Question: What is your favourite type of wolf?

anon answered on 11 Mar 2015:

Oh wow, I love this question! Thanks for asking it.

The wolf species I have worked with is the grey wolf, Canis lupus. This is the type of wolf people automatically think of when you say ‘wolf’. You can find them in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Arctic and much of America! Sometimes people get confused and think that the wolves in these different places are different types because they can look a little different, but that’s actually just very small differences that make them well suited to their particular environment – for example Arctic grey wolves are often white (not grey!) for camouflage and big (which helps them to stay warm).

Grey wolves are my favourite type of wolf, partly because humans always seem to have strong opinions about them, we either seem to love them, hate them or fear them (what do you think about them?). There are stories and legends about them in most cultures across the world (think ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ or ‘The Three Little Pigs’), people hunt and kill them, but they live in our houses as treasured friends (dogs!). It interests me that humans are so interested in them!

My second favourite is probably the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus. It’s not actually a type of wolf, but it is closely related to them. I love it because it looks beautiful but really odd – like it has stilts for legs! Here’s what the BBC have to say about them – there are some great photos!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Maned_Wolf