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Photo of the Day #505: Red wolf

By laelaps on February 26, 2009.

i-9d8987f6aee8bb72cd9267f2a6fa7bc7-North Carolina January 09 167.JPG


A red wolf (Canis lupus rufus), photographed at the North Carolina Zoo.


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mammals
Photography

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Canis taxonomy is such a mess. I'm wondering why you chose to put the red wolf as a subspecies of the grey wolf.

Oh, and by the way, if Facebook is correct, happy birthday. =)

Hai; Mostly because, like you said, the taxonomy is such a mess. I figured if domestic dogs are Canis lupus familiaris then the red wolf is close enough to the grey wolf to be lumped in as a subspecies, but then again if it did split and is on its own evolutionary lineage then perhaps it should have its own species designation. At present it seems debatable either way.

because, like you said, the taxonomy is such a mess. I figured if domestic dogs are Canis lupus familiaris then the red wolf is close enough to