Mexican Grey Wolves

Canis lupus baileyi - The Mexican Gray Wolf

The Mexican gray wolf is an endangered species of wolf that used to be native to Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, and Texas. It is always in danger of greedy capitalist ranchers who presume that their income from beef consumption is more important than is the lives of creatures that inhabited the lands they own far before European savages were discovered here in the new world by the Native Americans. I love beef as well as the next Texan does; but it seems the local ecosystem's health ought to always be a major consideration alongside business considerations.

 The typical cattle rancher isn't qualified to preside over matters of ecology. The very same cattle ranchers complain now about the property damage sustained by excessive wild hog populations. Where did hog over populations come from? Well, had the predators that kept such populations in check not been eradicated, they'd not have the problems with the hogs. Besides the hogs, we've got complaints of white tail deer over-populations here in Texas. The hunters aren't complaining, that's more for the hunting; but you don't have to think very hard to see why it is these things have occurred.

Between twenty seven thousand and forty thousand years ago the hunter gatherers started the domestication of wolves who'd get at the carcass remains the hunters left behind, over thousands of years, this produced dogs. As dogs are so often referred to as man's best friends, it would seem a bit more appreciation of wolves would be in order. It is absolute fact that wolf attacks on humans are exceedingly rare. Wolves killing humans are so much more rare than dogs killing humans that one wonders why a wolf would ever be trapped and/or shot.

A Mexican Gray Wolf

Is The Mexican Gray Wolf A Threat To Livestock?

Mexican gray wolves do not naturally hunt, kill, and feed on livestock. Mexican Gray Wolves only began feeding on livestock when deer, rabbits, and other small rodents were hunted or driven out of their natural habitat. Mexican gray wolves have to eat, and unlike humans - Mexican gray wolves were designed and built to eat meat almost exclusively.

In pre-Columbian America the natives revered the wolves, as they did all nature. It was only the Europeans who feared and hated the wolves, and they brought that with them across the ocean. As a pretty typical white guy myself I recognize the value of technological superiority; but our general sense of superiority in these matters has blinded us to the realities of the natural world. Killing wolves for fear of loss of revenue is the same sort of stupid as is a single man or woman driving everywhere in a large truck, alone, burning up the fossil fuels. Good planets are hard to find, of course, and our planet evolved the wolves to fulfill a need, and the need has not gone from here, only the most of the wolves.

The Mexican Gray Wolf

Mexican Gray Wolves - The Smallest Sub Species Of Gray Wolves

The Mexican gray wolf is the smallest of the sub species of Canus lupus, the gray wolves. An adult Mexican gray wolf typically measures about five and one half feet in length from the end of it's extended tail to the tip of the wolf's nose; and they usually weigh anywhere between sixty to ninety pounds - and are roughly equivalent in size to a adult male German shepherd dog. These animals are only slightly larger than the also endangered red wolves. With both wolves and coyotes in the US and Mexico, there are few specimens or individuals who're one hundred percent pure. Most coyotes show wolf genetics and most Mexican greys and red wolves show traces of unique coyote genetics.

The colors in the coat of the Mexican gray wolves are entirely distinctive and unique to the sub species Canis lupus baileyi Their coats are typically a mix of white, black, gray, and rust colors.
Among the very favorite prey of this apex predator are the white tailed deer, the mule deer, various species of rabbits and ground squirrels. Again, these creatures would rather not attack cattle, as cattle tend to be a bit above the size range of these lovely creatures.

Red wolf, NOT a Mexican grey wolf

The Behavior Of Mexican Gray Wolves

Mexican Gray Wolves live in packs and every member must see to it that the other members are cared for. You could say that Mexican Gray Wolves are a bunch of communal living hippie dogs if you wished - but leave the free love thing out. Typically, there is an Alpha Male and an Alpha Female - and typically only those two mate and reproduce, and the effect of this is that because only the strongest reproduce, the pack is continually stocked with the strongest possible genetics. Of course lone wolves are typical wolf behavior, but at present there are probably not enough Mexican greys in total for there to be any lone wolves.

Wolves generally mate between around the middle of February until the middle of March. Gestation is around two months, and so sometime around April or May, two to eight wolf pups will be born, and every member of the pack will care for them. It takes a whole village.

A Mexican Gray Wolf Pup

Save The Mexican Gray Wolves

The Mexican Gray Wolf is still a very endangered sub species of The Gray Wolves despite reintroduction and conservation efforts. Ill educated ranchers are still killing them, and over producing meat in hopes of forever getting richer, no regard for the ecosystem they are so blessed to live within. It is up to each and every one of us to take a moment and honor the lives of the creatures that we share this world with. Why is it that we deem our lives more worthy than theirs when all we do is use up, destroy, murder, and seek infinite and increasing amounts of pleasure?

There is an active petition below, I'd appreciate it were the reader to sign it. Thanks.

The Mexican Gray Wolf

Save The Mexican Gray Wolves!

Protect The Mexican Gray Wolf Petition