Mackenzie River Wolf (Canis lupus mackenzii) – (Anderson 1943)
Common Names: Columbian wolf, Manitoba wolf, Mackenzie tundra wolf, Mackenzie Valley wolf, barren-ground wolf and Alaska tundra wolf
Overall population:
Physical description:
“C.I. mackenzii Andersson 1943 Mackenzie tundra wolf. Although C.I. mackenzii is a medium-sized, it is smaller than most of the wolves of the subspecies adjacent to it. It’s color ranges from black to white, but buffer white individuals are the most common. “
The wolf: The Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species, Mech, L. David Natural History Press, 1970
Range:
Original range and Current range –
“The range of this wolf is along the Arctic Coast in the Northwest Territories eastward from the Mackenzie River and south to Great Bear Lake.”
The wolf: The Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species, Mech, L. David Natural History Press, 1970
Habitat / Ecology / Prey:
Habitat – tundra, mountains, river valley, wetlands, bogs, boreal forests, lowlands
Ecology
Prey – Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), moose (Alces alces), snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), beaver (Castor canadensis), fish
Intrapopulation variability in wolf diet revealed using a combined stable isotope and fatty acid approach. O’Donovan SA, Budge SM, Hobson KA, Kelly AP, Derocher AE.Ecosphere. 2018 Sep
“Alternative prey for wolves includes waterfowl, other ground-nesting birds, their eggs, rodents,and hare.”
Long Foraging Movement of a Denning Tundra Wolf. FRAME PF, HIK DS, CLUFF HD, PAQUET PC. ARCTIC. 2004 Jun
Beautiful Birds of Northwest Territories!
Common raven (Corvus corax), Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis), Merlin (Falco columbarius), Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus), Great horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis),
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Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii), Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), Northern Hawk-owl (Surnia ulula), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), northern pintail (Anas acuta), common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus), Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica), Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), American herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus), Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata), Boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus), Snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis), American tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea), Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca), White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata), Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
Legal and Cultural Background:
Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources
Conservation:
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna
Taxonomic/Genetic Information:
Differentiation of tundra/taiga and boreal coniferous forest wolves: genetics, coat colour and association with migratory caribou. Musiani M, Leonard JA, Cluff HD, Gates CC, Mariani S, Paquet PC, Vila C, Wayne RK. Molecular Ecology. 2007 Oct
Further Reading
Wolves in Northwest Territories, Canada
Enhanced North Slave Wolf Harvest Incentive Program
International Wolf Center – Northwest Territories
Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary
Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary
Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve
Journal / Scientific Publications:
Hierarchical habitat selection by tundra wolves. McLoughlin PD, Walton LR, Cluff HD, Paquet PC, Ramsay MA. Journal of Mammalogy. 2004 Jun
Prey specialization may influence patterns of gene flow in wolves of the Canadian Northwest
LE Carmichael, JA Nagy, NC Larter… – Molecular …, 2001
Movement patterns of barren-ground wolves in the central Canadian Arctic. Walton LR, Cluff HD, Paquet PC, Ramsay MA. Journal of Mammalogy. 2001 Aug
Fetal development in wolves, Canis lupus, of the Keewatin District, Northwest Territories, Canada. Hillis TL, Mallory FF. Canadian journal of zoology. 1996 Dec
Sexual dimorphism in wolves (Canis lupus) of the Keewatin District, Northwest territories, Canada. Hillis TL, Mallory FF. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 1996 Apr
Distribution of wolf dens on migratory caribou ranges in the Northwest Territories, Canada
DC Heard, TM Williams – Canadian Journal of Zoology, 1992