Alexander Archipelago wolf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander Archipelago wolf |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | Canis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
C. l. ligoni
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| Trinomial name | |
| Canis lupus ligoni Goldman, 1937
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| Historical and present range of gray wolf subspecies in North America | |
The Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis lupus ligoni), also called the Islands wolf, is a special type of gray wolf. It lives in the beautiful coastal areas of southeast Alaska. This includes the many islands of the Alexander Archipelago and a narrow strip of rugged coastline. High mountains separate this area from the rest of North America.
About 80% of this region is covered by the Tongass National Forest. People have been worried about the Alexander Archipelago wolf for a long time. In 1993, a request was made to list this wolf as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This act helps protect animals that might disappear.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided in 1997 that the wolf didn't need to be listed then. But in 2011, another request was made. This time, new scientific studies showed more reasons to be concerned. In 2014, the agency said that listing the wolf as threatened or endangered "may be warranted." This means they would look into it more closely.
Contents
What Kind of Wolf Is It?
The Alexander Archipelago wolf is known as a subspecies of Canis lupus, which is the scientific name for the gray wolf. Early scientists noticed that these wolves had unique skull features. This helped them figure out it was a distinct subspecies.
Scientists have studied the DNA of these wolves. They found that coastal wolves in southeast Alaska are genetically different from gray wolves that live inland. This means they have different genetic codes. It's like how different groups of people have unique traits. These coastal wolves might be the last of a group that used to live across a much wider area.
A study in 2016 looked at the DNA of many North American gray wolves. It confirmed that coastal wolves are unique. They are different in their genes and how they look. They live in the same kind of habitat and eat the same prey. These wolves form a special group called an ecotype. An ecotype is a population that is genetically and ecologically distinct. This means they are different from other wolf groups because they have adapted to their specific habitat. Wolves tend to stay in the type of habitat they were born into. Wolves that eat fish and small deer in wet, coastal areas are usually smaller than other wolves.
How Does the Alexander Archipelago Wolf Look and Live?
What Does This Wolf Look Like?
The Alexander Archipelago wolf is usually smaller than other types of wolves in North America. It typically weighs between 30 and 50 pounds. It is about 3.5 feet long and 2 feet tall at the shoulder.
Its fur is often a dark gray color. It can also have lighter patterns. Wolves from different islands in the archipelago can have different fur colors. Some are pure black, others are black and white, and some can even be a bright cinnamon color.
What Does This Wolf Eat?
The main food for the Alexander Archipelago wolf is the Sitka black-tailed deer. This deer makes up as much as 90% of what the wolf eats! This is quite unusual, as most other North American wolves eat a wider variety of animals.
These wolves also eat a lot of salmon. Salmon can make up about 10-25% of their diet. They also eat North American beaver, mountain goats, and small mammals. Eating salmon helps the wolf pups survive. About 90% of their pups live, which is a high survival rate for wolves.
Where Do These Wolves Live and How Many Are There?
Where Can You Find Them?
The Alexander Archipelago wolf lives throughout most of southeast Alaska. This area is also known as the Alaskan panhandle. However, they are not found on Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof Islands.
In the mid-1990s, scientists estimated there were between 750 and 1,100 of these wolves in the whole region. About 300–350 of them lived on Prince of Wales Island.
More recently, the wolf population on Prince of Wales Island has dropped sharply. In 2014, the number of wolves there fell from about 200 to around 60. This was a huge drop of about 70% in just one year. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) estimated the island's wolf population to be around 150 in 2010. This was less than half of what it was in the 1990s.
How Do They Have Pups?
In southeast Alaska, wolf pups are usually born in the last two weeks of April. The mother wolf builds a den about 4 to 5 weeks before the pups are born. These dens are often found among tree roots, in small caves, or in cracks in rocks. They might also use old beaver lodges or enlarged animal burrows.
Why Are These Wolves Important to Protect?
How Did Concerns About Them Start?
The Alexander Archipelago wolf arrived in Alaska about 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. This was after the last ice age ended. They likely followed the migration of Sitka deer as the deer moved north.
People first became worried about the wolf population because of a lot of logging happening in the Tongass National Forest. Logging means cutting down trees. This activity was changing the wolf's habitat.
Efforts to Protect the Wolf (1993-1997)
In 1993, a group asked the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to list the Alexander Archipelago wolf as a threatened species. The FWS looked into it. They said that if logging wasn't reduced, the wolf's future would be "seriously imperiled."
More studies were done to understand how logging affected the wolves and their food. These studies suggested that the wolf population could drop by as much as 25% between 1995 and 2045. The Sitka deer population was also expected to decline.
However, in 1997, the FWS decided not to list the wolf as threatened. They believed the wolves would not be in danger of disappearing in the near future. This decision came after a lot of pressure from logging companies. These companies did not want limits on logging.
After this, the Tongass Land Management Plan was updated in 1997. This plan aimed to make sure there was enough habitat for the Sitka deer. It also tried to limit the number of roads built for logging. These roads can make it easier for wolves to be hunted and for their habitat to be disturbed.
New Efforts to Protect the Wolf (2011 Onwards)
In 2011, another request was made to list the Alexander Archipelago wolf as threatened or endangered. This request came from environmental groups. They asked for special protection for the wolves on Prince of Wales Island, as well as for the entire subspecies.
In March 2014, the FWS agreed that listing the wolf "may be warranted." This meant they would start a formal review. They looked at factors like habitat loss, overuse (like hunting), and whether current rules were enough to protect the wolf.
The FWS would prefer that the state of Alaska manage the wolf population. But they will list the species if they decide it's necessary to protect it. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, however, does not believe the wolf is currently at risk of extinction.
Legal Challenges to Protect the Wolves
Environmental groups have also gone to court to protect the Alexander Archipelago wolf. In 2008, groups like Greenpeace argued that the Forest Service was overestimating how many deer the habitat could support. This meant they were underestimating the impact of logging on the wolves' main food source.
These groups sued to stop several timber sales in the Tongass National Forest. They argued that the way the Forest Service calculated the impact of logging was wrong. In 2011, a court agreed with the environmental groups. The court said the Forest Service had not properly explained its decisions. It told the agency to re-examine how it planned logging projects.
Another lawsuit was filed in 2010 about a large timber sale on Prince of Wales Island. This case also focused on how logging roads affect wolf deaths and deer habitat. These legal battles show how important it is to balance logging with protecting wildlife.
Images for kids
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An Alexander Archipelago wolf.
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Map showing the historical and present range of gray wolf subspecies in North America.
See also
In Spanish: Lobo del archipiélago Alexander para niños
