Until the 1900s, the Mexican gray wolf had ranged throughout
Central Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Western Texas. Settlers at this time
began hunting the wolf's prey, forcing the wolf to turn to feeding on the
settler's livestock, and this in turn lead to the settlers hunting the wolf.
By the 1950s, the Mexican wolf was virtually wiped out in the
United States by private trappers and government agencies. The last wild Mexican
wolf known of in the United States was shot in 1970. In 1976, they were listed
as endangered. Their number has since been increased through captive breeding,
and they have been re-released into the wild, though they are still a very rare
mammal in the wild.
When in the wild, the wolf feeds primarily on deer, antelope, rabbits and
other small rodents. As the smallest subspecies of gray wolf, the Mexican gray
wolf varies in size from 50 to 64 inches long (nose to tail), 24 to 32 inches
shoulder height, and weighs from 50 to 90 pounds. It's coat is usually a blend
of black,
white,
and gray. They form in packs which usually consist of a breeding pair and their
offspring. Just like the Canus Lupus, all members of the pack help in raising
the young.
