Eurasian Wolf

Eurasian Wolf
Eurasian Wolf at Polar Park in Bardu, Norway
Information
Range	Eurasia, North Africa and North America
Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Canidae
Genus	Canis
Species	Canis lupus
Conservation Status
Least Concern

The Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus), also known as the common wolf or the Middle Russian forest wolf, is a subspecies of the gray wolf native to Europe and the forests and steppes of the former Soviet Union and has been once widespread throughout Europe and Asia until Medieval times when the wolf was hunted down in some parts. The word "Wolf" comes from Middle English wolf which comes from Old English Wulf which comes from Proto-Germanic *wulfaz which ultimately comes from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos. In Latin it is lupus which is from an Oscan-Umbrian language which is from Proto-Italic lukʷos which formed from metathesis from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos. The */kʷ → p/ change is regular in Osco-Umbrian, but absent from Latin. The wolf had a signifiacent impact in Indo-European cultures and Indo-European languages typically have several words for "wolf", thus attesting to the animal's abundance and cultural significance. It was held in high regard in Baltic, Celtic, Slavic, ancient Greek, Roman and Thracian cultures, whilst having an ambivalent reputation in early Germanic cultures. it even had a high regard in non-Indo-European cultures like Turkic.

Subpopulations

• European Wolf
• Asian Wolf
• Sicilian Wolf (possibly)