Wolf

This is an article about the species. For topics that share the name, see Wolf (disambiguation)

Wolves are defined as any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, of the dog family Canidae. Wolves are one of the most popular species for fursonas.

Historical views

In ancient Rome, wolves were considered symbols of sexual potency as well as good mothers, the latter easily noticeable in the Roman foundation myth of Romulus and Remus, where the twins were raised by a she-wolf. Native Americans revere the Wolf Totem in a different light, seeing wolves as Pathfinders and Guardians. This flies in contrast to the place of the wolf in most western history, wolves having been primarily seen as creatures to be feared, a viewpoint even noted in religious texts such as the Bible: "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

Modern perspective

Though the connotations associated with the wolf from ages past still lingers, the view of the wolf today is constantly evolving. Everything from scientific research and readily available documentaries to books and films has done much to alter the public view of these creatures, one notable such example being the film Never Cry Wolf. As the wild ancestors of domestic dogs, wolves are both familiar and exotic to humans, which might explain their continuing fascination. Wolves have almost become cliches in some types of modern historical and fantasy fiction, shown as noble, savage, or a mixture of both qualities. The Wolves of Time duology included wolf characters from nobly self-sacrificing through to unrepentantly evil. In the furry fandom, a mix of both elements is seen: admiration and distrust.

Jeran Lobo, a fictional wolf character in Extinctioners

Species

• gray wolf, also known as the timber wolf
  • Alaskan tundra wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf whose range is parts of the Arctic coastal tundra region
  • Alexander Archipelago wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf
  • Arabian wolf, subspecies of gray wolf
  • Arctic wolf, also known as the white wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Baffin Island wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf living on Baffin Island (the largest island in Canada) and nearby islands, in Nunavut, Canada.
  • Bernard's wolf, an extinct subspecies of the gray wolf
  • British Columbia wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Cascade mountain wolf, an extinct subspecies of the gray wolf
  • eastern wolf, also known as the Algonquin wolf or Great Lakes wolf (and sometimes eastern Canadian wolf) (taxonomic classification under review)
  • Eurasian wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Great Plains wolf, an extinct subspecies of gray wolf that lived in the Great Plains from Manitoba and Saskatchewan (Canada) to Texas
  • Hokkaido wolf (aka Ezo wolf), an extinct subspecies of gray wolf that lived in north-east Asia.
  • Hudson Bay wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Indian wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf whose range is from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent
  • Japanese wolf (aka Honshū wolf), an extinct subspecies of the gray wolf that lived on islands in the Japanese archipelago
  • Kenai Peninsula wolf, extinct subspecies of gray wolf
  • Labrador wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf native to Labrador and Quebec (in Canada)
  • Mackenzie River wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
  • Manitoba wolf, an extinct subspecies of gray wolf.
  • Mexican wolf, also known as the lobo, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Mogollon mountain wolf, an extinct subspecies of gray wolf that was in Texas and Mexico.
  • Newfoundland Wolf, extinct subspecies of gray wolf
  • Northern Rocky Mountain wolf, subspecies of gray wolf.
  • northwestern wolf, also known as the Mackenzie Valley wolf and other names, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Southern Rocky Mountain wolf, an extinct subspecies of gray wolf that lived in various USA states.
  • steppe wolf, also known as Caspian Sea wolf, is a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Texas wolf, an extinct subspecies of gray wolf that was in Texas and Mexico. (Texas red wolf is a different canid, with an unresolved taxonomy)
  • Tibetan wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf
  • tundra wolf, also known as the Turukhan wolf, a subspecies of gray wolf
  • Vancouver Island wolf, a subspecies of grey wolf

• Dire wolf (various types)
  • dire wolf, an extinct prehistoric wolf species
  • dire wolf, fictional species in Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game
  • direwolf, a fictional species in fantasy world by George R. R. Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the Game of Thrones television series
  • (Direwolf, a fictional species in other fantasy role-playing games??)

• Ethiopian wolf, which resembles a fox and also known as the Abyssinian wolf, red jackal, Simien fox, Simien jackal and other names.
• Florida black wolf, an extinct subspecies
• Himalayan wolf (unresolved taxonomy)

• Red wolf, a rare species in Eastern USA (unresolved taxonomic identity)
  • Gregory's wolf, also known as the Mississippi Valley wolf, and sometimes as the swamp wolf (and other names), a subspecies of the red wolf.

Fictional wolf characters

• Sheriff of Nottingham (Robin Hood)
• Boss Wolf (Kung Fu Panda)
• Wolves (Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog/SatAM)
  • Lupe the Wolf
  • Leeta Wolf
  • Lyco Wolf
• Ysengrin (Renart the Fox)
• Wolf O'Donnell (Star Fox)
• Aniu (Balto (film))

See also

• Wolf characters
• Wolf roleplay forums
• Wolf (video game)
• Wolfdog
• Wolfaboo
• Dingo, about %2 of dingo genome is Tibetan wolf

External links

• Stories with "Wolf" species keyword at Mia's Index of Anthro' Stories
• Wolf Fanlisting
• Gray Wolf/Timber Wolf on Wikipedia
• Red Wolf on Wikipedia