Species Tibetan Wolf

Tibetan Wolf

The Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco), also known as the woolly wolf, is a gray wolf subspecies native to Asia from Turkestan throughout Tibet to Mongolia, northern China and the Indian subcontinent. In Tibet and Ladakh it is known as chánkú or shanko.

Canis lupus chanco is regarded as a synonym of Canis lupus lupus, reflecting a recent tendency to lump older subspecies and to name fewer new ones.

The Tibetan wolf is thought by some scientists to be the most likely ancestor of the domestic dog, on account of its small size and mandible morphology, noting that the uppermost part of the lower jaw is turned back on both the Tibetan wolf and the dog, though not so in other grey wolf subspecies.

The chin is varies from blackish to almost white. The contour hairs of the winter fur measure 100–120 mm (3.9–4.7 in) on the shoulders, 70–80 mm (2.8–3.1 in) on the back and 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) on the flanks. It is a smallish subspecies that rarely exceeds 45 kg (99 lb).