Which wolf subspecies is also called the Apennine wolf?

The Italian wolf is also called the Apennine wolf.

The name refers to the wolf population traditionally associated with Italy’s Apennine Mountains, the mountain chain running down much of the Italian Peninsula. Its scientific name is commonly given as Canis lupus italicus, although some taxonomic authorities classify it within the broader Eurasian grey-wolf subspecies Canis lupus lupus.

Italian wolves are generally smaller and more lightly built than some northern European wolf populations. Their coat is often grey or tawny, and individuals may show dark markings on the back, tail, and forelimbs. The population has a distinctive genetic history, shaped partly by long isolation south of the Alps.

The Italian wolf came close to extinction after centuries of persecution. Italy granted it nationwide legal protection in 1971, when only roughly 70 to 100 animals were thought to remain. Since then, the population has recovered and expanded northward, including into the Alps and neighboring countries. “Apennine wolf” is therefore a geographic alternative name, not a different species.