A big canine native to Eurasia and North America, the wolf is sometimes known as the gray wolf or grey wolf. Gray wolves, as commonly known, are a non-domestic/feral subspecies of Canis lupus. There are more than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus. The wolf is the biggest extant member of the Canidae family, with males weighing an average of 40 kg (88 lb) and females weighing 37 kg (82 lb). Wolves have a length of 105–160 cm (41–63 in) and a shoulder height of 80–85 cm (31–33 in). The wolf is differentiated from other Canis species by its shorter body and longer tail, as well as its less pointed ears and snout. The wolf is related to smaller Canis species like the coyote and golden jackal closely enough to generate viable hybrids with them. A wolf’s banded fur is often mottled white, brown, gray, and black, however polar varieties may be virtually entirely white.

The wolf is the most adapted member of the Canis genus for cooperative game hunting, as evidenced by its physical adaptations to confronting huge prey, more gregarious character, and highly evolved expressive behavior. It travels in nuclear families, which are made up of a mated pair and their progeny. On the start of sexual maturity and in reaction to competition for food within the pack, offspring may depart to create their own groups. Wolves are territorial, and territorial disputes are one of the leading causes of wolf death. The wolf is primarily a carnivore, eating big wild hooved mammals as well as smaller animals, cattle, carrion, and trash. Large packs usually have lower hunting success rates than single wolves or mated pairs. Wolves can be infected by pathogens and parasites, including the rabies virus.

The worldwide wild wolf population was estimated to be 300,000 in 2003, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified it as Least Concern (IUCN). Wolves have a lengthy history of human contact, having been reviled and hunted in most pastoral cultures due to livestock assaults, while being revered in other agricultural and hunter-gatherer tribes. The wolf is also thought to be the progenitor of most canine breeds. Although many human civilizations dread wolves, the bulk of reported assaults on people have been ascribed to rabies-infected animals. Wolf assaults on humans are uncommon since wolves are scarce, dwell in remote areas, and have acquired a fear of humans as a result of their interactions with hunters, ranchers, and shepherds.

The wolf is the biggest extant member of the Canidae family, with a wider snout, shorter ears, a shorter body, and a longer tail that distinguishes it from coyotes and jackals. With a broad, deeply falling rib cage, a sloping back, and a strongly muscled neck, it is slim and powerfully constructed. The wolf’s legs are slightly longer than those of other canids, allowing it to run quickly and avoid the thick snow that blankets much of its geographic area in the winter. The ears are tiny and trapezoidal in shape.

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