Canis lupus

Linnaeus, 1758

Gray Wolf

Taxonomy

Subclass	: Theria
Infraclass	: Placentalia
Magnorder	: Boreoeutheria
Superorder	: Laurasiatheria
Order	: Carnivora
Suborder	: Caniformia
Infraorder	: Cynoidea
Family	: Canidae
Subfamily	: Caninae
Tribe	: Canini
Genus	:Canis

Species status

Living

Found in the wild

Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Linnaeus, C. 1758-01-01. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 823 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25033831

Original name as described

Canis Lupus

Other common names

Wolf · Timber Wolf · Tundra Wolf · Arctic Wolf

Type material

Type kind

Type specimen URI

Type locality

Sweden.

Biogeographic realm

Nearctic · Palearctic

Country distribution

Portugal · Spain · France · Luxembourg · Belgium · Netherlands · Germany · Denmark · Switzerland · Liechtenstein · Italy · Austria · Czech Republic · Poland · Slovakia · Hungary · Slovenia · Croatia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Serbia · Kosovo · Montenegro · Albania · North Macedonia · Greece · Bulgaria · Romania · Moldova · Ukraine · Belarus · Lithuania · Latvia · Estonia · Norway · Sweden · Finland · Russia · Georgia · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Turkey · Syria · Lebanon · Israel · Palestine · Jordan · Saudi Arabia · Qatar · United Arab Emirates · Oman · Yemen · Kuwait · Iraq · Iran · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Tajikistan · Afghanistan · Pakistan · India · Nepal · Bhutan · Bangladesh? · Myanmar · China · Mongolia · North Korea · South Korea · Canada · Greenland · United States · Mexico

Subregion distribution

USA(AK, WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, AZ, NM)

Distribution notes

Distribution references

Taxonomy notes

previously included C. lycaon and C. rufus; the subspecies chanco from the Tibetan Plateau has been considered by some to represent a distinct species, although this requires further investigation; wild form of Canis familiaris

Taxonomy notes citation

Gentry, A., Clutton-Brock, J. and Groves, C.P. 2004. The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives. Journal of Archaeological Science 31(5):645-651. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2003.10.006 · vonHoldt, B.M., Cahill, J.A., Fan, Z.-x., Gronau, I., Robinson, J., Pollinger, J.P., Shapiro, B., Wall, J. and Wayne, R.K. 2016. Whole-genome sequence analysis shows that two endemic species of North American wolf are admixtures of the coyote and gray wolf. Science Advances 2(7):e1501714. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501714 · Viranta, S., Werhahn, G. and Machado, F.A. 2025. Morphometric evidence for the differentiation of the Himalayan wolfCanis lupus chanco (Canidae; Carnivora). Mammal Research 70(2):195-203. doi:10.1007/s13364-025-00793-2

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005943

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries.Known distribution is shown in green and predicted distribution is in yellow.Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

