Mar 1978). Threatened in Minnesota 

 (43 FR 9607; 9 Mar 1978). 



States: Endangered: Colorado, Idaho (TorE), 



Massachusetts (Extinct), Michigan, 

 Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island 

 (Extinct), Texas, Wisconsin. 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



Clearing of forests and proliferation of civili- 

 zation in the eastern United States led to extirpa- 

 tion there. Habitat alteration caused depletion of 

 prey such as deer, moose, and beaver; loss of 

 natural prey probably led to predation on domes- 

 tic animals (Mech 1977a). Bounties were imposed 

 in the 1600's and wolves were essentially extir- 

 pated from this region by the 1800's (Ruther and 

 Pimlott 1968). 



In the Great Plains, wolves preyed on live- 

 stock as bison (Bison bison) became depleted. In 

 the 1800's, bounties on wolves were offered by 

 cattlemen. In 1907, the U.S. Biological Survey 

 concluded that wolf predation caused an annual 

 loss of several million dollars. The agency deter- 

 mined that destruction of young in dens, together 

 with trapping adults, significantly reduced loss of 

 cattle and sheep (Young and Goldman 1944). In 

 1915, Biological Survey was authorized to control 

 wolf numbers, and they systematically reduced 

 wolf numbers by trapping, poisoning, and other 

 means (Rutter and Pimlott 1968). 



Bounties are still maintained in some Cana- 

 dian provinces, and unorganized but effective 

 control continues in Mexico (Mech 1974a, 

 McBride 1978). Minnesota (which has the last 

 major concentration of gray wolves in the 48 

 contiguous states, Wisconsin, and Michigan offered 

 bounties until 1965, 1950, and 1960, respectively 

 (Thompson 1952, Hendrickson et al. 1975, Mech 

 1977a). Regulations providing bounties for 

 wolves in Alaska were repealed for units 1-3 in 

 1978, and the balance of the state in 1969-1970 

 (R. Rausch, personal communication). 



Killing by man for commercial purposes, as 

 well as for sport, has been the major factor in the 

 decline of the wolf in the contiguous United States 

 and Mexico (43 FR 9611; 9 Mar. 1978). Illegal 

 hunting continues today, largely because of wolf 

 predation on livestock and game and, to a lesser 

 extent, because of an age-old unsubstantiated fear 

 of attack on human beings (not one nonrabid 

 wolf has been known to deliberately attack a 



person in North America.— Mech 1966). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



Canis lupus is a dog-like canid. Males are 

 larger than females, weighing 20 to 70 kg and 

 measuring 1.27 to 1.64 m in total length. Females 

 weigh 18 to 55 kg and measure 1.37 to 1.52 m. 



Pelage is extremely variable, usually grayish 

 with black extending from upper side of neck 

 over back. The head is more or less suffused with 

 cinnamon. Underparts vary from white to pinkish 

 buff with scattered dark hairs, becoming a clearer 

 white in the inguinal region. Limbs range in color 

 from a pinkish buff to a rich cinnamon, with 

 some specimens having a prominent narrow black 

 line on the forearms. The tail is grayish above and 

 buff below with a black tip. Summer colors are 

 similar to winter but somewhat paler. Other color 

 phases include all white, or all black, and any 

 color variation between them. 



It is distinguished from the coyote (Canis 

 latrans) by its larger size, broader snout, shorter 

 ears, and proportionately smaller brain case. It 

 resembles a German shepherd (Canis familiaris); 

 however, there are subtle skull differences (Mech 

 1974a). Gray wolves are more massive and not as 

 lanky as red wolves (Canis rufus) (Riley and 

 McBride 1972). 



Black-and-white photographs are found in 

 Murie (1944), Young and Goldman (1944), Mech 

 (1966), and McBride (1978); and color pictures, 

 in Mech (1974a, 1977b), Peters and Mech (1975), 

 and March (1977). 



RANGE 



The present range is essentially equal to the 

 former range in Alaska and much of northern 

 Canada. In the 48 conterminous United States 

 and Mexico, however, populations are limited to 

 Isle Royale, Michigan, the northern third of 

 Minnesota, the northern Rocky Mountains in 

 Montana, and the States of Chihuahua and 

 Durango (and possibly San Luis Potosi, Sonora, 

 and Zacatecas) in Mexico. Scattered reports of 

 sightings occur in three other areas: 



1. Southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico, 

 and southeastern Arizona; 



