CANIS LUPUS ORION
The Greenland wolf (Canis lupus orion) is a subspecies of the grey wolf. It was described by the British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock in 1935.
- Common name: Greenland wolf
- Scientific name: Canis lupus orion
- Specie: Gray wolf
- Type: Mammals
- Diet: Carnivore
- Average size: 5 feet (1.5 m)
- Average weight: 57 lbs
GREENLAND WOLF DESCRIPTION
The Greenland wolf has been described as a "very pale" white wolf similar to the Arctic wolf and resident in Greenland. It is a medium-sized but extremely light canine animal.🐺 Note that this detail remains indicative in that only five specimens were captured in winter for study, which may explain their relatively light weight, which could be attributed to malnutrition rather than to a morphological difference between Canis lupus orion and high Arctic tundra wolves.
GREENLAND WOLF HABITAT
As its name suggests, the Greenland wolf lives in the Arctic region (Northern Hemisphere) of the cold lands of Greenland.❄️
GREENLAND WOLF DIET
He lives in extreme conditions where the summer is very short and the maximum temperatures reach 5°.🌡️ In autumn and winter it moves alone or in small groups of individuals. Its prey is varied, ranging from small lemming mammals, arctic hares and birds. It hunts in packs for larger prey such as caribou and muskoxen.🍗
GREENLAND WOLF TAXONOMY
Because of the proximity of its range to that of the Arctic wolf, the status of the Greenland wolf is disputed whether it is a distinct subspecies or not. Most biologists accept that the Greenland wolf migrated from Canada across the frozen sea between the two regions. One of the major problems in classifying the Greenland wolf is that the wolf population is very small in Greenland and it is very difficult to observe them. For this reason, there are no adequate studies that can be compared to other studies done on North American wolves.
The validity of the subspecies Canis lupus orion is still questioned today by many scientists. The fact that wolves from Alaska have and still migrate through the Nares Strait does not help the hypotheses.
GREENLAND WOLF SPECIES STATUS
The Greenland wolf is on the verge of extinction, with an estimated population of about 100 individuals. In addition, extreme climate conditions do not facilitate the survival of any pups that might be born. There is also a very depleted genetic capital. Indeed, the low number of individuals often leads to inbreeding.
Unfortunately, the Greenland wolf is not the only endangered wolf species, it is also the case of many subspecies present on the American continent such as the Yukon wolf.
