The Eurasian wolf, also known as the common wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to Europe and Asia. It was once widespread throughout Eurasia prior to the Middle Ages. Aside from an extensive paleontological record, Indo-European languages typically have several words for "wolf", thus attesting to the animal's abundance and cultural significance. It was held in high regard in Baltic, Celtic, Slavic, Turkic, ancient Greek, Roman, Dacian, and Thracian cultures, whilst having an ambivalent reputation in early Germanic cultures.
Eurasian wolf
Skull of a European wolf
Wolf with flat forehead-nose-line
Comparison German shepherd dog
Subspecies of Canis lupus
There are 38 subspecies of Canis lupus listed in the taxonomic authority Mammal Species of the World. These subspecies were named over the past 250 years, and since their naming, a number of them have gone extinct. The nominate subspecies is the Eurasian wolf.
Skulls of various wolf subspecies from North America
Image: Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. albus mod
Image: Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IV) C. l. arabs mod
Image: Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate III) C. l. campestris mod