CURIOSITIES ABOUT THE WOLF

The wolf is a species of canid mammal in the genus Canis, in the family of dogs and foxes. It is an Ice Age survivor, originating from the Late Pleistocene, about 300,000 years ago. It is divided into 4 species: gray wolf (Canis lupus), golden wolf (Canis anthus), red wolf (Canis rufus) and Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), although scientists are currently debating whether the Ethiopian wolf is a true wolf or a member of the golden jackal family. Of these species, the gray wolf is the largest and also of all the remaining wild members of the family canidae. DNA sequencing and genetic studies reaffirm that the gray wolf is an ancestor of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), however some aspects of this claim have recently been questioned. A number of other gray wolf subspecies have been identified, although the actual number subspecies is still under discussion. Gray wolves are typically apex predators in the ecosystems they occupy. Although they are not as adaptable to human presence as is usually the case with other species of canids, wolves have developed in diverse environments such as temperate forests, deserts, mountains, tundra, taigas, grasslands and even in some urban areas.