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gray wolf
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gray wolf Illustration of a gray or timber wolf (Canis lupus) standing in profile, showing its thick fur, bushy tail, and alert expression, with a scale bar above for size reference. Two Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) standing side by side on a rock, both with heads raised and mouths open, howling. gray wolf parallel evolution of marsupial and placental mammals Diagram showing the biological classification hierarchy for the coyote (Canis latrans) and gray wolf (Canis lupus), with labeled taxonomic ranks from domain Eukarya down to species, and illustrations of each animal.
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gray wolf
gray wolf Gray wolf (Canis lupus).

gray wolf

mammal
Also known as: Canis lupus, timber wolf
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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gray wolf, (Canis lupus), largest wild member of the dog family (Canidae). It inhabits vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Between 5 and 24 subspecies of gray wolves are recognized in North America and 7 to 12 are recognized in Eurasia, with 1 in Africa. Wolves were domesticated several thousand years ago, and selective breeding produced dogs. Keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws, and the ability to pursue prey at 60 km (37 miles)...

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