THE MEXICAN GRAY WOLF
Description and Ecology of Mexican Wolf
The Mexican wolf is one of the most endangered and rarest mammals on the the North American continent. Experts announced in the beginning of 2017, that only 113 Mexican wolves had been recorded in North America. It is native to southwestern United States and in northern Mexico where they live in the mountains. They are carnivores that relies on intellect and social bonds with other wolves of their kind. They have been missing tremendous population numbers for over half a century. The Mexican wolf is about the size of a male German Shepard. They weigh from 60-80 pounds and stand at about 26-32 inches tall.
What Mexican Wolves Eat
What Mexican Wolves Eat
- white-tailed deer
- mule deer
- elk
- can also eat: rabbits, squirrels, and mice
- NOT humans
Mexican Wolves vs. Humans
Wolves are thought of as very shy when it comes to humans. However, wolf attacks are not impossible. There are reports of humans getting bitten by wolves, but so far no reports of a Mexican Wolf killing a human has surfaced.
Geographic
and Population Changes
Before the expansion the the American Southwest the Mexican wolf lived in southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico southeastern Arizona, and central/northern Mexico. They lived only in mountain forests, grasslands, and scrublands and did not live in low deserts.
When Listed? What Type of Listing?
Before the expansion the the American Southwest the Mexican wolf lived in southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico southeastern Arizona, and central/northern Mexico. They lived only in mountain forests, grasslands, and scrublands and did not live in low deserts.
When Listed? What Type of Listing?
The Mexican Wolf was listed as an endangered species in 1976 and has continued to be protected by the Endangered Species Act since.
Main Threats and Why Listed
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The Beginning
According to Endangered.Org, in the early 20th century the American Southwest began expanding very quickly. This ultimately effected the Mexican Wolf horrifically. The Mexican Wolf began noticing the decrease of prey because of the large amounts of humans taking over the land. In response, they began hunting livestock as prey, angering many farmers and ranchers. The Southwest population took it into their own hands to rid the problem and began mass hunting the Mexican Wolf.
Aftermath
The Mexican Wolf has nearly become extinct due to human force which has caused other factors to take part in their near extinction. The main risk threatening this species is their declining and small population size and the overall loss of gene diversity. With the expansion of the American Southwest, habitat loss for the Mexican Wolf all plays a main reason for why the species is going extinct. The decline of physical ground for hunting, mating, and leisure time can affect the overall health and survival rate for almost all predatory species.
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Steps for Recovery Plan
Now the primary recovery strategy of the Mexican Wolf is the following:
- 1. Expand geographic distribution
- 2. Increase population abundance
- 3. Increase gene diversity
- 4. Watching current population and reduce uncertainty overtime by looking at all outcomes that can occur
- 5. Addressing social and economic concerns with partners
More details of steps 1-5
- 1. Implemented the recovery strategy in Arizona and New Mexico as well as have two spaces of large quality land in northern Sierra Madre Occidental and Chihuahua.
- 2. The Recovery Plan calls for the Mexican Wolf to have and maintain at least two wolf populations that are resilient and genetically diverse.
- 3. These populations must be genetically diverse in order to bounce back from unpredicted environmental conditions or to withstand a mass disease.
- 4.Both populations in the USA and Mexico have low chance of survival because of how low their numbers are. Improving their percentage of survival for 100 years to 90% is needed for the Mexican Wolf to survive.
- 5. Working with partners is key to identify and preform different recovery actions they were unable to find on their own.
What
can you do?
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According to defenders.org there are a few steps anyone can take to help. "Adopting a Gray Wolf" is donating money towards protecting the Mexican Wolf and their environment. Sending a message to government officials may also help take legal action against the fight for protection.
Other resources
Want to hear a Mexican Wolf howl?
Fun Facts!
More about them:
Mexican Wolves very own Youtube page!
Citations
Duhamel, Jonathan. “Wolf Attacks on Humans in North America.” Arizona Daily Independent, arizonadailyindependent.com/2013/11/29/wolf-attacks-on-humans-in-north-america/
Draft Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, First Revision. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2017, Draft Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, First Revision,
“Mexican Gray Wolf.” Endangered.org, Endangered Species Coalition, www.endangered.org/animal/mexican-gray-wolf/.
“Saving The Mexican Gray Wolf.” Mexican Gray Wolf, 2017, www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Mexican_gray_wolf/index.html.
“What You Can Do to Help Gray Wolves.” Defenders of Wildlife, 3 Oct. 2017, www.defenders.org/gray-wolf/what-you-can-do.
“Wolf Facts.” Official Web Page of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/kids_WF.cfm.
Loved the fun facts! It was great to learn about how we can help with the Mexican wolf.
ReplyDelete-Marina Enriquez
ReplyDeleteThe issue of genetic diversity reminds me of the Channel Island Fox that we studied and how that was a mild concern for conservation biologists. Plans to increase this genetic diversity would aid the long term survival of this species.
ReplyDelete-Kyla Cooper
It's interesting to see how one threat (habitat loss) affects other factors for the Mexican wolf that ultimately leads to their decreased population size. Not only is hunting affected by less habitat, but also the overall fitness of the species.
ReplyDelete-Erika DiLeva