A black wolf is a melanistic colour variant of the gray wolf (Canis lupus). Black specimens were recorded among red wolves (Canis rufus), though the colour morph in this species is probably now extinct.

Genetic research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of California, Los Angeles revealed that wolves with black pelts owe their distinctive coloration to a mutation which occurred in domestic dogs, and was carried to wolves through wolf-dog hybridization.

Besides coat and knee colour, they are normal grey wolves.

  • Khtkiller@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fun fact: Wolves are much larger than dogs Both in terms of height and weight. The average wolf stands about 32 inches at the shoulder, while the average dog stands only about 24 inches tall. When it comes to weight, wolves typically weigh between 60 and 175 pounds, while dogs usually weigh between 30 and 80 pounds.

    That wolf is bigger than you think it is.