Editing Subspecies of Canis lupus (section)

==List of extant subspecies==
Living subspecies recognized by ''[[MSW3]]'' {{As of|2005|lc=on}}<ref name=wozencraft2005/> and divided into Old World and New World:<ref name=fan2016/>

===Eurasia and Australasia===
Sokolov and Rossolimo (1985) recognised nine Old World subspecies of wolf. These were ''[[Eurasian wolf|C. l. lupus]]'', ''[[Tundra wolf|C. l. albus]]'', ''[[Indian wolf|C. l. pallipes]]'', ''C. l. cubanenesis'', ''[[Steppe wolf|C. l. campestris]]'', ''[[Mongolian wolf|C. l. chanco]]'', ''C. l. desertorum'', ''[[Hokkaido wolf|C. l. hattai]]'', and ''[[Honshu wolf|C. l. hodophilax]]''.<ref name=nowak1995/> In his 1995 statistical analysis of skull [[Morphology (biology)|morphometrics]], mammalogist Robert Nowak recognized the first four of those subspecies, synonymized ''campestris'', ''chanco'' and ''desertorum'' with ''C. l. lupus'', but did not examine the two Japanese subspecies. In addition, he recognized ''C. l. communis'' as a subspecies distinct from ''C. l. lupus''.<ref name=nowak1995/> In 2003, Nowak also recognized the distinctiveness of ''[[Arabian wolf|C. l. {{not a typo|arabs}}]]'', ''[[Hokkaido wolf|C. l. hattai]]'', ''[[Italian wolf|C. l. italicus]]'', and ''[[Honshu wolf|C. l. hodophilax]]''.<ref name="m246">{{Harvnb|Nowak|2003|pp=245–246}}</ref> In 2005, ''MSW3'' included [[Himalayan wolf|''C. l. filchneri'']].<ref name=wozencraft2005/> In 2003, two forms were distinguished in southern China and [[Inner Mongolia]] as being separate from ''C. l. chanco'' and ''C. l. filchneri'' and have yet to be named.<ref name=smith2008/><ref name=wang2003/>
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Eurasian and [[Australasia]]n subspecies of ''Canis lupus''
|-
! scope="col" width=12%| Subspecies
! scope="col" width=12%| Image
! scope="col" width=12%| Authority
! scope="col" width=20%| Description
! scope="col" width=18%| Range
! scope="col" width=26%| Taxonomic synonyms
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. albus''<br />[[Tundra wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. albus mod.jpg|150 px]]
| Kerr, 1792<ref>{{ITIS|id=726809 |taxon=''Canis lupus albus'' Kerr, 1792}}</ref>
| A large, light-furred subspecies.<ref name="heptner1998albus">Heptner, V. G. & Naumov, N., P. (1998) [https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov211998gept#page/182/mode/2up ''Mammals of the Soviet Union'' Vol. II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; Wolves and Bears)], Science Publishers, Inc., USA, pp. 182-184, {{ISBN|1-886106-81-9}}</ref>
| Northern [[tundra]] and [[forest]] zones in the European and Asian parts of [[Russia]] and [[Kamchatka]]. Outside Russia, its range includes the extreme north of [[Scandinavia]].<ref name="heptner1998albus"/>
| <small>''dybowskii'' Domaniewski, 1926, ''kamtschaticus'' Dybowski, 1922, ''turuchanensis'' Ognev, 1923</small><ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000740 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. arabs''<br />[[Arabian wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IV) C. l. arabs mod.jpg|120 px]]
| Pocock, 1934<ref>{{ITIS|id=726811 |taxon=''Canis lupus arabs'' Pocock, 1934}}</ref>
| A small, "desert-adapted" subspecies that is around 66&nbsp;cm tall and weighs, on average, about 18&nbsp;kg.<ref name="Lopez">{{cite book | author = Lopez, Barry | title = Of wolves and men | year = 1978 | isbn = 978-0-7432-4936-2 | publisher = Scribner Classics | location = New York | page = 320}}</ref> Its fur coat varies from short in the summer to long in the winter, possibly because of solar radiation.<ref name="Paquet">{{cite book | author = Fred H. Harrington | author2 = Paul C. Paquet | author2-link = Paul C. Paquet | title = Wolves of the World: Perspectives of Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation | year = 1982 | isbn = 978-0-8155-0905-9 | page = 474| publisher = Elsevier Science }}</ref>
| Southern [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], southern [[Israel]], southern and western [[Iraq]], [[Oman]], [[Yemen]], [[Jordan]], [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Egypt]] ([[Sinai Peninsula]]).
