Overview
The Alexander Archipelago wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf (Canis lupus ligoni) that occurs in Southeast Alaska and coastal British Columbia. Alexander Archipelago wolves face threats from historical and ongoing logging of old-growth forest, inbreeding and over-harvest of wolves in certain portions of their range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with partners to increase protections for forest habitats relied upon by the wolf and its primary prey.
In 1993, we received a petition to list the Alexander Archipelago wolf as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and in 1997 we issued a finding that listing was not warranted. In 2011, we received a second petition to list the species as either threatened or endangered; in response, we issued another not warranted finding in 2016. The most recent petition to list the Alexander Archipelago wolf was submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in July 2020 and a finding is expected prior to October 2023.
Scientific Name
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Physical Characteristics
Alexander Archipelago wolves tend to be smaller than continental gray wolves.
Alexander Archipelago wolves greater than 6 months old weigh between 49 and 115 pounds (22–52 kilograms) with males averaging 83.3 pounds (37.8 kilograms) and females averaging 68.8 pounds (31.2 kilograms). On some islands wolves are smaller on average compared to those on the mainland.
The Alexander Archipelago wolf has been described as darker in color, with coarser and shorter hair compared to continental gray wolves. Fur coloration varies from pure white to uniform black with most wolves having a brindled mix of gray or tan with brown, black or white. The pure white color morph appears to be rare throughout the range.
Similar Species
Life Cycle
Age of first breeding of the Alexander Archipelago wolf is about 22 to 34 months. Alexander Archipelago wolves use dens from mid-April through early July with peak activity between early May and the third week of June. After early July, most dens are abandoned and pups are located to rendezvous sites typically about half a mile (less than 1 kilometer) from the natal den, where they remain until October. Pups that survive to adulthood either remain in their natal pack or disperse.
Female wolves can produce pups every year and sizes of litters range from 1 to 8 pups, with an average of 4.1 pups. New mothers produce fewer pups than older, more-experienced mothers. Dens often have bone yards surrounding the site, remains from the food brought to pups until they are big enough to leave the den and hunt.
The average life span of Alexander Archipelago wolves is between 6 to 8 years, with the maximum of 13 years.
Habitat
Alexander Archipelago wolves, like many gray wolves, are habitat generalists, typically utilizing whatever habitat their preferred prey use and avoiding areas of intense human activity. Old-growth forests, which Alexander Archipelago wolves select for, make up a majority of home range areas. Areas near freshwater are also selected by wolves during denning.
A dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large tract.
The land near a shore.
A landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill.
Areas such as marshes or swamps that are covered often intermittently with shallow water or have soil saturated with moisture.
Food
Alexander Archipelago wolves are opportunistic predators that eat a variety of prey species yet, like gray wolves, ungulates compose most of their diet. Across the range of the subspecies, black-tailed deer and moose make up 75 percent of their diet.
Behavior
Alexander Archipelago wolves are social animals that live in packs usually composed of one breeding pair, plus offspring, yearlings and any dispersers. Generally, the breeding pair guides packs activities, with the female leading pup care and defense and the male taking charge of foraging and food provisioning. The pack is a year-round unit, although all members of a wolf pack rarely are observed together, except during winter.
Geography
The Alexander Archipelago wolf occurs along the mainland of Southeast Alaska and coastal British Columbia, west of the Coast Mountains, and on larger islands except Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof islands, as well as all the Haida Gwaii, or Queen Charlotte Islands. Its range is approximately 84,595 square miles (219,101 square kilometers), stretching roughly 932 miles (1,500 kilometers) in length and 155 miles (250 kilometers) in width. The northern, eastern and southern boundaries of its range are porous and therefore are not defined sharply or with certainty.
Timeline
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