What is the largest living member of the dog family?

The largest living member of the dog family is the gray wolf. Also called the grey wolf, it is Canis lupus, the largest wild extant species in the family Canidae.

Gray wolves are larger and more powerfully built than closely related canids such as coyotes, jackals, and African wild dogs. Their long legs, strong jaws, large paws, and cooperative pack hunting help them take prey ranging from deer to moose. Size varies considerably by subspecies and region, with some northern wolves being especially large.

A common mix-up is the domestic dog. Dogs are descended from wolves and are classified within Canis lupus by some taxonomic treatments, but “gray wolf” is the standard answer when a quiz asks for the largest wild dog-family member. The wolf is also distinct from the dhole and African wild dog, which belong to different genera.

Wolves live across parts of Eurasia and North America and have a long history of conflict and cultural importance among humans. Their scientific species name, lupus, comes from Latin for “wolf.”