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DIET
Their diet primarily consists of ungulates (large, hoofed mammals) such as elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer, but they will occasionally hunt smaller mammals such as rabbits, ground squirrels, and beavers.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the most genetically distinct gray wolf subspecies in North America. Adults typically weigh 50–80 pounds and stand 28–32 inches tall at the shoulder. Mexican gray wolves are characterized by their rounded ears, blocky muzzle, and their multi-colored coats of rust, gray, cream, and black.
CONSERVATION
The Mexican gray wolf is critically endangered and is a focal species of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan (AZA SSP), which was initiated in 1981. Its goal is to preserve imperiled species through managed breeding and reintroduction, and restore populations to their natural historic range. As for Mexican gray wolves, several holding facilities, such as the Wolf Conservation Center, participate in captive breeding and reintroduction. Today, 286 Mexican gray wolves remain in the wild.
HISTORY
Mexican wolves once ranged throughout the southwestern regions of the U.S., including Colorado, Utah, and southwestern Texas. Today, Mexican wolves are found exclusively in southwest New Mexico, the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, and the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona. Outside of North America, Mexican wolves can also be found in a small pocket of northern Mexico.
THREATS
The primary threats to Mexican gray wolves are human poaching and habitat loss. Litigation targeting the recovery of Mexican gray wolves and undermining their sensitive populations also contributes greatly to potential extinction. Despite the fragility of wild Mexican gray wolves, litigation continues to push for looser protections, such as H.R.4255, which would remove federal protections for critically endangered Mexican wolves.
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