View source for Arctic wolf

{{Short description|Subspecies of carnivore}}
{{Redirect2|White wolf|Polar wolf|other uses|White Wolf (disambiguation)|other uses|Arctic wolf (disambiguation)|the prison in Russia|FKU IK-3, Kharp}}
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{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Subspeciesbox
| name = Arctic wolf
| image = Canis lupus arctos qtl1.jpg
| image_caption = 
| status = DD
| status_system = COSEWIC
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/publications/canadian-wildlife-species-risk-2021.html |title=Canadian Wildlife Species at Risk 2021|access-date=2023-10-14|date=2021-12-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.741211/Canis_lupus_arctos|title=Canis lupus arctos|access-date=2023-10-14}}</ref>
| genus = Canis
| species_link = Gray wolf
| species = lupus
| subspecies = arctos
| authority = [[Reginald I. Pocock|Pocock]], 1935
| range_map = North American gray wolf subspecies distribution according to Goldman (1944) & MSW3 (2005).png
| range_map_caption = Historical and present range of [[Subspecies of Canis lupus|grey wolf subspecies]] in North America
}}

The '''Arctic wolf''' ('''''Canis lupus arctos'''''), also known as the '''white wolf''', '''polar wolf''', and the '''Arctic grey wolf''', is a [[Subspecies of Canis lupus|subspecies of grey wolf]] native to the [[High Arctic tundra]] of Canada's [[Queen Elizabeth Islands]], from [[Melville Island (Northwest Territories and Nunavut)|Melville Island]] to [[Ellesmere Island]].<ref>Mech, L. David (1981), ''The Wolf: The Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species'', University of Minnesota Press, p. 352, {{ISBN|0-8166-1026-6}}</ref> Unlike some populations that move between tundra and forest regions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/en/services/wolves|title = Wolves}}</ref> Arctic wolves spend their entire lives north of the northern [[treeline]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/Arctic_animals/arctic_wolf.php|title=Arctic Wolf Facts and Adaptations - Canis lupus arctos}}</ref> Their distribution to south is limited to the northern fringes of the [[Middle Arctic tundra]] on the southern half of [[Prince of Wales Island (Nunavut)|Prince of Wales]] and [[Somerset Island (Nunavut)|Somerset Islands]]. It is a medium-sized subspecies, distinguished from the [[northwestern wolf]] by its smaller size, whiter colouration, narrower [[Neurocranium|braincase]],<ref name=goldman>Goldman, E. A. (1964). Classification of wolves. In ''The Wolves of North America'' Part 2. Young, S. P. & Goldman, E. A. (Eds.) New York: Dover Publs. p. 430.</ref> and larger [[carnassial]]s.<ref name=brock>{{cite journal | last1 = Clutton-Brock | first1 = J. | last2 = Kitchener | first2 = A. C. | last3 = Lynch | first3 = J. M. | year = 1994 | title = Changes in the skull morphology of the Arctic wolf, ''Canis lupus arctos'', during the twentieth century | journal = Journal of Zoology | volume = 233 | pages = 19–36 | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1994.tb05259.x}}</ref> Since 1930, there has been a progressive reduction in size in Arctic wolf skulls, which is likely the result of [[Wolfdog|wolf-dog hybridization]].<ref name="brock" />

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Map indicating the Queen Elizabeth (or Parry) Islands, northern Canada.png|thumb|left|Queen Elizabeth Islands, northern Canada]]
[[File:Mapchart.JPG|thumb|left|Queen Elizabeth Islands region (QEI) divided into five major areas by apparent importance to arctic-island wolves.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Wolf-sightings on the Canadian Arctic Islands|last = Miller|first = Frank|date = 1995|journal =  Arctic |doi = 10.14430/arctic1253|volume=48|issue = 4|doi-access = free}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite journal |title=Movement Patterns of Barren-Ground Wolves in the Central Canadian Arctic |last=Walton |first=Lyle |date=2001 |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |doi= 10.1093/jmammal/82.3.867|volume=82 |issue=3 |pages=867–876}}</ref>]]

In 1935, the British zoologist [[Reginald Pocock]] attributed the subspecies name ''Canis lupus arctos'' (Arctic wolf) to a specimen from Melville Island in the [[Queen Elizabeth Islands]], Canada. He wrote that similar wolves could be found on Ellesmere Island. He also attributed the name ''Canis lupus orion'' to a [[Greenland wolf]] specimen from [[Cape York (Greenland)|Cape York]], northwest Greenland.<ref name=pocock1935/> Both wolves are recognized as separate subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' in the taxonomic authority ''[[Mammal Species of the World]]'' (2005).<ref name=wozencraft2005/>

