Indian wolf at the Jaipur Zoo in Rajasthan, India; By © Rijin S/ Wikimedia Commons /, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Indian/Iranian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) – (Sykes 1831)
Common Names: Indian Wolf, Iranian Wolf
Overall population: Unknown. Estimated at 2,000-3,000.
Physical description:
“Its coloration varies from grayish red to reddish white, with a touch of grey, many of the hairs being black tipped; there is generally black on the back, especially a V-shaped patch behind the shoulders. The limbs are paler than the body. The tail slightly or decidedly tipped with black. The underparts of the body are more or less white.”
[Mivart, G. (1890), Dogs, Jackals, Wolves and Foxes: A Monograph of the Canidæ, London: R.H. Porter : Dulau, pp. 9-10]
Range:
Original range – Widespread throughout the Holy Land east and west of the Jordan River into the Indian Subcontinent.
Current range – Holy Land to the Indian Subcontinent including Bhutan, India, Nepal, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria?, Afghanistan.
Habitat / Ecology / Prey:
Habitat: Thorn forests, scrub-lands, arid and semi-arid grassland habitats and agro-pastoral regions of semi-arid India.
Ecology:
Prey: antelopes, hares, rodents
Unique behaviors: The Indian Wolf lives in smaller packs than its European and American counterparts, typically not exceeding 6-8 individuals. The Indian Wolves also hunt in smaller packs, usually in pairs. The wolves are less vocal than other gray wolves and tend to rarely howl.
Legal and Cultural Background:
Conservation:
Middle East
India
Asia
Taxonomic/Genetic Information:
LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION
Indian/Iranian Wolf
Wolves in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria?, Afghanistan.
Further Reading
Journal / Scientific Publications:
