Gregory's wolf (''Canis rufus gregoryi''), also known as the Mississippi Valley wolf, is the sole living subspecies of the

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

. It once roamed the regions in and around the lower

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

basin. It is the subspecies of red wolf which inhabits

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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 database, bibliographic data for the known species of mammals. It is now in its third edition, ...

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

(''Canis rufus'' or ''Canis lupus rufus''). The trinomial name ''Canis rufus gregoryi'' honours photographer Tappan Gregory, who is the author of "The Black Wolf of the Tensas".

Description

The subspecies was described as being larger than the Texas 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.

Range

Historically, Gregory's wolf ranged throughout the Mississippi River basin and extended northward to

Warsaw, Illinois Warsaw is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,510 at the 2020 census, a decline from 1,607 in 2010. The city is notable for its historic downtown. History The city of Warsaw began in 1 ...

and

Wabash, Indiana Wabash is a city in Noble Township, Wabash County, Indiana, Noble Township, Wabash County, Indiana, Wabash County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 10,666 at the 2010 census. The city is situated along the Wabash River in the cou ...

. They were also found in western

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and western

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and roamed the Ozark Mountain region throughout southern

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

and southeastern

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. They could be found in most of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, apart from the northwestern region. Gregory's wolves reached the lower terrains of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

and extended westward towards eastern

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

References

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