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gray wolf
gray wolf Gray wolf (Canis lupus).

wolf

mammal
Written by
Steven H. Fritts
Chief Scientist, Gray Wolf Recovery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Helena, Montana, U.S. Advisory Board, International Wolf Center, Ely, Minnesota, U.S.
Steven H. Fritts
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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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wolf, any of two species of wild doglike carnivores. The gray, or timber, wolf (Canis lupus) is the better known. It is the largest nondomestic member of the dog family (Canidae) and inhabits vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The Ethiopian, or Abyssinian, wolf (C. simensis) inhabits the highlands of Ethiopia; until recently it was considered a jackal. Pervasive in mythology, folklore, and language, the gray wolf has had an impact on the human imagination...

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