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. campestris''<br />[[Steppe wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. campestris mod.jpg|130 px]]
| Dwigubski, 1804
| An average-sized subspecies with short, coarse and sparse fur.<ref name="heptner1998campestris">Heptner, V. G. & Naumov, N., P. (1998) [https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov211998gept#page/188/mode/2up ''Mammals of the Soviet Union'' Vol. II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; Wolves and Bears)], Science Publishers, Inc., USA, pp. 188-89, {{ISBN|1-886106-81-9}}</ref>
| Northern [[Ukraine]], southern [[Kazakhstan]], the [[Caucasus]] and the Trans-Caucasus<ref name="heptner1998campestris"/>
| <small>''bactrianus'' Laptev, 1929, ''cubanenesis'' Ognev, 1923, ''desertorum'' [[Modest Bogdanov|Bogdanov]], 1882</small><ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000747 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. chanco''<br />[[Himalayan wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III).jpg|130 px]]
| [[Paul Matschie|Matschie]], 1907<ref name="matschie1907" /> 
| Long sharp face, elevated brows, broad head, large pointed ears, thick woolly pelage and very full brush of medial length. Above, dull earthy-brown; below, with the entire face and limbs yellowish-white.<ref name="hodgson1847" />
|The [[Himalayas]] and the [[Tibetan Plateau]] predominating above 4,000 metres in elevation<ref name="Werhahn2020" />
| <small>''laniger'' [[Brian Houghton Hodgson|Hodgson]], 1847</small> 
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. chanco''<br />[[Mongolian wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. chanco mod.jpg|130 px]]
| [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1863<ref name=gray1863/>
| The fur is [[fulvous]], on the back longer, rigid, with intermixed black and gray hairs; the throat, chest, belly, and inside of the legs pure white; head pale gray-brown; forehead grizzled with short black and gray hairs.<ref name=gray1863/>
| [[Mongolia]],<ref name=mivart1890/> northern and central [[China]],<ref name=smith2008/><ref name=wang2003/> [[Korea]],<ref name=abe1923/> and the [[Ussuri River|Ussuri River region]] of Russia<ref name=heptner1998/>
| <small>''coreanus'' Abe, 1923, ''dorogostaiskii'' Skalon, 1936, ''karanorensis'' Matschie, 1907, ''niger'' [[Philip Sclater|Sclater]], 1874, ''tschiliensis'' Matschie, 1907</small>
|-
! scope="row" | [[Canis lupus dingo|''C. l. dingo'']]<br />[[Dingo]] and [[New Guinea singing dog]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XXXVII).jpg|140 px]]
| Meyer, 1793
| Generally 52–60&nbsp;cm tall at the shoulders and measures 117 to 124&nbsp;cm from nose to tail tip. The average weight is 13 to 20&nbsp;kg.<ref name="27kg">{{cite web|author=Ben Allen |url=http://www.invasiveanimals.com/downloads/Final-proceedings-with-cover.pdf |title=Home Range, Activity Patterns, and Habitat use of Urban Dingoes |website=14th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference |publisher=Invasive Animals CRC |year=2008 |access-date=2009-04-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424014424/http://www.invasiveanimals.com/downloads/Final-proceedings-with-cover.pdf |archive-date=24 April 2009 }}</ref> Fur color is mostly sandy- to reddish-brown, but can include tan patterns and can also be occasionally light brown, black or white.<ref name="impact">{{cite book|last=Fleming|first=Peter|author2=Laurie Corbett |author3=Robert Harden |author4=Peter Thomson |title=Managing the Impacts of Dingoes and Other Wild Dogs|publisher=Bureau of Rural Sciences|location=Commonwealth of Australia|year=2001}}</ref>
| [[Australia (continent)|Australia]] and [[New Guinea]] 
| <small>''[[Dingo (taxon)#"antarticus", .5Bsuppressed.5D|antarticus]]'' Kerr, 1792 [suppressed ICZN O451:1957], ''australasiae'' Desmarest, 1820, ''australiae'' Gray, 1826, ''dingoides'' Matschie, 1915, ''macdonnellensis'' Matschie, 1915, ''novaehollandiae'' Voigt, 1831, ''[[Dingo (taxon)#Canis papuensis, Papua New Guinea|papuensis]]'' Ramsay, 1879, ''[[Dingo (taxon)#"tenggerana", Java|tenggerana]]'' Kohlbrugge, 1896, ''[[New Guinea singing dog|hallstromi]]'' Troughton, 1957, ''[[Dingo (taxon)#"harappensis", ancient dog found in South Asia|harappensis]]'' Prashad, 1936</small><ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000751 }}</ref>

<small>Sometimes included within ''Canis familiaris'' when the domestic dog is recognised as a species.</small><ref name = "ASMdog">{{BioRef|asm|id=1005940|title=''Canis familiaris'' |version=1.5 |access-date=17 September 2021}}</ref>

|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. familiaris''<br />[[Dog|Domestic dog]]<br /><small>but refer Synonyms</small>
|[[File:Yakutian laika (white background).jpg|120 px]]
| Linnaeus, 1758
|The domestic dog is a divergent subspecies of the gray wolf and was derived from an extinct population of Late Pleistocene wolves.<ref name=fan2016/><ref name=freedman2014/><ref name=thalmann2013/> Through [[Evolutionary pressure|selective pressure]] and [[selective breeding]], the domestic dog has developed into hundreds of varied [[List of dog breeds|breeds]] and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land mammal.<ref name="spady">{{Cite journal|vauthors=Spady TC, Ostrander EA |title=Canine Behavioral Genetics: Pointing Out the Phenotypes and Herding up the Genes |journal=American Journal of Human Genetics |volume=82 |issue=#1 |pages=10–8 |date=January 2008 |pmid=18179880 |pmc=2253978 |doi=10.1016/j.ajhg.2007.12.001}}</ref>