A study by Chambers ''et al''. (2012) using [[Autosome|autosomal]] [[microsatellite]] DNA and [[Mitochondrial DNA]] data indicate that the Arctic wolf has no unique [[haplotype]]s which suggests that its colonization of the Arctic Archipelago from the North American mainland was relatively recent, and thus not sufficient to warrant subspecies status.<ref name=Chambers>{{cite journal |title=An account of the taxonomy of North American wolves from morphological and genetic analyses |vauthors=Chambers SM, Fain SR, Fazio B, Amaral M |year=2012 |journal=North American Fauna |volume=77 |pages=1–67|doi=10.3996/nafa.77.0001|doi-access=free }}</ref> During a meeting assembled in 2014 by the [[National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis]] of the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]], one speaker, Robert K. Wayne, mentioned he disagreed with the conclusion that a subspecies had to be genetically distinct, believing that different subspecies could slowly grade into each other - suggesting that although it was impossible to determine if an individual wolf was one subspecies or the next using DNA, the population of Arctic wolves as a whole could be distinguished by the looking at the proportions of [[single-nucleotide polymorphism]]s (SNP): i.e. Arctic wolves could be distinguished by having three wolves in the putative population with a specific SNP, whereas another subspecies could be distinguished by having 20 wolves with that SNP. Wayne furthermore stated that he believed the [[habitat]] in which the wolf happened to be found was a good enough characteristic to distinguish a subspecies.<ref>[http://www.fws.gov/home/wolfrecovery/pdf/Final_Review_of_Proposed_rule_regarding_wolves2014.pdf#47 Review of Proposed Rule Regarding Status of the Wolf Under the Endangered Species Act] p. 47</ref>

