra wolves live throughout the tundra and forest-tundra of Europe and Siberia up to Kamchatka and the Arctic coast.

• Steppenwolf, or desert wolf(Canis lupus campestris)

A poorly studied species of predators of small size, with rather sparse and rough fur of a grayish-ochre color.

Desert wolves inhabit the steppe and desert landscapes of Central Asia, including the Kazakh steppes and southern Russia: the Ciscaucasia, the Caspian lowland, the Ural region and the Lower Volga region.

• Eurasian wolf, aka European, steppe, Carpathian, Tibetan or to Chinese wolf, also called common wolf(Canis lupus lupus)

Externally, the predator resembles the North American subspecies, but its fur is denser and shorter. The height of mature males at the shoulders is about 76 cm with a body weight of 70 to 73 kg.

The smallest individuals inhabit Eastern Europe, the most massive ones are found in northern Russia. Wolves can be solid in color or include various combinations of grey, white, black, red and beige, and the brightest colored specimens live in Central Europe.

The diet of European wolves depends on the range and consists mainly of medium and large prey such as saigas, chamois, mouflons, deer, roe deer, wild boars and even bison and yaks. Predators do not disdain smaller animals, catching hares and frogs, and in the complete absence of food, they feed on slaughterhouse waste in garbage dumps.

The Carpathian wolf is considered a particularly common subspecies of the common wolf and is found over a significant range that extends across Eurasia through Western Europe, Scandinavian countries, Russia, China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and the Himalayas.

• polar Wolf(Canis lupus tundrarum)

The closest relative of the European wolf and the completely extinct Japanese wolf. Adult males grow from 1.3 to 1.5 m in length, not including the tail, and weigh about 85 kg, their height at the shoulders reaches 80-93 cm. The light fur of the polar wolf is extremely dense, adapted to survive in extremely cold climates and warming the animal during long hunger strikes.

The most accessible prey for predators are lemmings and Arctic hare; if the hunt is successful, the pack gets a musk ox or reindeer.

The species' range extends throughout the Arctic and undergoes minor fluctuations caused by migrations of animals - the main sources of food. The lifespan of a polar wolf is about 17 years.