| Worldwide in association with humans
| <small>Increasingly proposed as the species ''Canis familiaris'' but debated<ref>{{Cite book|title=The domestic dog : its evolution, behavior and interactions with people|others=Serpell, James, 1952-, Barrett, Priscilla|isbn=9781107024144|edition= Second|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom|pages=8|oclc=957339355|last1=Serpell|first1=James|date=2016-12-08}}</ref><ref name="ASMdog"/></small>


{{smalldiv|1=
''aegyptius'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''alco'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''americanus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''anglicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''antarcticus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''aprinus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''aquaticus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''aquatilis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''avicularis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''borealis'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''brevipilis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''cursorius'' Gmelin, 1792,
''domesticus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''extrarius'' Gmelin, 1792,
''ferus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''fricator'' Gmelin, 1792,
''fricatrix'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''fuillus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''gallicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''glaucus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''graius'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''grajus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''hagenbecki'' Krumbiegel, 1950,
''haitensis'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''hibernicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''hirsutus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''hybridus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''islandicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''italicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''laniarius'' Gmelin, 1792,
''leoninus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''leporarius'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''major'' Gmelin, 1792,
''mastinus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''melitacus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''melitaeus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''minor'' Gmelin, 1792,
''molossus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''mustelinus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''obesus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''orientalis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''pacificus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''plancus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''pomeranus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''sagaces'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''sanguinarius'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''sagax'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''scoticus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''sibiricus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''suillus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''terraenovae'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''terrarius'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''turcicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''urcani'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''variegatus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''venaticus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''vertegus'' Gmelin, 1792<ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000752 }}</ref>
}}

|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. italicus''<br />[[Italian wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. italicus mod.jpg|150 px]]
| Altobello, 1921
| The pelt is generally of a grey-fulvous colour, which reddens in summer. The belly and cheeks are more lightly coloured, and dark bands are present on the back and tail tip, and occasionally along the fore limbs.
| Native to the [[Italian Peninsula]]; recently expanded into [[Switzerland]] and southeastern [[France]].
| <small>''lupus'' Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. lupus''<br />[[Eurasian wolf]]<br />([[Subspecies#Nominotypical subspecies and subspecies autonyms|nominate subspecies]])
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I).jpg|150 px]]
| Linnaeus, 1758<ref>{{ITIS|id=180598 |taxon=''Canis lupus lupus'' Linnaeus, 1758}}</ref>
| Generally a large subspecies with rusty ocherous or light gray fur.<ref name="heptner1998lupus">Heptner, V. G. & Naumov, N., P. (1998) [https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov211998gept#page/184/mode/2up ''Mammals of the Soviet Union'' Vol. II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; Wolves and Bears)], Science Publishers, Inc., USA, pp. 184-87, {{ISBN|1-886106-81-9}}</ref>
| Has the largest range among wolf subspecies and is the most common subspecies in [[Europe]] and [[Asia]], ranging through [[Western Europe]], [[Scandinavia]], the [[Caucasus]], [[Russia]], [[China]], and [[Mongolia]]. Its habitat overlaps with the [[Indian wolf]] in some regions of [[Turkey]].
