15 Types of Wolves Explained: Species, Subspecies, and Where to Find Them

I am a self-confessed wild cat tragic. I have been travelling the world in search of wild cats in their natural habitat for a decade now. And while looking for the cats, I have been lucky to encounter a few different types of wolves, and these were some of my most memorable animal encounters. And while I am unquestionably loyal to the cat family, the wolves come a close second for me.

There are not as many types of wolves as there are of cats. Essentially, there are only 4 species of wolves: the Grey wolf, the Red wolf, the little-known Ethiopian wolf and the African wolf, whose taxonomy is still debated. However, there are at least 8 subspecies of the grey wolf. The taxonomy of the grey wolf is debated, with various subspecies being proposed on the basis of genetic uniqueness. Plus, there is the odd-looking maned wolf of South America, which is not actually a wolf, but a magnificent animal nonetheless.

So, if you are curious about wolves, here is my guide to all types of wolves, as currently recognised by the Canid Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). From Arctic tundra and alpine plateaus to deserts and tropical grasslands, these are the types of wolves that still survive in the wild today.

In this post

Grey Wolf (Canis lupus)

species of wolves - grey wolves in the snow

Conservation Status: Least Concern
Average Weight: Male: 30 – 80 kg, Female: 23 – 55 kg
Average Height: 80 – 85 cm

Historically, the grey wolf occurred throughout the northern hemisphere. But after centuries of persecution by people, the wolf became extinct in most of Western Europe and most of the US.

Thankfully, in the 1970s, wolves were given legal protection, and their populations began to recover. In the US, Wolves were reintroduced in three different areas, most notably in Yellowstone National Park.

Despite continuous threats of habitat loss and persecution by landholders, the wolf is now relatively widespread with a global population of 200,000-250,000 individuals.

However, several wolf populations, such as those in Europe, are seriously threatened.
The number of recognised subspecies of the grey wolf varies by source. The IUCN Canid Specialist Group recognises 8 subspecies, and the status of one more subspecies (Himalayan wolf) is still debated. Of the 8 subspecies, 2 occur in Europe, 2 in Asia and 5 in North America.

Iberian wolf (C. l. signatus)

Conservation status: Vulnerable
Average Weight: Male: 35–55kg; Female: 25–35kg
Average Height: 70–90 cm

The Iberian wolf inhabits the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, which encompasses northern Portugal and northwestern Spain. It has a slighter build than its Eurasian cousin and has distinct white marks on its upper lip, dark streaks on its tail, and dark streaks on its front legs.

With approximately 2,200-2,700 individuals, the Iberian wolf forms the largest wolf population in Western Europe. The Sanabria-La Carballeda area in northern Spain has one of the highest densities of wolves in Europe.

The abundance of wolves in Sanabria-La Carballeda is due mainly to the fact that people in this part of Spain have coexisted with wolves for centuries and have learned to share the land with them. This makes northern Spain one of the best places in the world to see wolves in the wild.

Until the last century, wolves still survived in Andalusia, including Sierra de Andujar National Park, where I did my PhD research on the Iberian lynx. Sadly, the conflict with farmers due to wolves’ predation on domestic sheep meant that the wolves were exterminated in southern Spain.

Italian wolf (C. l. italicus)

Conservation status: Vulnerable
Average Weight: 25–35 kg (55–77 lb)
Average Height: 50-70 cm

The Italian wolf, also known as the Apennine wolf, occurs on the Italian Peninsula, in the Apennine Mountains, and in the Alps.

We almost lost the Italian when no more than 70-100 wolves were remaining in the wild in the 1970s. Legal protection came just in time and in the last five decades the population of Italian wolves has grown to 1500–2000 individuals. In fact, the wolves have now recognised parts of France and Switzerland.

Typically, the Italian wolf has a grey coat with lighter underparts, but black individuals have also been observed.

The best place to see wolves in Italy is the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park in the Apennine mountains.

