What is a Canis Lupus?

Canis lupus is the scientific name for the gray wolf.

The name is built from Latin: Canis means “dog” and lupus means “wolf.” The species was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Gray wolves are large members of the dog family and are native across broad parts of Eurasia and North America.

Gray wolf taxonomy includes numerous geographically distinct populations and subspecies, such as the Arctic wolf and Mexican wolf. The domestic dog is also closely connected to this species and is commonly classified as a subspecies, Canis lupus familiaris, although taxonomic treatments vary.

A frequent mix-up is confusing the gray wolf with the dire wolf. Dire wolves belonged to a different lineage and were not simply oversized gray wolves. “Grey wolf” is the British spelling; “gray wolf” is the usual American spelling.