| <small>''altaicus'' Noack, 1911, ''argunensis'' Dybowski, 1922, ''canus'' [[Edmond de Sélys Longchamps|Sélys Longchamps]], 1839, ''[[Russian wolf|communis]]'' Dwigubski, 1804, ''deitanus'' Cabrera, 1907, ''desertorum'' Bogdanov, 1882, ''flavus'' Kerr, 1792, ''fulvus'' [[Edmond de Sélys Longchamps|Sélys Longchamps]], 1839, ''kurjak'' Bolkay, 1925, ''lycaon'' Trouessart, 1910, ''major'' Ogérien, 1863, ''[[Austro-Hungarian wolf|minor]]'' Ogerien, 1863, ''niger'' Hermann, 1804, ''orientalis'' Wagner, 1841, ''orientalis'' Dybowski, 1922</small><ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000739 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |  ''C. l. pallipes''<br />[[Indian wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IV).jpg|130 px]]
| Sykes, 1831
| A small subspecies with pelage shorter than that of northern wolves and with little to no underfur.<ref name="india">{{cite web| url = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19550/19550-h/19550-h.htm#245| title = ''NATURAL HISTORY OF THE MAMMALIA OF INDIA AND CEYLON'' by Robert A. Sterndale, THACKER, SPINK, AND CO. BOMBAY: THACKER AND CO., LIMITED. LONDON: W. THACKER AND CO. 1884.}}</ref> Fur color ranges from grayish-red to reddish-white with black tips. The dark V-shaped stripe over the shoulders is much more pronounced than in northern wolves. The underparts and legs are more or less white.<ref name="canid">''A monograph of the canidae'' by St. George Mivart, F.R.S, published by Alere Flammam. 1890</ref>
|[[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Iran]], [[Turkey]], [[Saudi Arabia]], northern [[Israel]], and northern [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=REICHMANN |first1=ALON |last2=SALTZ |first2=DAVID |date=2005-01-01 |title=The Golan Wolves: The Dynamics, Behavioral Ecology, and Management of an Endangered Pest |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1560/1BLK-B1RT-XB11-BWJH |journal=Israel Journal of Zoology |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=87–133 |doi=10.1560/1BLK-B1RT-XB11-BWJH |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |issn=0021-2210}}</ref>
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. signatus''<br />[[Iberian wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. ibericus mod.jpg|130 px]]
| Cabrera, 1907
| A subspecies with slighter frame than ''C. l. lupus'', white marks on the upper lips, dark marks on the tail, and a pair of dark marks on its front legs.
| Northwest of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], which includes northwestern [[Spain]] and northern [[Portugal]]
| <small>''lupus'' Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|-
|}

===North America===
[[File:North American gray wolf subspecies distribution according to Goldman (1944) & MSW3 (2005).png|thumb|North American wolf subspecies distribution according to Goldman (1944) and Hall (1981). Hall split off ''C. l. griseoalbus'' from Goldman's ''C. l. occidentalis''. These subspecies are included in ''[[MSW3]]'' 2005.]]

