Mexican Wolf
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| iMexican Wolf | ||||||||||||||||
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Conservation status: Critical
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| Canis lupus baileyi (Nelson & Goldman, 1929) |
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 Mexican wolf range
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The Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the rarest, most genetically distinct subspecies of the Gray Wolf in North America. It is also one of the smallest subspecies, reaching an overall length no greater than 135 cm (53 in) and a maximum height of about 80 cm (31 in). Weight ranges from 27-45 kg (60-100 lbs).
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[edit] History
- See also: Gray Wolf historical perceptions
Until recent times, the Mexican Wolf ranged the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico, and central Arizona. By the turn of the 20th century, reduction of natural prey like deer and elk caused many wolves to begin attacking domestic livestock, which led to intensive efforts by government agencies and individuals to eradicate the Mexican Wolf. Hunters also hunted down the wolf because it killed deer. Trappers and private trappers have also helped in the eradication of the Mexican Wolf. (Note that recent studies completed by genetics experts show evidence of Mexican wolves ranging as far north as Colorado).
These efforts were very successful, and by the 1950s, the Mexican Wolf had been eliminated from the wild. In 1976, the Mexican Wolf was declared an endangered species and has remained so ever since. Today, an estimated 15 or fewer Mexican Wolves now survive in the wild.
[edit] Reintroduction to the Southwest
- See also: Mexican Wolf Arizona Reintroduction
In March 1998, the U.S. Secretary of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began reintroducing Mexican Wolves into the Blue Range area of Arizona. The overall objective of this program was to reestablish 100 Mexican Wolves in the Apache and Gila National Forests of Arizona and New Mexico by 2005.
On March 30, 1998, government biologists released 11 gray wolves -- 3 adult males, 3 adult females, 3 female pups and yearlings and 2 male pups -- from 3 chain-link acclimation pens within the 7,000-square-mile, federally designated Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in east-central Arizona.
[edit] Gallery
 Canis lupus baileyi |
 A resting Mexican Wolf |
[edit] External links
- The Living Desert - a zoo and nature preserve that coordinates Mexican Wolf reintroduction efforts
- The California Wolf Center - a wildlife education center dedicated to the restoration of North American Ecosystems. The Wolf Center is a major participant in Mexican Wolf Recovery Efforts and has established the Mexican Wolf Conservation Fund, the only private fund dedicated to assisting the Mexican Wolf Recovery program.