Indian wolf (C. l. pallipes)

Vulnerable
Average Weight: Male: 19 to 25 kg (42-55 lb); Female: 17–22 kg (37-49 lb)
Average Height: 57–72 cm (22–28 in)

The Indian wolf lives in the open grasslands, thorn forests, and scrublands in South and Central Asia and India. It is generally smaller than the Eurasian wolf and has a thinner coat with shorter fur that’s usually greyish-red to reddish-white in colour with grey tones. It travels in small packs, not exceeding 6-8 individuals, and rarely howls. It communicates with squeals and whimpers and a kind of howl-barks.

Indian wolves are nocturnal hunters of antelopes, rodents, and hares. When hunting smaller prey, Indian wolves hunt on their own, but they come together to hunt as a pack for large prey, like the antelopes.

Arabian wolf (C. l. arabs)

Arabian wolf. Image by Ahmad Qarmish via CC BY-SA 4.0

Conservation status: Endangered
Average Weight: 20.41 kg (45 lb)
Average Height: 25–26 inches (64–66 cm)

The Arabian wolf is a desert specialist that used to range throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula. Today this subspecies is extinct in many parts of its former range only surviving in remote areas of Israel, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and possibly in Egypt.

It lives in some of the harshest environments on earth – the arid and semi-arid areas of the Middle East. To survive in these environments, the Arabian wolf must travel over large distances in search of food, and it must maintain a lean physique and carry no excess weight. It is the smallest of the grey wolf subspecies.

To avoid the heat of the day, Arabian wolves dig underground dens and burrows. But unlike some desert-adapted foxes, the wolves can’t survive without drinking water, so they don’t stray too far from sources of water.

Their fur is thin and short, usually a greyish beige colour. Outside of the breeding season, these wolves live in small packs and hunt at night, solitary or in pairs, preying on hares, gazelles, ibexes, foxes, small birds, reptiles, rodents and even insects.

Himalayan wolf (C. l. chanco)

Conservation status: Vulnerable
Average Weight: 35 kg (77 lb)
Average Height: 76 cm (30 in)

The status of the Himalayan wolf is still debated, whether it represents a distinct subspecies. It inhabits high-altitude forests in the Himalayan range and the Tibetan Plateau. an area that encompasses parts of Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, China and Tibet.

It is well adapted to life at high altitude with a thick woolly coat and a heart that can withstand the low oxygen level at high elevations.

Himalayan wolves are nocturnal hunters of Tibetan gazelles, white-lipped deer and occasionally bharal. They also hunt Himalayan marmots, woolly hares and pikas.

My closest encounter with the wolves was with two Himalayan wolves on the Tibetan Plateau when I was looking for the Chinese mountain cat. These two wolves emerged out of the darkness and were investigating our parked car. They disappeared back into the night when we approached, but re-emerged again, trotting alongside our car as we slowly drove on the dirt road. They showed no sign of aggression, yet they made sure we knew that we were trespassing on their turf.

Arctic wolf (C. l. arctos)

Conservation status: Least Concern
Average Weight: 32 – 80 kg (70-175 lb)
Average Height: 63 to 79 cm (25 to 31 in)

The Arctic wolf, also known as the white wolf or polar wolf, inhabits the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. Due to its preference for the harsh remote habitats, the Arctic wolf is not under threat by habitat destruction and hunting and is the only wolf subspecies that is not listed as a threatened species.

It is a medium-sized wolf with the most distinguishing feature being its stunning, thick white coat.

Arctic wolves live in packs of about eight related individuals comprising the alpha pair and their offspring of different ages. They hunt in packs, mostly musk-oxen and caribou and share the kills. Individually, these wolves also prey on Arctic hares, lemmings, other small mammals, and nesting birds.

Eastern wolf (C. l. lycaon)

Conservation status: Threatened in Canada
Average Weight: Male: 30.3 kilograms (67 lb); Female: 23.9 kilograms (53 lb)
Average Height: 66-81 cm

The Eastern wolf, also known as the timber wolf, Algonquin wolf or eastern timber wolf, inhabits the Great Lakes region and southeastern Canada.

