Currently, the Canis lupus species is the most widely distributed canid in the world. There are several subspecies distributed throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Depending on the subspecies, they vary in terms of fur coloration and size. In particular, the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is one of the smallest subspecies of gray wolf found in North America, and is similar in shape and size to the of a medium-sized dog, reaching about 120 to 180 cm in length from snout to tail, the male being slightly larger than the female.
Continue reading this article on our site and you will learn why the Mexican wolf is in danger of extinction and its main characteristics.
Characteristics and distribution of the Mexican wolf
As we mentioned, the Mexican wolf is a smaller species than the rest of its congeners, it measures about 80 cm tall and is yellowish-brown to grayish-brown in color, which varies along the body. Regarding its diet, its usual prey is the white-tailed deer and, on average, it can consume up to almost 3 kg of meat per day, being able to eat large amounts of food in a short time. Sometimes these amounts are not always available, so wild wolves have been known to fast for 2 weeks or more, while continuing to forage.
The wolf is the only member of the American canids that has a defined social behavior, since they form packs and closed family nuclei with a perfectly established hierarchy, where the alpha male is dominant and in charge of defending the entire group, followed by a beta male. They are very territorial, actively defending their home range. In the wild they can live between 7 and 8 years, while in captivity they can live up to 15, reproducing only once a year.
Historically, this species was distributed from the desert of Sonora, Chihuahua and central Mexico, to western Texas, southern New Mexico and central Arizona and inhabited relatively humid environments, preferably intemperate forests and grasslands , where it had access to a greater availability of prey.
If you want to know more about these incredible animals, you may be interested in this other article on Types of wolves and their characteristics.
Why is the Mexican wolf in danger of extinction?
The Mexican wolf was declared in danger of extinction at the end of the 70's and at that time it was estimated that its population was very small, with barely fifty individuals. Today this species is protected, rehabilitated and conserved in northern Mexico and the southern United States.
The reduction of their prey, such as deer, caused the wolves to begin attacking livestock, resulting in their hunting, as well as trapping and poisoning of animals and the use of pesticides (such as sodium monofluoroacetate), which caused its decrease. This led to the Mexican wolf being eliminated in the wild in the 1950s, only to be declared a threatened species in 1976, a status that remains today.
Because wolves preyed on livestock, the economic loss to ranchers was the most important argument to eradicate them. Today, there is still a strong attitude of rejection on the part of them for the reintroduction of wolves, and that is why environmental education and species management programs are very important, as well as the establishment of livestock insurance against depredation..
Currently, the main threat to the Mexican wolf is the loss of its habitat (temperate forests and grasslands), as it annually they deforest and fragment hundreds of hectares of temperate forests in their distribution area due to agricultural activities.
In this other article we talk about another 24 animals in danger of extinction in Mexico.
Strategies for the conservation of the Mexican wolf
From the 1970s and 1980s, campaigns began to recover populations of the Mexican wolf from the last specimens that were captured in Mexico. During that time, the Plan for the survival of the Mexican wolf (AZA Mexican Wolf SSP) was created, and both in the United States and Mexico, a recovery program began in captivity that had as its objective the reproduction of specimens and then release the young. Then, in late 2012, it was estimated that at least 75 wolves and four breeding pairs lived on the grounds of the recovery areas. Already in 2014, the first birth of a Mexican wolf in a wild environment after its reintroduction was recorded.
A 2015 US study showed a population of at least 109 wolves in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, which means a increase of 31% since 2013 Later, in 2016, the last official count of the species was made, where 21 Mexican wolves were recorded living in the wild in Mexico, including 3 consecutive litters totaling15 pups born in the wild , which is a success for the species.
Currently, the recovery of the wolf can be associated with a economic benefit which, in some places, exceeds the associated costs to reintroduction. Said economic relief comes fundamentally from the development of tourist programs and the operation of educational centers on wolves, which in turn generate jobs.