For North America, in 1944 the zoologist [[Edward Alphonso Goldman|Edward Goldman]] recognized as many as 23 subspecies based on [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Young|first1=Stanley P.|last2=Goldman|first2=Edward A.|title=The Wolves of North America|publisher=Dover Publications, New York|volume=2|year=1944|pages=413–477|isbn=978-0486211930}}</ref> In 1959, E. Raymond Hall proposed that there had been 24 subspecies of ''lupus'' in North America.<ref>''The Mammals of North America'', E. Raymond Hall & Keith R. Kelson, Ronald Press New York, 1959</ref> In 1970, [[L. David Mech]] proposed that there was "probably far too many subspecific designations...in use", as most did not exhibit enough points of differentiation to be classified as separate subspecies.<ref>Mech, L. David. 1970. ''The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species''. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis</ref> The 24 subspecies were accepted by many authorities in 1981 and these were based on morphological or geographical differences, or a unique history.<ref>''The Mammals of North America'', E. Raymond Hall, Wiley New York, 1981</ref> In 1995, the American mammalogist Robert M. Nowak analyzed data on the skull morphology of wolf specimens from around the world. For North America, he proposed that there were only five subspecies of the wolf. These include a large-toothed Arctic wolf named ''C. l. arctos'', a large wolf from Alaska and western Canada named ''C. l. occidentalis'', a small wolf from southeastern Canada named ''C. l. lycaon'', a small wolf from the southwestern U.S. named ''C. l. baileyi'' and a moderate-sized wolf that was originally found from Texas to Hudson Bay and from Oregon to Newfoundland named ''C. l. nubilus''.<ref name=mech2003/><ref name=nowak1995/>

The taxonomic classification of ''Canis lupus'' in ''Mammal Species of the World'' (3rd edition, 2005) listed 27 subspecies of North American wolf,<ref name=wozencraft2005/> corresponding to the 24 ''Canis lupus'' subspecies and the three ''Canis rufus'' subspecies of Hall (1981).<ref name=nowak1995/> The table below shows the extant subspecies, with the extinct ones listed in the following section.
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ North American subspecies of ''Canis lupus''
|-
! scope="col" width=12%| Subspecies
! scope="col" width=12%| Image
! scope="col" width=12%| Authority
! scope="col" width=20%| Description
! scope="col" width=18%| Range
! scope="col" width=26%| Taxonomic synonyms
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. arctos''<br />[[Arctic wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. arctos mod.jpg|140 px]]
| Pocock, 1935<ref>{{ITIS|id=726812 |taxon=''Canis lupus arctos'' Pocock, 1935}}</ref>
| A medium-sized, almost completely white subspecies.<ref name="goldman1944arctos">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 430-31</ref>
| [[Melville Island (Northwest Territories and Nunavut)|Melville Island (the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)]], [[Ellesmere Island]]
| <small>The current (2025) classification of the more broadly defined ''C. l. arctos'' of Nowak (1995) synonymizes ''C. l. orion'' and ''C. l. bernardi''.<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal|title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses|publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. baileyi''<br />[[Mexican wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IV) C. l. baileyi mod.jpg|130 px]]
| Nelson and Goldman, 1929<ref>{{ITIS|id=726813 |taxon=''Canis lupus baileyi'' Nelson and Goldman, 1929}}</ref>
| The smallest of the North American subspecies, with dark fur.<ref name="goldman1944baileyi">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 469-71</ref>
| Southwestern [[New Mexico]] and southeastern [[Arizona]] as well as northern [[Mexico]]; once ranged into western [[Texas]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. columbianus''<br />[[British Columbia wolf|British Columbian wolf]]
| [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I) C. l. columbianus mod.jpg|150 px]] 
| Goldman, 1941
|  Smaller-sized; unique diet of fish and smaller-sized deer in temperate rainforest; similar to ''crassodon''.
|  Coastal [[British Columbia]] and coastal [[Yukon]] 
| <small>Currently (2023) synonymized under ''C. l. crassodon''.</small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. crassodon''<br />[[Vancouver Island wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. crassodon mod.jpg|140 px]]
| Hall, 1932
| A medium-sized subspecies with grayish fur; similar to ''columbianus''.<ref name="goldman1944crassodon">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 459-60</ref>
| [[Vancouver Island]], [[British Columbia]]
| <small>Currently (2023) ''C. l. crassodon'' synonymizes ''C. l. ligoni'' and ''C. l. columbianus''.</small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. familiaris''<br />[[Dog|Domestic dog]]<br /><small>but refer Synonyms</small>
|[[File:Yakutian laika (white background).jpg|120 px]]
|
| 
| worldwide
|<small>The domestic dog is a divergent subspecies of the gray wolf and was derived from an extinct population of Late Pleistocene wolves.<ref name=fan2016/><ref name=freedman2014/><ref name=thalmann2013/> Through [[Evolutionary pressure|selective pressure]] and [[selective breeding]], the domestic dog has developed into hundreds of varied [[List of dog breeds|breeds]] and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land mammal.<ref name="spady"/></small>


{{smalldiv|1=
''aegyptius'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''alco'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''americanus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''anglicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''antarcticus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''aprinus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''aquaticus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''aquatilis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''avicularis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''borealis'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''brevipilis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''cursorius'' Gmelin, 1792,
''domesticus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''extrarius'' Gmelin, 1792,