This wolf is of intermediate size between the grey wolf and the coyote. The coat colour of the Eastern wolf is quite variable, but mostly these wolves are tawny, with more reddish-brown and brown highlights.

Eastern wolves are most active during the night but can be seen during the day. They roam in packs over territories as large as 150 km and can often travel up to 20 km in a day in search of food. Their preferred prey is small and medium-sized mammals, including beavers and white-tailed deer.

Plains wolf (C. l. nubilus)

Average Weight: 45 kg (100 lb)
Average Length: 1.7 m (5.6 ft)

The Great Plains wolf that once ranged throughout the Great Plains from Canada to the southern US was believed to be extinct by 1926, following the extirpation of the American bison.

However, later research revealed that wolves found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan are the descendants of the Plains wolf. They were classified as an Endangered species, and after a few decades of protection, the population in Minnesota grew to more than 3,000 individuals.

Plain wolves are large, generally light-coloured wolves, although black and white individuals are also common. They travel in packs of 5 or 6 wolves hunting white-tailed deer, moose, snowshoe hares and various rodents.

Northwestern wolf (C. l. occidentalis)

Average Weight: 45–70 kg (99–154 lb); Female: 36–54 kg (79–119 lb)
Average Length: 1.6–2.1 m (5.2–6.9 ft) including tail

The Northwestern wolf once ranged widely across western Canada, Alaska, and the north-western United States, occupying forests, mountains, and tundra landscapes.

Despite heavy persecution during the 19th and early 20th centuries, this subspecies never suffered complete regional extinction in the way many other North American wolf populations did. Legal protection in both Canada and the United States, including Alaska, allowed surviving populations to stabilise, and in recent decades, wolves have begun to naturally recolonise parts of their former range, including areas of the northern Rocky Mountains.

Northwestern wolves are among the largest and heaviest of all grey wolf subspecies, usually pale grey, buff, or cream in colour, although darker individuals also occur. They live and hunt in packs, preying mainly on elk, moose, caribou, deer, and occasionally smaller mammals.

Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi)

Average Weight: Male: 27–36 kg (60–80 lb); Female: 23–32 kg (50–70 lb)
Average Length: 1.5–1.8 m (4.9–5.9 ft) including tail

The Mexican wolf once ranged throughout the south-western United States and northern Mexico, inhabiting forests, grasslands, and mountainous regions. By the mid-20th century, relentless persecution by ranchers and government eradication programs had pushed the subspecies to the brink of extinction.

By the 1970s, the Mexican wolf was extinct in the wild. A small captive-breeding programme saved the subspecies, and in 1998, wolves were reintroduced into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area spanning eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. The wild population remains small but is slowly increasing under intensive management.

Mexican wolves are the smallest and most genetically distinct of the North American grey wolf subspecies. They are typically grey with buff, rust, or cinnamon tones in the coat. They live in small packs and prey mainly on elk, deer, javelina, rabbits, and other small mammals.

Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Average Weight: Male: 20–30 kg (45–66 lb); Female: 16–25 kg (35–55 lb)
Average Length: 1.36–1.5 m (4.5–5 ft) including tail

The red wolf is smaller, more lightly built, and more reddish in colour than the grey wolf, with longer legs, a narrower muzzle, and a coat that often shows tawny, cinnamon, and buff tones mixed with grey. Ecologically, it also differs from grey wolves by favouring coastal plains, wetlands, and forest–marsh mosaics rather than mountains or tundra.

The Canid Specialist Group considers the Red wolf a full species, and I will follow this convention here.

By 1980, the red wolf was declared Extinct in the Wild after decades of habitat loss and persecution across its former range in the southeastern United States. A last-ditch captive-breeding programme saved the species, and in 1987 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced red wolves into eastern North Carolina, where the only wild population now survives.

