Iranian wolf

		Iranian wolf
		He is a wild animal


Origin			Middle East
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009)

The Iranian wolf was identified as a subspecies of the gray wolf Canis lupus pallipes in 1931 by ornithologist William Henry Sykes. Because of their overlapping habitat and physical similarities, the Iranian wolf and the Indian wolf have long been recognized as one and the same.

The habitat of Iranian wolves varies from arid desert regions to dense scrub forests. They can be found in the Middle East and Southwest Asia; more specifically, northern Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan and Iran.

Because of such variation between habitats, there is also great variation in physical characteristics and lifestyle among this wolf subspecies. Like the Indian wolf, Iranian wolves are smaller than the wolves of Northern Europe and North America. Iranian wolves range from 63 to 102 cm in height and weigh from 25 to 32 kg. Due to the drier, harsher climate, their fur is short, light gray with little or no undercoat. Like many other desert creatures, Iranian wolves have large ears to disperse body heat.

Iranian wolves can be found in packs of 5 to 15 individuals. Wolves in harsher climates may hunt in pairs or even individually, depending on the availability of prey. They feed on a number of small mammals such as rats, squirrels, mongooses and land birds such as partridges, quails, jungle birds and lapwings.

Mating takes place in winter. To help maintain pack strength, only the dominant pair mate. The mother usually gives birth to 3 to 5 young. The male and female look after the pups until they are six months old.

Iranian wolves are forced to share their habitat and prey with an invasive human population. They are considered a threat by many people. Like the Arabian wolf, the Iranian wolf is threatened by cross-breeding with domestic dogs. Its lifespan is 16 to 20 years in captivity and 8 to 15 years in the wild.