Mackenzie Valley Wolf
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| Canis lupus occidentalis |
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 Mackenzie Valley wolf range
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The Mackenzie Valley Wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis) is perhaps the largest subspecies of the Gray Wolf. Its range includes all of Western Canada as well as the entire state of Alaska. It is estimated that there are between thirty and forty thousand Mackenzie Valley wolves roaming this territory.
[edit] Current status and history
- See also:Yellowstone Gray Wolf Reintroduction
Mackenzie Valley wolves were the subspecies used in the Yellowstone reintroduction effort, where they have become successful apex predators much like they are in their vast northern range. In Yellowstone, they have been crucial in restoring environmental balance in that they have clamped down on the less fit members of the herds on which they, thereby keeping large ungulate numbers in check and allowing certain floral and faunal species to recover, promoting biodiversity.
Wolf hunting is legal in most parts of the Mackenzie Valley wolf's range, but it is limited, so impact is kept to a minimum. In fact, the best reason this subspecies has been so successful despite human dispersal is that, because of their vast and northern range, they have tended to come into less contact with humans than some of their fellow subspecies.
[edit] Anatomy
- See also: Gray Wolf Features and Adaptations
Males of the subspecies typically weigh between 45 and 67 kg (100-147lb), with females weighing 10-20% less, respectively. Specimens over 70kg are rare. An uncomfirmed specimen of 105kg (230lbs) has been mentioned in the Guinness book of Animal World Records, with the confirmed record being 79kg (175lb).
Mackenzie Valley wolves measure 81-102cm (32-40 inches) tall at the shoulders and have a length (including head and tail) between 1.5 and 2.1 meters (~5-7 feet).
The Mackenzie Valley wolf has a specialized body that has made it one of the world's most efficient hunters. Its thick, long limbs are proportionally built for traversing through rough terrain such as deep snow or the cliffy edges of the Rocky Mountains. Its deep chest hosts large lungs, letting the wolf breathe more efficiently at higher altitudes, and allowing it to exert huge amounts of stamina travelling up to 115km (~70 miles) in one day. Their powerful neck is a very important adaptation: it has to be strong to support the wolf's large head and is crucial for bringing down prey. Mackenzie Valley wolves maximize heat retention through such methods as using their bushy tails to cover their exposed noses during the winter. They shed their undercoat during the summer months due to the hotter conditions.
The skull is 31cm (12 inches) long and is armed with an impressive array of large canines and carnassial teeth which, when coupled with huge jaw muscles that are evident from the large sagittal crest and wide zygomatic arches, give it an incredible biteforce that is strong enough to break the bones of prey and even crack the femur of moose.
[edit] Diet
The majority of the Mackenzie Valley wolf's prey includes musk ox, moose, caribou, deer, and elk. Mackenzie valley wolves introduced into Yellowstone have taken down adult Bison, the largest Bovid (which dwarfs the African buffalo in size). The success rate for killing large prey though is lower than one in ten.
