Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Gray wolf (Canis lupus)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae

Listing Status:  (and others listed below)

Announcements

2009-08-12 12:53:38.0 -- Per court order, as of July 1, 2009, regulatory protections are reinstated for gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes.

General Information

The Gray Wolf, being a keystone predator, is an integral component of the ecosystems to which it typically belongs. The wide range of habitats in which wolves can thrive reflects their adaptability as a species, and includes temperate forests, mountains, tundra, taiga, and grasslands.

Population detail

The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Gray wolf 

  • Population location: U.S.A., conterminous (lower 48) States, except: (1) where listed as an experimental population below; (2) Minnesota; and (3) MT, ID, WY (however,see experimental population designation below), eastern WA(that portion of WA east of the centerline of Highway 97 and Highway 17 north of Mesa and that portion of WA east of the centerline of Highway 395 south of Mesa),eastern OR (portion of OR east of the centerline of Highway 395 and Highway 78 north of Burns Junction and that portion of OR east of the centerline of Highway 95 south of Burns Junction), and north central UT (that portion of UT east of the centerline of Highway 84 and north of Highway 80). Mexico.
    Listing status:  Endangered
  • Population location: U.S.A. (MN)
    Listing status:  Threatened
    • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Michigan , Minnesota
    • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  AGASSIZ NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , DETROIT LAKES WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , FERGUS FALLS WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , HAMDEN SLOUGH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , LITCHFIELD WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT  ... Show All Refuges
    • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/
  • Population location: Northern Rocky Mtns DPS - WY significant portion of the range
    Listing status:  Experimental Population, Non-Essential
    • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Wyoming
  • Population location: U.S.A. (portions of AZ, NM and TX - see section 17.84(k))
    Listing status:  Experimental Population, Non-Essential
  • Population location: Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Distinct Population Segment; Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, and north central Utah
    Listing status:  Delisted Taxon-Recovered
Current Listing Status Summary
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
03/11/1967 Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) Lower 48 States, except where delisted and where EXPN. Mexico.
04/10/1978 Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region (Region 3) MN
05/04/2009 Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) Northern Rocky Mtns DPS - WY significant portion of the range
01/12/1998 Southwest Region (Region 2) Mexican gray wolf, EXPN population
03/28/2008 Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) Northern Rocky Mountain DPS

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 5 of 47 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
04/02/2009 74 FR 15069 15123 Final Rule To Identify the Western Great Lakes Populations of Gray Wolves as a Distinct Population Segment and To Revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
04/02/2009 74 FR 15123 15188 Final Rule To Identify the Northern Rocky Mountain Population of Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and To Revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
01/09/2009 74 FR 913 915 Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) Conservation Assessment
12/11/2008 73 FR 75356 75371 Reinstatement of Protections for the Gray Wolf in the Western Great Lakes and Northern Rocky Mountains in Compliance With Court Orders
10/28/2008 73 FR 63926 63932 Designating the Northern Rocky Mountain Population of Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and Removing This Distinct Population Segment From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
Most Recent Special Rule Publications (Showing 5 of 9 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
01/28/2008 73 FR 4720 4736 Revision of Special Regulation for the Central Idaho and Yellowstone Area Nonessential Experimental Populations of Gray Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains
07/06/2007 72 FR 36942 36949 Proposed Revision of Special Regulation for the Central Idaho and Yellowstone Area Nonessential Experimental Populations of Gray Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains
01/12/1998 63 FR 1752 1772 ETWP; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Gray Wolf in Arizona and New Mexico
05/01/1996 61 FR 19237 19248 ETWP; Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Gray Wolf in Arizona and New Mexico
12/12/1985 50 FR 50792 50793 Regulations Governing Gray Wolf in Minnesota; 50 FR 50792-50793

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
01/09/2009 Draft Mexican Wolf Conservation Assessment View Implementation Progress Conservation Strategy
08/03/1987 Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
09/15/1982 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan View Implementation Progress Final
01/31/1992 Recovery Plan for the Eastern Timber Wolf - Revised View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
Other Recovery Documents (Showing 5 of 15 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
04/02/2009 74 FR 15069 15123 Final Rule To Identify the Western Great Lakes Populations of Gray Wolves as a Distinct Population Segment and To Revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
  • Final Delisting, Recovered
    • 04/02/2009 74 FR 15123 15188 Final Rule To Identify the Northern Rocky Mountain Population of Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and To Revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
  • Final Delisting, Recovered
    • 01/09/2009 74 FR 913 915 Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) Conservation Assessment
  • Notice Doc. Availability
    • 10/28/2008 73 FR 63926 63932 Designating the Northern Rocky Mountain Population of Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and Removing This Distinct Population Segment From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
  • Notice Reopen Comment
  • Proposed Delisting, Recovered
    • 04/10/2008 73 FR 19525 19526 Post Delisting Monitoring Plan for the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
  • Notice Doc. Availability, Final Post Delisting Monitoring Plan
    • Delisting Documents
    Date Title
    06/04/2007 Draft Post Delisting Monitoring Plan

    » Critical Habitat

    Current Critical Habitat Documents (Showing 2 of 2 )
    Date Citation Page Title Document Type Status
    03/09/1978 43 FR 9607 9615 Reclassification of the Gray Wolf in the U.S. and Mexico with Determination of Critical Habitat in Michigan and Minnisota Final Rule Active
    06/09/1977 42 FR 29527 29532 Proposed Reclassification of Gray wolf in U.S. and Mexico,Proposed Critical Habitat, Michigan and Minnesota; 42 FR 29527 29532 (Canis lupus) Proposed Rule Not Required

    To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

    » Conservation Plans

    Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) (learn more) (Showing 5 of 6 : view all)
    HCP Plan Summaries
    Cedar River Watershed HCP
    City of Tacoma, Tacoma Water HCP
    Plum Creek Timber I-90 HCP
    Plum Creek Timber I-90 Land Exchange
    Washington Dept. Natural Resources Forest Lands HCP
    Safe Harbor Agreements (SHA): (learn more) (Showing 1 of 1 )
    SHA Plan Summaries
    Paterson, Thomas W. and Caroline H. (Spur Ranch)

    » Petitions

    Most Recent Petition Findings (Showing 5 of 6 : view all)
    Date Citation Page Title Finding
    08/01/2006 71 FR 43410 43432 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition To Establish the Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Population (Canis lupus) as a Distinct Population Segment To Remove the Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Distinct Population Segment From the List of Endangered and Threatened Species
  • Notice 12 month petition finding, Not warranted
    • 12/09/2005 70 FR 73190 73193 90-Day Finding on a Petition To Delist the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) in Nevada
  • Notice 90-day Petition Finding, Not substantial
    • 10/26/2005 70 FR 61770 61775 90-day Finding on Petitions to Establish the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and to Remove the Gray Wolf in the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment from the List of Endangered and Threatened Species:Substantial
  • Notice 90-day Petition Finding, Substantial
    • 10/19/1998 63 FR 55839 ETWP; 90-Day Finding for a Petition To Delist Gray Wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan
  • Notice 90-day Petition Finding, Not substantial
    • 11/30/1990 55 FR 49656 49659 ETWP; Notice of a 90-Day Finding on a Petition to Delist the Canis lupus (Gray Wolf); 55 FR 49656 49659
  • Notice 90-day Petition Finding, Not substantial

    • » Life History

    No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

    » Other Resources

    NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

    ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

    Last updated: August 24, 2009