Mexican Wolf
Canis lupus baileyi
Mexican wolves are the smallest subspecies of North American gray wolves. They are also the most endangered. Commonly referred to as "El lobo," the Mexican wolf is gray with light brown fur on its back. Its long legs and sleek body enable it to run fast.
Height 26-32 inches at the shoulder
Length 4.5-5.5 feet from nose to tip
of tail
Weight 60-80 lbs; Males are typically heavier and taller than the
females
Lifespan Up to 15 years in captivity
Diet
Staples Ungulates (large hoofed mammals) like white-tailed deer,
mule deer and elk
Also known to eat smaller mammals like rabbits, ground
squirrels and mice.
Population
Once extirpated from the southwestern United States, 34 wolves returned to southeastern Arizona following a reintroduction program begun in March, 1998. There are only about 200 Mexican wolves in captivity. The goal of the reintroduction program is to restore at least 100 wolves to the wild by 2008.
Range
Mexican wolves once ranged from central Mexico to southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Today, the Mexican wolf has been reintroduced to the Apache National Forest in southeastern Arizona and may move into the adjacent Gila National Forest in western New Mexico as the population expands.
Behavior
Mexican wolves prefer to live in mountain forests, grasslands and shrublands, and are very social animals. They live in packs, which are complex social structures that include the breeding adult pair (the alpha male and female) and their offspring. A hierarchy of dominant and subordinate animals within the pack help it to work as a unit.
Reproduction
Mating Season Mid February-mid March
Gestation 63
days
Litter size 4-7 pups
Pups are born blind and defenseless. The pack
cares for the pups until they mature at about 10 months of age.
Threats
Humans and habitat destruction pose the greatest threat to Mexican wolves.
Defenders of Wildlife has been a leader in wolf conservation since wolves first appeared on the federal endangered species list.
Legal Status/Protection
*Endangered Species Act (ESA), **CITES Appendix
I
* The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify
species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and
help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health
of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our
children and grandchildren.
** Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
How You Can Help
- Help wolves and other wildlife by adopting a wolf today at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.
For additional information
- Visit Defenders' Southwest Wolves Recovery pages for more information about what Defenders is doing to help.
- Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Web Site
- Mexican Wolf Reintroduction and Management Information on the Arizona Game and Fish Web Site
- Field Trip Earth: Ghosts of the Southwest