==Behaviour==
The Arctic wolf is relatively unafraid of people, and can be coaxed to approach people in some areas.<ref name=mech2007>Mech, L. D., [https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/arctic-zone/essay_mech.html Arctic Wolves and Their Prey], ''[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]'', May 30, 2007</ref> The wolves on Ellesmere Island do not fear humans, which is thought to be due to them seeing humans so little, and they will approach humans cautiously and curiously.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-syB6DSQlvQC&pg=PA7 Arctic Wolf: The High Arctic] by Laura DeLallo. Bearport Publishing, New York 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2Y3BN0thkbqhzBwjLKkcfmh/arctic-wildlife-in-a-warming-world Arctic wildlife in a warming world] by Michael Becker. BBC Two, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://internationalwolfcenter.blogspot.com.au/2006_10_01_archive.html Ellesmere Island Journal & Field Notes] by Henry Beston 2006. International Wolf Centre.</ref><ref>[http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/arctic-zone/essay_mech.html Arctic Wolves and Their Prey] by L. David Mech. National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific Marine Environment Laboratory, Arctic Zone. 2004</ref> [[Otto Sverdrup]] wrote that during the [[Nansen's Fram expedition|Fram expedition]], a pair of wolves shadowed one of his teammates, who kept them at a distance by waving his ski pole.<ref name=sverdrup>Sverdrup, O. N., (1918), ''[https://archive.org/stream/newlandfouryears01sveruoft#page/430/mode/2up/search/wolves New land; four years in the Arctic regions]'', Vol. I, London Longmans, Green, pp. 431–432</ref> In 1977, a pair of scientists were approached by six wolves on Ellesmere Island, with one animal leaping at one of the scientists and grazing a cheek. A number of incidents involving aggressive wolves have occurred in [[Alert, Nunavut]], where the wolves have lived in close proximity to the local weather station for decades and became habituated to humans. One of these wolves attacked 3 people, was shot, and tested positive for rabies.<ref>Linnell, J.D.C., et al. (2002). [http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/2002.Review.wolf.attacks.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802021922/https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/2002.Review.wolf.attacks.pdf|date=2020-08-02}}, NINA, pp. 29–31, {{ISBN|82-426-1292-7}}</ref>
[[File:09 North Pole Wolf.jpg|thumb|Arctic wolf feeding on muskox carcass in Ellesmere Island]]
Very little is known about the movement of the Arctic wolves, mainly due to climate. The only time at which the wolf migrates is during the wintertime when there is complete darkness for 24 hours. This makes Arctic wolf movement hard to research. About {{convert|2,250|km|abbr=on}} south of the High Arctic, a wolf movement study took place in the wintertime in complete darkness, when the temperature was as low as {{convert|-53|C}}. The researchers found that wolves prey mainly on the [[muskox]]en. There is no available information of the wolves' movements where the muskoxen were.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |title=Movements Of Wolves At The Northern Extreme Of The Species' Range, Including During Four Months Of Darkness |last=Mech |first=David |date=2011 |journal=PLOS ONE |doi= 10.1371/journal.pone.0025328|pmid= 21991308|pmc=3186767 |volume=6 |issue=10 |pages=e25328|bibcode=2011PLoSO...625328M |doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Diet ==
In the wild, Arctic wolves primarily prey on [[muskox]]en and [[Arctic hare]]s. They have also been found to prey on [[lemming]]s, [[reindeer|caribou]], [[Arctic fox]]es, birds, and beetles. It has been also found that Arctic wolves scavenge through garbage. This sort of food source will not always be found in the Arctic wolf's diet because of regional and seasonal availability.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Marquard|first=Peterson|date=1998|title=Food Habits of Arctic Wolves in Greenland|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|volume=79|issue=1|pages=236–244|doi=10.2307/1382859|jstor=1382859|doi-access=free}}<!--|access-date = October 30, 2015--></ref> Sometimes there is debate whether the muskox or the Arctic hare is the primary prey for the hare-wolf-muskox predator-prey system. Studies provide evidence that the muskoxen are indeed their primary prey because wolf presence and reproduction seems to be higher when muskox is more available than higher hare availability.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Decline and Recovery of a High Arctic Wolf-Prey System|last = Mech|first = David|date = September 1, 2005|journal = Arctic|doi = 10.14430/arctic432|volume = 58|issue = 3| page=305 |doi-access = free| bibcode=2005Arcti..58..305M }}</ref> More supporting evidence suggests that muskoxen provide long-term viability and other ungulates do not appear in the wolf's diet.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |title=Decline and Extermination of an Arctic Wolf Population in East Greenland |last=Marquard-Petersen |first=Ulf |date=2012 |journal=Arctic |doi= 10.14430/arctic4197|volume=65|issue=2 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Evidence suggesting that Arctic wolves depend more on hares claims that the mature wolf population paralleled the increase of hares rather than muskoxen availability.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|title = Annual Arctic Wolf Pack Size Related to Arctic Hare Numbers|last = Mech|first = David|date = September 1, 2007|journal = Arctic|doi = 10.14430/arctic222|volume=60|issue = 3| page=309 |url = https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsnpwrc/386|doi-access = free| bibcode=2007Arcti..60..309M }}</ref> The study goes on to say that degree of reliance between the two sources of food is uncertain and that the amount of consumption between the two species depends on the season and year.<ref name=":4" /> Debate continues when seasonal and diet of young wolves is discussed. According to one study, muskox calves serve as a primary food source because the needs of pups are greater<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Abundance, social organization, and population trend of the arctic wolf in north and east greenland during 1978–1998|last = Marquard|first = Peterson|journal = Canadian Journal of Zoology |date=October 2009 |issue=10 |doi = 10.1139/z09-078|volume=87|pages=895–901| bibcode=2009CaJZ...87..895M }}</ref> but another study suggests that "when hares were much more plentiful (Mech, 2000), wolves commonly fed them to their pups during summer."<ref name=":4" /> These differences may be attributed to location as well. [[Polar bear]]s are rarely encountered by wolves, though there are two records of wolf packs killing polar bear cubs.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic59-3-322.pdf|title=Wolf (Canis lupus) Predation of a Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Cub on the Sea Ice off Northwestern Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada|journal=Arctic|volume=59|issue=3|year=2006|pages=322–324|access-date=March 16, 2010|doi=10.14430/arctic318|last1=Richardson|first1=E.S|last2=Andriashek|first2=D|archive-date=August 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808142212/http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic59-3-322.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Conservation==
The Arctic wolf is [[least concern]], but it does face threats. In 1997, there was a decline in the Arctic wolf population and its prey, muskoxen (''[[Ovibos moschatus]]''), and [[Arctic hare]]s (''Lepus arcticus''). This was due to unfavourable weather conditions during the summers for four years. Arctic wolf populations recovered the next summer when weather conditions returned to normal.<ref name=":5">{{cite journal |jstor=40512716 |title=Decline and Recovery of a High Arctic Wolf-Prey System |last=Mech |first=David. L |date=2005 |journal=Arctic |doi= 10.14430/arctic432|volume=58|issue=3 |pages=305–307 |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1385&context=usgsnpwrc |doi-access=free |bibcode=2005Arcti..58..305M |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=

<ref name=pocock1935>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1935.tb01687.x|title=The Races of Canis lupus|journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London|volume=105|issue=3|pages=647–686|year=1935|last1=Pocock|first1=R. I}}</ref>

<ref name=wozencraft2005>{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id=14000751|pages=575–577}} url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA576</ref><!--Note: the url must be kept outside of the MSW3 template for the link to arrive on the correct page-->
}}

==Further reading==
* L. David Mech (text), Jim Brandenburg (photos) (May 1987). ''At Home With the Arctic Wolf.'' [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]] 171(5):562–593.
* L. David Mech (1997). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=dabwAAAAMAAJ The Arctic Wolf: 10 Years With the Pack]'', Voyageur Press, {{ISBN|0-89658-353-8}}  .

== External links ==
{{Wikispecies|Canis lupus arctos}}
{{Commons category|Canis lupus arctos}}
*{{cite web|title=Workers in rural Canada were amazed when these wild arctic wolves approached them at their work yard|website = [[YouTube]]| date=27 September 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3-K2HK2qU0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/O3-K2HK2qU0 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}

{{Canidae extinct nav|W.}}
{{grey wolf subspecies}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q216441}}

[[Category:Arctic land animals]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Arctic]]
[[Category:Mammals of Canada]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of North America]]
[[Category:Subspecies of Canis lupus]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1935]]