Two species of predators such as wolves and wild dogs

 

Two species of predators such as wolves and wild dogs. The gray wolf or timber wolf (Canis lupus) is best known. It is the largest non-domestic member of the family Canidae and inhabits vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The Ethiopian or Abyssinian wolf lives in the highlands of Ethiopia.

Gray wolf

Pervasive in mythology, folklore, and language, the gray wolf has influenced the human imagination and has become a victim of a level of misunderstanding shared by few animals. Aside from humans and lions, the gray wolf once had a greater distribution than other land mammals across North America, from Alaska and Canada's southern Arctic south to central Mexico, and across Europe and Asia above 20° north latitude. . They lived in all types of habitats except for the rainforests and the driest deserts, and were major hunters of large ungulate mammals. Several subspecies are found in North America, Eurasia and Africa. However, the classifications are inconsistent with respect to the number of wolf subspecies. Wolves were first domesticated in northern Eurasia between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago, and dogs were produced by selective breeding.

Wolves are made to travel. Long legs, large feet, and a deep, narrow chest make them suitable for life on the move. Their sharp senses, large fangs, powerful jaws, and the ability to chase prey at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 miles) make them well suited to a wolf-predatory lifestyle. A typical northern male is about 2 meters (6.6 feet) long, with a bushy half-meter long tail. It has a shoulder height of 76 cm (30 inches) and weighs approximately 45 kg (100 lbs), but weighs between 31 and 143 lbs (14-65 kg) depending on the region. Females are on average 20% smaller than males. The largest wolves are found in midwestern Canada, Alaska, and northern Asia. The smallest tend to be near the southern end of the range (Middle East, Arabia and India). The fur on the upper body is usually gray but brown, red, black or whitish, while the lower body and legs are usually off-white. Brightly colored wolves are common in Arctic regions.

Early human societies that hunted for survival respected wolves and tried to imitate their habits, but in recent centuries wolves have been widely recognized as vicious creatures, dangers to humans (especially in Eurasia), and rivals to behemoths. Hunting, threats to livestock. Predation of livestock was virtually the main justification for eradicating wolves across the United States, Mexico, and most of Europe. American wolves were killed in every conceivable way in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and by 1950 they remained only in the northeast corner of Minnesota.

Wolves have few natural enemies other than humans.  Diseases and parasites that can affect wolves include canine parvovirus, distemper, rabies, Mun cocci, Lyme disease, lice, scabies, and heartworm. In most parts of the world, humans are the number one killer of wolves. In areas with high wolf density and declining prey populations, the main causes of death are the killing and starvation of other wolves.

Other wolfs

Red wolves are tan, red, or black. It grows to approximately 105-125 cm (41-49 inches) in length, excluding the tail. The tail is 33-43 cm (13-17 inches) and weighs about 20-37 kg (44-82 lbs.). Although once considered a distinct wolf species, molecular studies have shown that the red wolf is a hybrid between a gray wolf and a coyote (sometimes called a prairie, bush or little wolf), with over 75% of red wolves being wolves. Coyote's ancestor. However, some experts continue to classify the red wolf as a distinct species, while others classify it as a subspecies of the gray wolf (C. lupus rufus). The red wolf is considered one of the most threatened wolf types. The former range stretched from the southeastern United States to western Texas. After becoming extinct in the wild in 1980, captive-bred red wolves were reintroduced off the coast of North Carolina. Although small populations of less than 100 have formed, the population is threatened by continued crossbreeding with coyotes.

Native to eastern North America, the eastern wolf is very similar to the gray wolf in size and color. Long considered a subspecies of the gray wolf, with its taxonomic name C. lupus Lycaon, the eastern wolf was recognized as a unique wolf species in the early 21st century. However, like the red wolf, molecular evidence supports the notion that the eastern wolf is a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote. Their ancestry is attributed to the contributions of both species in approximately equal proportions.

The Ethiopian wolf looks like a coyote. It lives in several isolated areas of grasslands and heather thickets in the highlands of Ethiopia. Although they live in packs, wolves’ prey on rodents and other small mammals alone. Research estimates that fewer than 200 adults remain, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources considers the Ethiopian wolf an endangered species.

The dire wolf (Aerocon dries) was common in western North America during the Pleistocene epoch, but is now extinct. It was the largest known wolf, half the size of a modern gray wolf.

For other animals called wolves but not in Canis major, see Maned Wolf, Ground Wolf, Tasmanian Wolf.