Indian Wolf

The Indian wolf is a grey wolf subspecies found in west and South Asia. It was initially given species status as Canis pallipes but was assigned as a subspecies of the grey wolf by Reginald Pocock in 1941.

Scientific Classification

Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Canidae
Canis
C. lupus
Canis lupus pallipes

Table Of Content

Scientific Classification

Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Canidae
Canis
C. lupus
Canis lupus pallipes

Physical Description

Size: They are rather small, being around 3 ft (91 cm) in length. The tail adds about 11-20 in (29-50 cm).

Weight: Indian wolves weigh around 55 lb (25 kg).

Color: The pelage is reddish-white to grayish-red with grey hues in general. The back has grizzly black hair lending it a dark V-patch near the shoulders. The belly is almost entirely white. Black individuals are rare but have been recorded.

Indian Wolf

Distribution

These wolves can be found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Israel.

Habitat

They inhabit scrub-lands, thorn forests, arid, and semi-arid grasslands.

Behavior

  • They are social animals and live in small packs of up to 8 individuals.
  • Indian wolves are territorial but do not howl like other grey wolves to advertise their ownership of a territory.
  • They are nocturnal, being active between dusk and dawn.

Diet

They feed on hares, rodents, and antelopes. When hunting larger animals like antelopes, they hunt in pairs, where one acts as a decoy while the other jumps in from behind.

Indian Wolf Images

Indian Wolf Animal

Mating & Reproduction

The Indian wolf, similar to other grey wolves, is monogamous. Females come into heat in around late winter. The gestation period lasts for around 62-75 days. Litters contain an average of 5-6 pups.

Life-cycle

The pups are blind and deaf at birth. They gain eyesight after 9-12 days of birth. They become sexually mature after around 2 years.

Lifespan

They live for around 5 to 6 years on average in the wild but may live to be 13 under favorable conditions.

Pictures of Indian Wolf

Indian Wolf Dog

Sounds & Vocalizations

These are some of the quietest among the grey wolf subspecies.

Adaptation

  • Despite losing their long fir during summer, Indian wolves retain their long back hair to protect against solar radiation.

Predators

Despite sharing their space with sloth bears, golden jackals, leopards, and tigers, Indian wolves are rarely preyed on in the wild.

IUCN Conservation Status

They are considered ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN.

The Indian Wolf

Indian Wolf Pictures

Interesting Facts

  • Indian wolves play a significant part in the Rudyard Kipling series ‘The Jungle Book’, where the human child Mowgli is raised by a pack of these canids.
  • They were once, as a subspecies of the grey wolf, the most widely distributed mammal on earth. Their numbers have declined, however.

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