The Arctic wolf’s habitat is one of the most remote in the world. However, they are still threatened by climate change, the consequences of which could alter their status in the coming years. This means they don’t face the same threats as wolves living in closer proximity to humans. Thanks to their remote, icy habitat, Arctic wolves live far away from any human populations. They were listed as vulnerable from 1982 to 1995, but their status was upgraded to least concern in 1996 and has remained the same ever since. Are Arctic wolves endangered?Īs a subspecies of grey wolves, Arctic wolves are listed on the IUCN Red List of endangered species as least concern. The genus Canis comes from the Latin word for dog, while the subspecies name lupus arctos is Latin for ‘wolf of the Arctic’. The scientific name for the Arctic wolf is Canis lupus arctos. What is the Arctic wolf’s scientific name? However, the world’s changing climate and the increasing industrialisation of the Arctic are likely to have devastating effects on the future of the Arctic wolf and its habitat. Their harsh environment means that they have never been hunted or displaced by agricultural development, and they have never faced endangerment as a result. Unlike other wolves who have to deal with human encroachment every day, Arctic wolves have no intrinsic distrust of humans. The lucky few who have observed Arctic wolves in the wild note how playful and unafraid of humans they are. As carnivorous hunters, they play a vital role in their environment by helping to control populations of animals in the region, such as caribou, musk oxen, and Arctic hares. These adaptations allow them to lose less body heat, while their extra layer of fat works as both insulation and food storage for the long Arctic winters when food can be scarce.Ĭapable of surviving in some of the harshest, most extreme conditions on Earth, this subspecies of grey wolves is integral to the Arctic ecosystem. Arctic wolves are smaller than other grey wolves and have smaller ears and shorter noses. Their thick white coat and furry paws are essential for both insulation and camouflage in their almost permanently snow-covered habitat. Living in the High Arctic region covering the Canadian Arctic, parts of Alaska, and the northern coast of Greenland, these white wolves must withstand average winter temperatures of -30☌ (-22☏) and several months with no sunlight. Because of their extreme habitat, Arctic wolves also have distinctive appearances and behaviours that distinguish them from other grey wolves. They all care for the pack’s pups, taking turns to protect and feed them. Like other grey wolves, Arctic wolves are nocturnal pack animals that hunt together, follow the lead of an alpha male, and communicate by howling. Also known as white wolves or polar wolves, Arctic wolves are a subspecies of grey wolves that roam the vast, frozen landscape of the Arctic.
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