Tibetan wolf

		Tibetan wolf
		He is a wild animal


Origin			Tibet
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009)

The Canis lupus chanco was identified as a subspecies of the gray wolf in 1863 by British zoologist John Edward Gray. It is also known as Canis lupus, Canis lupsu laniger, the Tibetan wolf, the Mongolian wolf and the Chinese wolf. For a long time, the Tibetan wolf and the Himalayan wolf were recognized as one and the same. However, recent genetic studies suggest that the Himalayan wolf is a distinct species, the Canis himalayensis.

The Tibetan wolf is found in central China, Manschurai, the jungles and deserts of Mongolia, northern Sikkim, Tibet, south-west Russia, the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Tibetan wolves can vary in size from 1.47 to 1.65 m (nose to tail) and 68 to 76 cm in height, weighing 29 to 32 kg. Compared to the common European wolf, they are slightly taller, with shorter legs. Their skull is similar, with a thinner muzzle. This "woolly wolf" has a long, shaggy coat that varies with the season, usually a mixture of white, yellow, brown, gray and black.

The Tibetan wolf is an incredible hunter with excellent survival skills. It has been known to hunt both day and night, alone or in packs. Its preferred prey includes deer, blue sheep and other large mammals. When food becomes scarce, it feeds on small animals such as marmots, hares, ground squirrels and mice. When hunting, the wolf can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h.

The Tibetan wolf reaches sexual maturity in its second year. The breeding season generally takes place in spring. To maintain pack strength, only the dominant male and female pair mate. Two months later, four to six puppies are born, each weighing around 450 grams. At three or four weeks, they leave the den. They are fed by their mother for two to three months, after which they begin to mark with their parents' hunt. In the wild, they live between six and ten years. In captivity, they can live up to twenty years.

Endangered, appendix I, (1991).