About 30 red wolves remain in the wild, with roughly 200–250 individuals held in managed breeding centres across the United States. Persistent threats include habitat loss, vehicle collisions, illegal shooting, and hybridisation with coyotes, making the red wolf one of the most endangered wild canids on Earth.

Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)

Conservation Status: Endangered
Average Weight: 11–19 kg (24–42 lb)
Average Length: 1.0–1.1 m (3.3–3.6 ft) including tail

The beautiful Ethiopian wolf is endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia and occurs nowhere else on Earth. It inhabits afro-alpine grasslands and moorlands at elevations above 3,000 metres, making it the most high-altitude-adapted of all wolf species.

Once more widespread across the Ethiopian highlands, the species is now confined to a handful of fragmented mountain ranges. With fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild, the Ethiopian wolf is the second most endangered wolf species in the world. Its survival is threatened by habitat loss, disease transmission from domestic dogs, and increasing pressure from human settlements.

Unlike other wolves that hunt large prey in packs, Ethiopian wolves are highly specialised small-prey hunters, feeding primarily on giant mole-rats, rodents, and other small mammals. They hunt mostly alone during the day, moving quietly across the open alpine grasslands in search of burrowing prey.

African Wolf (Canis lupaster)

Conservation Status: Least Concern
Average Weight: Male/Female: 7–15 kg
Average Height: 40 cm

Native across North Africa, West Africa, northern East Africa and the Somali Peninsula, the African wolf is one of those canids that spent a long time “hiding in plain sight” because it looks so much like a jackal. For decades, it was widely treated as an African form of the golden jackal, until genome-scale work showed that the African populations belong to a distinct lineage comprised of about 72% gray wolf–related ancestry and 28% Ethiopian wolf–related ancestry.

The African wolf is intermediate in size – bigger and more wolf-like than Africa’s smaller jackals, but still notably smaller than most gray wolf subspecies. The social organisation of this wolf is highly flexible, shifting with habitat, prey size, and resource distribution. The core family unit is typically a breeding pair and current offspring and, at times, young from previous litters that remain with the adults to help raise the young pups. Where food is abundant, larger packs may occasionally form.

There are several subspecies of the African wolf, including the Serengeti wolf, Algerian wolf, Senegalese wolf, Egyptian wolf and Somali wolf, but given that the species status is still somewhat debated, the subspecies designation is even less certain.

Maned wolf, that’s not a wolf

Brazilian animals - Maned wolf — Maned wolf at Caraca Monastery

Conservation Status: Near Threatened
Average Weight: 20–30 kg (44–66 lb)
Average Length: 1.2–1.3 m (3.9–4.3 ft) including tail

South America’s Maned wolf is a wolf like no other. Looking like a fox on stilts, it is neither a fox nor a wolf. It is the only canid (a member of the wild dog family) of its kind. This may mean it is the only survivor of the Pleistocene extinction that wiped out most megafauna, including the Woolly mammoth.

Having survived for a million years, it is now listed as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and considered “Vulnerable” in Brazil.

The maned wolves are impressive-looking animals. They stand 90 centimetres tall at the shoulder, supported by exceptionally long legs, which are thought to have evolved for life in the tall grasslands – their preferred habitat.

For the best chance of seeing a maned wolf, head to Santuário do Caraça in Brazil. Thirty years ago, the monks at Caraça Monastery started leaving food scraps for a maned wolf that kept raiding their chicken pens. The tradition continued with future generations of wolves, and today, you can visit the monastery and watch a wild maned wolf come in for its evening meal.

Final Thoughts

Wolves remain animals of the in-between: between wilderness and human landscapes, fear and fascination, myth and survival. While their global status may suggest resilience, many of the wolves we’ve met in this guide survive only because of fragile protections and uneasy coexistence with people. And perhaps that is what keeps drawing me back to them. Like wild cats, wolves remind me that true wilderness is never neat or guaranteed – it is negotiated, shifting, and always worth paying attention to.