Northwestern wolf

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Subspecies of mammal

title: "Northwestern wolf" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["subspecies-of-canis-lupus", "carnivorans-of-north-america", "mammals-of-canada", "mammals-of-the-united-states", "wolves", "wolves-in-the-united-states", "fauna-of-the-northwestern-united-states", "fauna-of-alaska", "mammals-described-in-1829"] description: "Subspecies of mammal" topic_path: "geography/canada" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwestern_wolf" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Subspecies of mammal ::

| name = Northwestern wolf | fossil_range = | image = Wolf in the road near Artist Paint Pots (cropped).jpg | image_caption = Northwestern wolf in Yellowstone National Park | status = T4 | status_system = TNC | status_ref = | genus = Canis | species = lupus | species_link = Gray wolf | subspecies = occidentalis | authority = Richardson, 1829 | synonyms_ref = | synonyms =

  • ater (Richardson, 1829)
  • sticte (Richardson, 1829)
  • Canis occidentalis (Richardson, 1829)

The northwestern wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis), also known as the Mackenzie Valley wolf, Alaskan timber wolf,

Taxonomy

This wolf is recognized as a subspecies of Canis lupus in the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World (2005).

Lineage

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) migrated from Eurasia into North America 70,000–23,000 years ago and gave rise to at least two morphologically and genetically distinct groups. One group is represented by the extinct Beringian wolf and the other by the modern populations.

According to one source, phylogenetic analyses of North American gray wolves show that there are three clades corresponding to C. l. occidentalis, C. l. nubilus and C. l. baileyi, each one representing a separate invasion into North America from distinct Eurasian ancestors. C. l. occidentalis, the most northwestern subspecies, is descended from the last gray wolves to colonize North America. It likely crossed into North America through the Bering land bridge after the last ice age, displacing C. l. nubilus populations as it advanced, a process which has continued until present times. Along with C. l. nubilus, C. l. occidentalis is the most widespread member of the four gray wolf subspecies in North America, with at least six different synonyms.

Description

Northwestern wolves are one of the largest subspecies of wolves. In British Columbia, Canada, five adult females averaged 42.5 kg or 93.6 lbs with a range of 85 lbs to 100 lbs (38.6 - 45.4 kg) and ten adult males averaged 112.2 lbs or 51.7 kg with a range of 105 lbs to 135 lbs (47.6 - 61.2 kg), with a weight range for all adults of 38.6 kg to 61.2 kg (85 – 135 lbs). In Yellowstone National Park, adult females were average about 40 kg (90 lbs) and adult males average about 50 kg (110 lbs), with a mean adult body mass in winter of 46.4 kg. More recent studies have reported the average range of height and weight in the north-west of the United States, both sexes were between 68 and tall at the shoulder. Here the weight of males was reported at between 45 and, while the females were reported at 36 to.

The Northwestern wolf is also one of the longest wolf subspecies, as its length usually ranges from 5 to 6 ft (152–183 cm) and can reach as long as 7 ft (213 cm).

In comparison, the mean adult weights of its nearest rivals in size, the Eurasian wolf (C. l. lupus) and the Interior Alaskan wolf (C. l. pambasileus), was reported as 39 kg and 40 kg, respectively. Sir John Richardson described the northwestern wolf as having a more robust build than the Eurasian wolf, with a larger, rounder head and a thicker, more obtuse muzzle. Its ears are also shorter, and its fur bushier.

Reintroduction

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Journal.pone.0112884.g001_a.png" caption="Wolves hunting bison in Yellowstone National Park"] ::

In Yellowstone National Park, reintroduced northwestern wolves have been well-documented feeding on elk. They usually stampede the herd using pack teamwork to separate the younger elk from the adults. They also will charge young calves separated from their parents. Winter-weakened or sick elk also play an important part of Yellowstone wolf diets, and it is estimated that over 50 percent of winter-weakened or sick elk in Yellowstone are killed by wolves. Of these, about 12 percent of carcasses were scavenged by other predators, including ravens, bald eagles, black bears, grizzly bears, and coyotes. In the same national park, wolves also prey on bison, though such attacks usually involve sick animals or calves because healthy, adult bison can easily kill wolves with their hooves.

Wolves are present in Canadian and British safari parks including Longleat, Woburn, and Parc Omega.

References

References

  1. "Canis lupus occidentalis".
  2. {{MSW3 Wozencraft
  3. {{MSW3 Wozencraft
  4. 978-0-307-81913-0
  5. subspecies of gray wolf]] in western [[North America]]. Arguably the largest gray wolf subspecies in the world, it ranges from [[Alaska]], the upper [[Mackenzie River. Mackenzie River Valley]]; southward throughout the [[Western Canada. 0-8166-1026-6
  6. The subspecies was first written of by Scottish naturalist [[John Richardson (naturalist)
  7. (2016). "Whole mitochondrial genomes illuminate ancient intercontinental dispersals of grey wolves ( Canis lupus )". Journal of Biogeography.
  8. (2018). "Postcranial diversity and recent ecomorphic impoverishment of North American gray wolves". Biology Letters.
  9. (2007). "Megafaunal Extinctions and the Disappearance of a Specialized Wolf Ecomorph". Current Biology.
  10. (2012). "An account of the taxonomy of North American wolves from morphological and genetic analyses". North American Fauna.
  11. [http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/wpages/1996idahowolves.htm Table listing the 1996 Northwestern wolves introduced into Idaho] {{Webarchive. link. (2019-06-07 . Forwolves.org (2002-11-01). Retrieved on 2012-12-29.)
  12. "YS 24-1 Yellowstone Wolf Facts". National Park Service.
  13. Metz, M. C., Vucetich, J. A., Smith, D. W., Stahler, D. R., & Peterson, R. O. (2011). ''Effect of sociality and season on gray wolf (Canis lupus) foraging behavior: implications for estimating summer kill rate''. PLoS One, 6(3), e17332.
  14. Castellò, Josè R.. (2018). "''Canids of the World''". Princeton University Press Princeton and Oxford.
  15. (2022-01-01). "How big is a northwestern wolf".
  16. Sather, Patrick. (2022-05-23). "The 10 Largest Wolves in the World".
  17. Heptner, V. G. & Naumov, N. P. (1998) ''[https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov211998gept#page/184/mode/2up Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol.II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; wolves and Bears)]'', Science Publishers, Inc. USA., pp. 184–187, {{ISBN. 1-886106-81-9
  18. (2017). "Gray wolf (in the Yukon)". Government of Canada.
  19. "Yellowstone Elk". National Park Service.
  20. "Wolf -Bison Interactions in Yellowstone National Park". University of Nebraska.
  21. "Longleat{{!}}Wolf Wood".
  22. [http://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/discover/meet-the-animals/mammals/canadian-timber-wolf/ Canadian Timber Wolf]
  23. "Grey wolf- Parc Oméga".
  24. {{MSW3 Wozencraft

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subspecies-of-canis-lupuscarnivorans-of-north-americamammals-of-canadamammals-of-the-united-stateswolveswolves-in-the-united-statesfauna-of-the-northwestern-united-statesfauna-of-alaskamammals-described-in-1829