What species of dog is closest to a wolf?

Answer 1

Wolves are members of the scientific family Canidae, or the dog family, which also includes coyotes, foxes, jackals and domestic dogs. Wolves are very closely related to domestic dogs and it is believed that wolves are the direct ancestors of domestic dogs. The two are so closely related that they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. It may be hard to believe that some dogs, such as the tiny chihuahua or the Mexican hairless dog, are very closely related to wolves, but they have many physical and behavioral traits in common. One important difference between wolves and domestic dogs is that dogs can breed twice a year and wolves can only breed once a year.

The wolf was given the scientific name Canis lupus by Carolus Linnaeus in the 1700's, and it is still referred to as that today.

Wolves closely resemble German shepherd or malamute dogs physically. However, wolves have longer legs and bigger feet than do similar sized dogs. Most male wolves weigh between 32 and 45 kilograms (70-100 pounds) and females usually weigh between 24 and 41 kilograms (55-90 pounds). In general, wolves found at higher latitudes are larger than the wolves found at lower latitudes. Wolves of the high arctic represent an exception to this rule, however, and are smaller than the wolves of northern Canada and Alaska. The heaviest wolf on record was captured in Alaska in 1939 and weighed 175 pounds. Wolves that large are quite unusual, however. From the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, male wolves measure between 1.5 to 1.9 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) and females measure between 1.3 and 1.8 meters (4.5 to 6 feet).

Wolves come in many colours, but the majority are various shades of gray. Canis lupus is often called the gray wolf or timber wolf. Gray coloured wolves often have coats that consist of hairs that are white, black, chestnut or gray, and some gray coloured wolves have a saddle shaped patch of colour on their back that contrasts with the rest of their coat. "Grey wolves" are not always grey, however. Wolves can be solid white, cream or black. The wolves of Canada's high arctic are white,or cream coloured, and roughly one-third of northern Canada's wolves are black. The dark coats of black wolves often fade with age. Wolves of varying colours can appear in the same litter and often appear where populations are usually gray coloured. Black, white or cream colored wolves can also be born to two parents whose coats are gray. The two photos below display some of the variation that can be seen in wolf coat colours.

Wolves, like all canids, have 42 teeth: 20 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower jaw. A wolf's "fangs" or canine teeth can be up to 6.25 centimeters (2.5 inches) long. These long, sharp, slightly curved teeth allow a wolf to grip onto its prey tightly until it is brought down. The upper jaw of a wolf has six incisors, two canine teeth, eight premolars and four molars. The lower jaw has six incisors, two canine teeth, eight premolars and six molars. The incisors are located at the front of the jaw and are used to cut flesh from prey. Premolars and molars are used to slice and grind food.

A wolf's survival often depends on silent, fast motion. Therefore, wolves run on only their toes, with the back parts of the feet raised off the ground. (Digitigrade movement) This method of movement, also used by cats, enables an animal to move faster and more quietly than animals that use the more primitive plantigrade movement, where the feet are placed flat on the ground with every step. Primates (including humans) and bears move this way.

Wolves generally live in packs. The number of wolves that may live in a pack varies greatly because of the birth of pups and mortality. Many wolf packs contain four to seven wolves, although wolf packs with up to thirty members have been reported. Such large packs typically break up fairly quickly, however. Wolves can be territorial, and the size of a wolf pack's territory may vary from 60 square kilometers (25 square miles) to 1300 square kilometers (500 square miles), depending on the availability of prey. Wolves are carnivores, and are primarily hunters of large hoofed mammals (ungulates). Wolves may also hunt smaller animals, such as rabbits, rodents (especially beavers) and birds.

In captivity, wolves typically live to be about thirteen or fourteen years of age, and the oldest wolf on record lived to be eighteen years old. In the wild, however, wolves rarely live past ten years of age, because of disease, injuries, and parasites. It is not uncommon for wolves to be fatally injured by their prey. Unfortunately, humans activities also cause a great deal of wolf mortality. Such causes include legal and illegal hunting, predator control programs, vehicle collisions and trapping. Most wild wolves do not live past five years, although there is one record of a wild wolf living to be thirteen years of age.

Answer 2

Yes, dogs are descendants of wolves. Even the little Yorkie to the huge Great Dane are evolved from wolves. Dogs were domesticated about 15,000 years ago.
The dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora.
Yes.

Answer 3

The german shepherd is the closest breed of dog to the wolf. To make the breed, a wolf was added and then bred out, so while in a normal dog you would have to go back 1,000 of generations to get a dog near the wolf, in a german shepherd it would be somewhat closer.

Answer 4

Yes, a dog is in the canis lupus family. They are also in Animalia. hahaha got you good

Answer 5

No. A wolf is a canine; a cat is a feline.

Answer 6

they are not