Gregory's wolf (''Canis rufus gregoryi''), also known as the Mississippi Valley wolf, was a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

red wolf The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and gray wolf (''Canis lupus''). The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate s ...

. It was declared extinct in 1980. It once roamed the regions in and around the lower

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

basin.

Taxonomy

This wolf was recognized as a subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' in the taxonomic authority ''

Mammal Species of the World ''Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' is a standard reference work in mammalogy giving descriptions and bibliographic data for the known species of mammals. It is now in its third edition, published in late 2005, ...

'' (2005). This canid is proposed by some authors as a subspecies of the

(''Canis rufus'' or ''Canis lupus rufus'') .

Description

The subspecies was described as being larger than the red wolf, but more slender and tawny. Its coloring includes a combination of black, grey, and white, along with a large amount of cinnamon coloring along the back of its body and the top of its head. It weighs around on average.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2118426 Subspecies of Canis lupus Extinct animals of the United States Wolves in the United States Mammals described in 1937