The wolf, scientific name Canis lupus, is also synonymous to the grey wolf or the timber wolf. They wolves are the largest of all the wild members of the Canidae family.

The wolves are survivors of the cruel ice age, and originated during the Late Pleistocene era, which was about 300,000 years ago. The wolf actually shares a common ancestry with the common domestic dog, or Canis lupus familiaris. Some studies even claim that the wolf is the domestic dog’s ancestor, although the claim is still yet to be authenticated, as some facts are still being questioned.

Wolves

Wolves are a popular fixture in many folklore tales and mythologies. Different cultures like in American-Indian cultures tell of tales involving wolves. There were both positive and negative tales told about wolves in provincial lore too, as wolves as seen by some cultures as venerable and good beings and as stalkers and predators in others.

Wolves are abundant in parts of Northern America and Eurasia, but the current state of widespread destruction brought to its habitat has brought its numbers down considerably. Human encroachment and unfavorable encounters between humans and wolves have also caused much of the wolves’ numbers to deteriorate, as they were even treated as pests in farmland areas.