''ferus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''fricator'' Gmelin, 1792,
''fricatrix'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''fuillus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''gallicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''glaucus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''graius'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''grajus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''hagenbecki'' Krumbiegel, 1950,
''haitensis'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''hibernicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''hirsutus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''hybridus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''islandicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''italicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''laniarius'' Gmelin, 1792,
''leoninus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''leporarius'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''major'' Gmelin, 1792,
''mastinus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''melitacus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''melitaeus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''minor'' Gmelin, 1792,
''molossus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''mustelinus'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''obesus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''orientalis'' Gmelin, 1792,
''pacificus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''plancus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''pomeranus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''sagaces'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''sanguinarius'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''sagax'' Linnaeus, 1758,
''scoticus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''sibiricus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''suillus'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''terraenovae'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''terrarius'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''turcicus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''urcani'' C. E. H. Smith, 1839,
''variegatus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''venaticus'' Gmelin, 1792,
''vertegus'' Gmelin, 1792<ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000752 }}</ref>
}}

<small>Increasingly proposed as the species ''Canis familiaris'' but debated<ref>{{Cite book|title=The domestic dog : its evolution, behavior and interactions with people|others=Serpell, James, 1952-, Barrett, Priscilla|isbn=9781107024144|edition= Second|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom|pages=8|oclc=957339355|last1=Serpell|first1=James|date=2016-12-08}}</ref><ref name="ASMdog"/></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. hudsonicus''<br />[[Hudson Bay wolf]]
| [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I) C. l. hudsonicus mod.jpg|140px]]
| Goldman, 1941
| A light-colored subspecies similar to ''occidentalis'', but smaller.<ref name="goldman1944hudsonicus">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 427-29</ref>
| Northern [[Manitoba]] and the [[Northwest Territories]]
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. nubilus''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. irremotus''<br />[[Northern Rocky Mountain wolf]]
| [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. irremotus mod.jpg|140 px]]
| Goldman, 1937<ref name="Goldman"/><ref>{{ITIS|id=726829 |taxon=''Canis lupus irremotus'' Goldman, 1937}}</ref>
| A medium-sized to large subspecies with pale fur.<ref name="goldman1944irremotus">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 445-49</ref>
| The northern [[Rocky Mountains]]
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. occidentalis''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. labradorius''<br />[[Labrador wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate V) C. l. labradorius.jpg|140px]]
| Goldman, 1937<ref name="Goldman"/>
| A medium-sized, light-colored subspecies.<ref name="goldman1944labradorius">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 434-35</ref>
| [[Labrador]] and northern [[Quebec]]; confirmed presence on [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]]<ref name=tele1>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegram.com/Canada---World/Sports/2012-05-25/article-2987989/Wolf-in-Newfoundland-probably-made-it-to-island-on-ice%2C-experts-say/1|title=Wolf in Newfoundland probably made it to island on ice, experts say|publisher=The Telegram|date=25 May 2012|access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2012/env/0823n04.htm|title=Genetic Retesting of DNA Confirms Second Wolf on Island of Newfoundland |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. nubilus''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. ligoni''<br />[[Alexander Archipelago wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. ligoni mod.jpg|140px]]
| Goldman, 1937<ref name="Goldman"/>
| A medium-sized, dark-colored subspecies.<ref name="goldman1944ligoni">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 453-55</ref>
| The [[Alexander Archipelago]], [[Alaska]]
| <small>Currently (2023) synonymized under ''C. l. crassodon''.</small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. lycaon''<br />[[Eastern wolf]]<br /><small>but refer Synonyms</small>
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate V).png|130px]]
| Schreber, 1775
| Two forms are known – a small, reddish-brown colored form called the Algonquin wolf; and a slightly larger, more grayish-brown form called the [[Great Lakes wolf]], which is an admixture of the Algonquin wolf and other gray wolves.<ref name="goldman1944lycaon">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 437-41</ref>
| The Algonquin form occupies central [[Ontario]] and southwestern [[Quebec]], particularly in and nearby protected areas, such as [[Algonquin Provincial Park]] in [[Ontario]], and possibly extreme northeastern U.S. and western New Brunswick. The Great Lakes form occupies northern Ontario, [[Wisconsin]] and [[Minnesota]], the Upper Peninsula of [[Michigan]] and southern [[Manitoba]].  Overlaps of the two forms occur, with intermixing in the southern portions of northern Ontario. 
