KENAI PENINSULA WOLF
CANIS LUPUS ALCES
The Kenai Peninsula wolf (Canis lupus alces) is a subspecies of the grey wolf. This canid was the largest wolf in North America before it was exterminated by man. The Kenai Peninsula wolf was described by Edward Alphonso Goldman in 1941.
- Common name: Kenai Peninsula Wolf
- Scientific name: Canis Lupus Alces
- Specie: Gray wolf
- Type: Mammals
- Diet: Carnivore
- Average size: 4,9 to 6,5 feet
- Average Weight: 147 to 198 lbs
- Status: Extinct
IS THE KENAI PENINSULA WOLF EXTINCT?
The Kenai Peninsula wolf was officially declared extinct in 1925. The Kenai Peninsula wolf was often seen in the early 1890's when settlers arrived in the area due to the Klondike Gold Rush. In the late 1910s, wolf populations on the peninsula were almost completely eradicated by hunting and poisoning from 1890 to 1915. During these years, other species of wolves have unfortunately become extinct, such as the Newfoundland wolf.
The Kenai Peninsula wolf is now classified as belonging to the same subspecies as the Canadian wolf, although it is still considered a distinct subspecies by some classification agencies.🧬
KENAI PENINSULA WOLF DESCRIPTION
The wolf of the Kenai Peninsula was 4,9 to 6,5 feet (1.50 to 2 m) long, 2,9 to 3,8 feet (90 cm to 1.15 m) high and weighed 147 to 198 lbs (67 to 90 kg). Its large size gave it a serious advantage in hunting large ungulates.
KENAI PENINSULA WOLF HABITAT
Before its extinction, this wolf lived on a peninsula in southern Alaska called the Kenai Peninsula from which it takes its name. Although there is a population of wolves living on the peninsula, the lack of genetic similarity of the original species resulted in an extinction classification of the original subspecies.
KENAI PENINSULA WOLF DIET
The Kenai Peninsula wolf was a large carnivorous predator whose diet consisted of elk (Alces alces). This is where its name Canis lupus alces comes from.🦌
