What is a subspecies?: A subspecies is a group of individuals within a species that share a geographic location and may have some unique physical characteristics. Wolves can be grouped into many different subspecies around the world, below are the most common three of which.

Three Main subspecies: The three main subspecies of the wolf are the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the red wolf (Canis rufus), and the ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis)

Habitat: All the subspecies of gray wolf (Canis lupus) are found in northern latitudes of the world. This may be what differentiates between the completely different species of wolves like the red wolf (Canis rufus) which is only found in North America. Another possible species, the ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), which may be mistaken or thought of as a jackal, lives only on the highlands of Ethiopia.

Gray Wolf Subspecies: Over many decades of study, scientists have found a total of 24 different subspecies of the gray wolf in the world. 12-13 of those 24 were found in Europe and Asia. Greater study of their bone structure and skull measurement, however, proved that many of these wolves were actually the same subspecies as one another. Again an age-old question was asked to these scientists - how would wolves of the same subspecies be found at seperate corners of the world? There are many different theories as always with case, but most agreed that wolves had dispersed and many a time crossed geographic boundaries drawn by humans. This made the categories for different subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) less distinct.

Subspecies in North America
**Blue font means 'now extinct'

Canis lupus arctos - Commonly known as the Arctic wolf. This species primarily lives in the Arctic, a region found above 67 degrees latitude.

Canis lupus baileyi - Commonly known as the Mexican wolf, or lobo. This species primarily lives in Mexico and the Southwestern United States.

Canis lupus lycaon - Commonly known as the the Eastern Timber wolf. This species primarily lives in eastern portions of the United States and southeastern parts of Canada.

Canis lupus nubilus - Commonly known as the Great Plains wolf. This species primarily lives in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada.

Canis lupus occidentalis - Commonly known as the Rocky Mountain wolf. This species primarily lives in Alaska and the northern Rocky Mountains of Canada and the United States.

Canis rufus rufus - Commonly known as the Red wolf. This species primarily lived in central and coatal Texas and southern Louisiana, but became extinct. Rehabilitation processes found the species in North Carolina.

Canis rufus gregoryi - Commonly known as a red wolf (Canis rufus) subspecies. This wolf used to range areas of southwestern Indiana, southern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma to southern Mississippi, central Louisiana, and the Big Thicket area of Texas. Now only alive in captivity within North Carolina.

Canis rufus floridanus - Commonly known as another subspecies of the red wolf (Canis rufus). This subspecies used to range areas of Maine and Ohio to Florida and Alabama, but is now extinct.

Subspecies in Europe & Asia
**Blue font means 'now extinct'

Canis lupus albus - Commonly known as the Russian tundra wolf. This species primarily lived in Arctic islands north of Siberia until they were estinguished from that area, and are now found on Wrangle Island.

Canis lupus arabs - Commonly known as the Arabian wolf. This species primarily lives in Israel, Egypt, and some other very arid regions of the world.

Canis lupus communis - Commonly known as the wolf of Central Russia. This species, as its name states, is commonly found in Russia and regions nearby.

Canis lupus cubanensis - Commonly known as Caspian Sea wolf. This species inhabits the area in the middle of the Caspian and Black Seas.

Canis lupus italicus - Not commonly known. This species primarily lives on the Italian Peninsula.

Canis lupus lupaster - Not commonly known. This species primarily lives in Egypt and Libya.

Canis lupus lupus - Commonly known as the Eurasian wolf. This species primarily lives in Europe and Asia.

Canis lupus pallipes - Commonly known as the Indian wolf. This species primarily lives in mid and southwest Asia.

Canis lupus hattai - Commonly known as the Hokkaido wolf. This species primarily ranged in areas such as Hokkaido, Japan.

Canis lupus hodophilax - Commonly known as the Honshu wolf. This species primarily ranged in areas such as Honshu, Japan.