| <small>''canadensis'' de Blainville, 1843, ''ungavensis'' Comeau, 1940</small><ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000763 }}</ref><br /><br /><small>The Algonquin form is currently (2025) recognized as the species ''Canis lycaon''<ref name=wilson2000/> by the American Society of Mammalogists, but its taxonomy is still debated.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Considering Pleistocene North American wolves and coyotes in the eastern Canis origin story |date=5 June 2021 |publisher=Wiley Online Library|doi=10.1002/ece3.7757 |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul J. |last2=Rutledge |first2=Linda Y. |journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=11 |issue=13 |pages=9137–9147 |pmid=34257949 |pmc=8258226 |bibcode=2021EcoEv..11.9137W }}</ref></small> 
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. mackenzii''<br />[[Mackenzie River wolf]]
| [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I) C. l. mackenzii mod.jpg|150px]]
| Anderson, 1943
| A subspecies with variable fur and intermediate in size between ''occidentalis'' and ''manningi''.<ref name="goldman1944mackenzii">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 474-76</ref>
| The southern [[Northwest Territories]]
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. occidentalis''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. manningi''<br />[[Baffin Island wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IV) C. l. manningi mod.jpg|130 px]]
| Anderson, 1943
| The smallest subspecies of the Arctic, with buffy-white fur.<ref name="goldman1944manningi">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 476-77</ref>
| [[Baffin Island]]
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. nubilus''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. occidentalis''<br />[[Northwestern wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I) C. l. occidentalis mod.jpg|150px]]
| Richardson, 1829
| A very large, usually light-colored subspecies, and the biggest subspecies.<ref name="goldman1944occidentalis">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 424-27</ref>
| [[Alaska]], [[Yukon]], the [[Northwest Territories]], [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], and the [[northwestern United States]]
| <small>''ater'' Richardson, 1829, ''sticte'' Richardson, 1829<ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000769 }}</ref></small>

<small>The ''C. l. occidentalis'' of Nowak (1995) synonymizes ''alces'', ''columbianus'', ''griseoalbus'', ''mackenzii'', ''pambasileus'' and ''tundrarum'', which is the currently (2025) recognized classification.<ref name=nowak1995/></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. orion''<br />[[Greenland wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. orion mod.jpg|150px]]
| Pocock, 1935
| 
| [[Greenland]] and the [[Queen Elizabeth Islands]]<ref>Nowak, R.M. 1983. A perspective on the taxonomy of wolves in North America. In: Carbyn, L.N., ed. Wolves in Canada and Alaska. Canadian Wildlife Service, Report Series 45:lO-19.</ref>
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. arctos''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. pambasileus''<br />[[Interior Alaskan wolf|Alaskan Interior wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I) C. l. pambasileus mod.jpg|150 px]]
| Miller, 1912
| The second largest subspecies of wolf, second in skull and tooth proportions only to ''occidentalis'' (see chart above), with fur that is black, white or a mixture of both in color.<ref name="Miller, G.S.">{{Cite web |last=Miller Jr. |first=Gerrit S. |date=8 June 1912 |title=THE NAMES OF THE LARGE WOLVES OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN NORTH AMERICA |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/23457/1912%20SMC%20v59%20Miller%20Wolves%27%20names%201-5.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=26 October 2022 |website=Smithsonian Research Online}}</ref>
| The [[Interior Alaska|Alaskan Interior]] and [[Yukon]], save for the [[tundra]] region of the Arctic Coast<ref name=mech1981pambasileus>Mech, L. David (1981), ''The Wolf: The Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species'', University of Minnesota Press, pp. 352-353, {{ISBN|0-8166-1026-6}}</ref>
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. occidentalis''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" |''C. l. nubilus''<br />[[Great Plains wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. nubilus mod.jpg|140px]]
| Say, 1823
| A medium-sized, light-colored subspecies.<ref name="goldman1944nubilus">Young, Stanley P.; Goldman, Edward A. (1944). ''The Wolves of North America, Part II''. New York, Dover Publications, Inc., pp. 441-45</ref>
