Gray Wolf Subspecies

Arctic wolf - by Kent Weber

North America

Subspecies	Scientific Name	Range	Status	Notes
Arctic Wolf	C.l. arctos	Alaska; Greenland; Northern Canada	Unknown	Only subspecies found over it's entire historic range
Mexican Gray Wolf	C.l. baileyi	Central Mexico to Soutwestern U.S.	Endangered	Smallest subspecies in North America; extinct in wild by 1970; reintroduced in 1998
Bernard's Wolf	C.l. barnardi	Bank Islands, Canada	Endangered
Vancouver Island Wolf	C.l. crassodon	Vancouver Island, Canada	Endangered	Extremely shy and rarely seen by humans
Hudson Bay Wolf / Tundra Wolf	C.l. hudsonicus	Northern Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Canada	Unknown	Very similar to Mackenzie Valley subspecies, only smaller
N. Rocky Mountains Wolf	C.l. irremotus	Northern Rocky Mountains of the US; Canada	Unknown
Labrador Wolf	C.l. labradorius	Northern Quebec, Labrador, Canada	Endangered	One of the least studied wolves in the world due to difficult terrain
Alexander Archipelago Wolf	C.l. ligoni	Coastal Southern Alaska	750-1,100 animals	Individuals commonly swim between islands
Eastern Wolf	*C.l. lycaon	Ontario, Quebec & Manitoba, Canada; Minnesota, US	Endangered in US; Still 40% of range in Canada	Recent studies indicate it is a distinct species, but no official change in classification yet; probably most closely related to the Red Wolf
Mackenzie Tundra Wolf	C.l. mackenzii	Mackenzie River Drainage, Canada	Endangered	Classified part of C.l. occidentalis in 1992
Baffin Island Wolf	C.l. manningi	Baffin Island, Canada	Endangered	Smallest of all arctic wolves
Great Plains Wolf/ Buffalo Wolf	C.l. nubilus	Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan & Ontario	Endangered	Largest historical range of any subspecies; believed extinct by 1926; later discovered that Great Lakes wolves are descendants
Mackenzie Valley Wolf/ Canadian Timber Wolf	C.l. occidentalis	Rocky Mountains of Canada & U.S. (reintroduced to Yellowstone & Idaho)	Endangered / Threatened / Unprotected	Largest subspecies in N.America
Greenland Wolf	C.l. Orion	Greenland		No evidence that this was ever a distinct subspecies
Interior Alaskan Wolf	C.l. pambasileus	Interior Alaska		May be an extension of Alaskan Tundra Wolf
Alaskan Tundra Wolf	C.l. tundrarum	Along the arctic coast of northern Alaska		May be an extension of Interior Alaskan Wolf
Kenai Penninsula Wolf	C.l. alces	Kenai Penninsula, Alaska	Extinct by 1925	At 150-200 lbs, largest subspecies in North America before their disappearance
Newfoundland Wolf	C.l. beothucus	Newfoundland, Canada	Extint by 1911	Extinct before it was scientifically described in 1937
British Columbian Wolf	C.l. columbianus	Western Canada	Extinct	Usually had black coats; smaller than other Canadian wolves
Cascade Mountain Wolf	C.l. fuscus	Cascade Mountains of Canada & U.S.	Extinct by 1940	Usually had a brown or tawny coat
Manitoba Wolf	C.l. griseoalbus	Central Manitoba, N. Saskatchewan, Canada	Extinct / Endangered	Believed by many to be Hudson Bay wolves - never completely accepted as a separate subspecies
Mogollon Mountain Wolf	C.l. mogollonensis	Arizona, New Mexico	Extinct by 1935	Named for the Mogollon people who lived in the same area
Texas Wolf	C.l. montrabilis	New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana	Extinct 1942
S. Rocky Mountain Wolf	C.l. youngi	Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California	Extinct by 1935

Iberian wolves - by Juan José González Vega

Eurasia

Species	Scientific Name	Range	Status	Notes
Eurasian Gray Wolf	C.l. lupus	Western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, China, Mongolia, Himilayan Mountains	Varies widely by country	Largest range of any subspecies
Tundra Wolf	C.l. albus	Northern Arctic and Boreal forests of Scandinavia & Russia	Least Concern, widely hunted, bounties	One of the largest subspecies
Steppe Wolf / Caspian Sea Wolf	C.l. campestris	Russian coast along the Caspian Sea	Critacally Endangerd
Tibetan wolf/ Chinese Wolf	C.l. chanco	China, Russia, Manchuria, Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan	Unknown
Italian Wolf	C.l. italicus	Italy, Switzerland, France	Endangered	Romulus and Remus were raised by a female Italian wolf
Iberian Wolf	C.l. signatus	Spain, Potugal	Recovering	Considered beneficial for keeping wild boar populations in check
Arabian Wolf	C.l. arabs	Israel, Irag, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt	Endangered	Smallest subspecies (40 lbs) but largest canid in Arabia; does not howl
Iranian Wolf	C.l. pallipes	Northern Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Turkey Pakistan, and Iran	Unknown	Was classified as the same subspecies as Indian wolf until recently, when Indian wolf was classified as a distinct species
Hokkaido Wolf	C.l. hattai	Japanese island of Hokkaido	Extinct by 1889	Also known as the Ezo wolf
Honshu Wolf	C.l. hodophilax	Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu	Extinct by 1905, from rabies, deforestation	World's smallest wolf (12" at shoulder, 35" long); many argue it may have been a distinct species; valued by farmers for keeping rodents down

Dingo - by Sam Fraser-Smith

Other Subspecies

Species	Scientific Name	Range	Status	Notes
Domestic Dog	C.l. familiaris	Everywhere humans are found	400 million +	Reclassified from being a separate species in 1993; over 480 breeds recognized
Dingo	C.l. dingo	Australia, Southeast Asia	Threatened	Once considered a feral breed of domestic dog; classified as a separate subspecies in 2003
New Guinea Singing Dog	C.l. hallstromi	New Guinea	Threatened	Geographically isolated from other canids for 6,000 years