The grey wolf (Canis lupus), or just wolf, is a mammal of the order Carnivora. It is sometimes called timber wolf.
It is the ancestor of the domestic dog. A recent study found that the domestic dog is descended from wolves tamed less than 16,300 years ago south of the Yangtze River in China.
There are many different wolf subspecies, such as the Arctic wolf. Some subspecies are listed on the endangered species list, but overall, Canis lupus is IUCN graded as 'least concern'
Adult wolves are usually 1.4 to 1.8 metres in length from nose to tail depending on the subspecies.Wolves living in the far north tend to be larger than those living further south.As adults they may weigh typically between 23 to 50 kilograms.The heaviest wolf recorded weighed 86 kilograms.