| Throughout the [[Great Plains]] from southern [[Manitoba]] and [[Saskatchewan]] southward to northern [[Texas]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mech|first1=L.|title=The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species|publisher=Doubleday|year=1970|chapter=Appendix A – Subspecies of wolves – North American|isbn=978-0-307-81913-0|chapter-url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=KOQZrXvczGMC}}|quote=Great Plains wolf; buffalo wolf; loafer. This is another extinct subspecies. It once extended throughout the Great Plains from southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan southward to northern Texas.}}</ref>
| <small>''variabilis'' Wied-Neuwied, 1841</small>.<ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14000768 }}</ref> <small>Previously thought extinct in 1926, the Great Plains wolf's descendants were found in the northeastern region of the United States and have become federally protected since 1974.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-0-387-85952-1|title=Recovery of Gray wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the United States, An Endangered Subpecies Success Story|publisher=link.springer.com|year=2009 |doi=10.1007/978-0-387-85952-1 |isbn=978-0-387-85951-4 |s2cid=132793403 |editor-last1=Wydeven |editor-last2=Van Deelen |editor-last3=Heske |editor-first1=Adrian P |editor-first2=Timothy R |editor-first3=Edward J }}</ref></small> 

<small>As of 2025 the classification of the more broadly defined ''C. l. nubilus'' of Nowak (1995) synonymizes ''beothucus'', ''fuscus'', ''hudsonicus'', ''irremotus'', ''labridorius'', ''manningi'', ''mogollonensis'', ''monstrabilis'' and ''youngi'', in which case the subspecies is extant in Canada (see infobox map).<ref name=nowak1995/></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. rufus''<br />[[Red wolf]]<br /><small>but refer Synonyms</small> 
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate V) C. l. rufus mod.png|130 px]]
| Audubon and Bachman, 1851
| Has a brownish or cinnamon pelt, with gray and black shading on the back and tail. Generally intermediate in size between other North American wolf subspecies and the [[coyote]]. Like other wolves, it has almond-shaped eyes, a broad muzzle and a wide nose pad though, like the coyote, its ears are proportionately larger. It has a deeper profile, a longer and broader head than the coyote, and has a less prominent ruff than other wolves.<ref name=canis>{{cite web | title = Red Wolf | website = canids.org | url = http://www.canids.org/species/Red_wolf.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081217112919/http://www.canids.org/species/Red_wolf.pdf | archive-date = 2008-12-17 }}</ref> 
| Historically distributed throughout the [[Eastern United States|Eastern]], [[Southern United States|Southern]], and [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern]] [[United States]], from southernmost [[New York (state)|New York]] south to [[Florida]] and west to [[Texas]]. Modern range is eastern [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mammals/red-wolf/|title=Red wolf|website=Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-10}}</ref>
| {{smalldiv|Currently considered a distinct species, ''Canis rufus'', but this proposal is still debated.<ref name=chambers2012/> As a species, the red wolf would have the following subspecies:
#''[[Canis rufus rufus]]'', formerly ''Canis niger rufus'' (Texas red wolf) 
#''[[Canis rufus floridanus]]'', formerly ''Canis niger niger'' (Florida black wolf) 
#''[[Canis rufus gregoryi]]'', formerly ''Canis niger gregoryi'' (Mississippi Valley red wolf)
}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''C. l. tundrarum''<br />[[Alaskan tundra wolf]]
|[[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I) C. l. tundrarum mod.jpg|150 px]]
| Miller, 1912
| A large, white-colored subspecies closely resembling ''pambasileus'', though lighter in color.<ref name=mech1981tundrarum>Mech, L. David (1981), ''The Wolf: The Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species'', University of Minnesota Press, p. 353, {{ISBN|0-8166-1026-6}}</ref>
| The [[Barren Grounds]] of the Arctic Coast region from near [[Point Barrow]] eastward toward [[Hudson Bay]] and probably northwards to the [[Arctic Archipelago]]<ref name=miller1912>{{cite journal | last1 = Miller | first1 = G. S. | year = 1913 | title = The names of the large wolves of northern and western North America | journal = Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections | volume = 59 | issue = #15 }}</ref>
| <small>Currently (2025) synonymized under ''C. l. occidentalis''<ref name=nowak1995/><ref>{{cite journal |title=An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses |publisher= Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and Labrador|date=23 August 2012|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001 |last1=Amaral |first1=Michael |last2=Fazio |first2=Bud |last3=Fain |first3=Steven R. |last4=Chambers |first4=Steven M. |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67 |doi-access=free }}</ref></small>
|}