KnownPredicted distribution

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Canis Lupus

Linnaeus, 1758

Family

Canidae

Root name

lupus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

Type kind

Type specimen URI

Authority page

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25033831

Authority publication

Stockholm

Name usages

Linnaeus (1758:39,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25033831) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/57429)
Linnaeus (1766:58,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42946254) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/38438)
Boddaert (1772:33,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43563405) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67754)
Müller (1776:28,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51217671) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/38532)
Müller (1776:2,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41499643) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/37288)
Erxleben (1777:556,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15873353) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/36060)
Leske (1779:133) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69307)
Borowski (1780:18,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28346976) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67757)
Zimmermann (1783:158) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69242)
Boddaert (1785:95,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28230059) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/35384)
Gmelin (1788:70,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25751290) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/35943)
Kerr (1792:136,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38664158) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/36283)
Link (1795:88,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46272964) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/35635)
Borkhausen (1797:32,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38962502) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/59275)
Cuvier (1797:121,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11637203) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/38531)
Shaw (1800:290,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19632346) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/37617)
Daudin (1802:159,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033409) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/64044)
Turton (1802:43,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25772899) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69249)
Treviranus (1802:206,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11026072) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/72409)
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1803:126) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/19153)
Treviranus (1803:175,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11028203) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/41587)
Goldfuss (1809:280,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47498114) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/34654)
Illiger (1811:132,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48453837) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/36105)
Fischer (1814:xii,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130073) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/12226)
Illiger (1815:64, 78,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080920,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080934) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/38688)
Illiger (1815:78,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080934) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/38688)
Voigt (1819:411) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69477)
Muirhead (1819:425) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69481)
Nilsson (1820:51) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69318)
Hemprich (1820:22) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69417)
Ranzani (1820:276,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27807856) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69425)
Desmarest (1821:197,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39523961) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/34459)
Schinz (1821:217,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51528978) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/37604)
Griffith (1822:186,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53016445) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68342)
Sabine (1823:654,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32215461) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68385)
Richardson (1825:295,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33582447) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68784)
Godman (1826:255,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49165559) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67289)
Billberg (1827:11) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67228)
Lesson (1827:163,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207631) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
Brincken (1828:46,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43561234) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67578)
Fischer (1829:182) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/59856)
Gapper (1830:203,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13380879) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68621)
Wagler (1830:30,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38965728) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/56273)
Eichwald (1831:379,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35753044) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67585)
Ménétries (1832:19,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41529504) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69276)
Serres (1832:23) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/43474)
Baillon (1834:53,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34171227) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67511)
Melchior (1834:17) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68789)
Schinz (1837:17,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13859853) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67792)
Nordmann (1839:19,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63252049) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69245)
Blyth (1840:91,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49918305) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67419)
Cuvier (1842:3,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44518526) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/60227)
Lesson (1842:42) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
Blainville (1843:101,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57989235) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68408)
Blainville (1843:40,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57989174) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68408)
Crespon (1844:50,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52795654) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/38970)
Bonaparte (1845:7,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43573731) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/40449)
Gistel (1848:251,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25781130) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69572)
Fitzinger (1855:170) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/65926)
Rosenhauer (1856:2,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42185389) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69178)
Schrenck (1859:44,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33479187) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67819)
Radde (1861:677,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11850867) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68932)
Radde (1862:55,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16012533) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68933)
Blyth (1863:39,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534701) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/37155)
De Filippi (1865:343,https://books.google.com/books?id=nDFEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA343) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69095)
Murray (1866:327,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580323) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/39798)
David (1871:92,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13954607) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/62819)
Sclater (1872:46,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/17037823) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/61617)
Severtsov (1873:61) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68449)
Heuglin (1874:27,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58437433) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69420)
Blanford (1875:106,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37192041) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68515)
Severtsov (1876:48,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15925051) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/36030)
Przheval'skiy (1878:20, 37,https://books.google.com/books?id=VvdpnuW5nCgC&pg=PA20,https://books.google.com/books?id=VvdpnuW5nCgC&pg=PA37) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68940)
Przheval'skiy (1878:37) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68940)
Danford & Alston (1880:53,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28522157) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68533)
Brayton (1882:14) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/71942)
Nikol'skiy (1883:172) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67821)
True (1885:610,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306404) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/35039)
Büchner (1891:148,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37008350) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68987)
Rhoads (1896:200,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1675542) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/14622)
Allen (1896:75) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/15951)
Schulze (1897:95) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/60594)
Acloque (1900:54) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/59737)
Trouessart (1904:228,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53423109) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/59289)
Satunin (1905:19) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69041)
Satunin (1906:135, 302,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58456341,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58456508) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69040)
Cabrera (1907:195,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1766231) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68771)
Osborn (1910:429,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47352525) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/39483)
Miller (1912:305,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8421624) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/5948)
Kishida & Mori (1931:379) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69755)
Skalon (1936:193) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69600)
Anderson (1943:386) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/14685)
Anderson (1947:52,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62435106) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/72301)
Rausch (1953:19) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/12604)
Lange (1960:452) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/66898)
Stroganov (1962:21) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69465)
Bibikov & Stogov (1963:21) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/68884)
Kurtén (1968:109) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/5363)
Anderson (1972:373) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/15657)
Corbet & Hill (1980:92) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:245) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
Heaton (1985:364,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8885282) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/5733)
Corbet & Hill (1991:101) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
Wozencraft (1993:280) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/69009)
Baryshnikov (2002:63) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/5389)
Baryshnikov (2003:44) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/3054)
Wozencraft (2005) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:466) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
Smith & Xie (2008:416) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/64149)
Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:413) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67177)
Tedford, Wang & Taylor (2009:148) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/414)
Gippoliti (2013:18) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/25250)
Bradley, Ammerman, Baker, Bradley, Cook, Dowler, Jones, Schmidly, Stangl, Van Den Bussche & Würsig (2014:12,https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57785986) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/19157)
Sauqué, Rabal-Garcés & Cuenca-Bescós (2016:480) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/20867)
Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #3746) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
Gatta, Kotsakis, Pandolfi, Petronio, Salari, Achino, Silvestri & Rolfo (2019:61) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/41206)
Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #3746) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
Marciszak, Kotowski, Przybylski, Badura, Wiśniewski & Stefaniak (2019:697) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/41535)
Meinig, Boye, Dähne, Hutterer & Lang (2020:24) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/70294)
Kumar, Sharma & Khan (2022:8) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/66220)
Mammal Diversity Database (2024,https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005943) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
Schmidly, Bradley, Yancey & Bradley (2024:19) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67259)
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024,https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3746/247624660) (information athttps://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Please send any edits, corrections, or unfilled data (including full citations) tomammaldiversity [at] gmail [dot] com.

Movatterモバイル変換

Canis lupus

Linnaeus, 1758

Gray Wolf

Taxonomy

Species status

Authority citation

Authority publication link

Original name as described

Other common names

Type material

Type kind

Type specimen URI

Type locality

Biogeographic realm

Country distribution

Subregion distribution

Distribution notes

Distribution references

Taxonomy notes

Taxonomy notes citation

IUCN Red List status

Species Permalink

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries.Known distribution is shown in green and predicted distribution is in yellow.Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Canis Lupus

Linnaeus, 1758

Family

Root name

Validity status

Nomenclatural status

Type

Type kind

Type specimen URI

Authority page

Authority page URI

Authority publication

Name usages