The
Ethiopian wolf also known as the
Abyssinian wolf,
Abyssinian fox,
red jackal,
Simien fox, or
Simien jackal is a canid native to
AfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The numerous names reflect previous uncertainty about its
taxonomicTaxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
position, but it is now thought to be related to the
wolvesThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
of the
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
CanisCanis is a genus containing 7 to 10 extant species, including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals, and many extinct species.-Wolves, dogs and dingos:Wolves, dogs and dingos are subspecies of Canis lupus...
rather than the
foxFox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es it superficially resembles. The Ethiopian wolf is found at altitudes above 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) in the Afro-
alpineAlpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
regions of
EthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, and is the top predator of the
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. It is the most endangered species of
canidCanidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...
that has not been
extinct in the wildExtinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:...
, with only about seven populations remaining, totalling roughly 550 adults. The largest population is found in the
Bale MountainsThe Bale Mountains are a range of mountains in the Oromia Region of southeast Ethiopia, south of the Awash River. They include Tullu Demtu, the second-highest mountain in Ethiopia , and Mount Batu . The Weyib River, a tributary of the Jubba River, rises in these mountains east of Goba...
in southern Ethiopia, although there are also smaller populations in the
Semien MountainsThe Semien Mountains lie in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gondar. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Semien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaux separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles...
in the north of the country, and in a few other areas.
Claudio Sillero-ZubiriClaudio Sillero-Zubiri was born in Argentina and is a British zoologist. He is a Research Fellow at Oxford University's WildCRU, the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, and Lady Margaret Hall. He the Chair of the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group, and Head of Conservation of the Born Free Foundation...
at the
University of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
is the
zoologistZoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
most closely associated with efforts to save this species of wolf, particularly with his work for an oral
rabiesRabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
vaccineA vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
to protect them from the
diseaseA disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
passed from local
dogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s. His work is supported by the
Born Free FoundationThe Born Free Foundation is a conservation and animal rescue organization in the United Kingdom. It originated in 1984 as the "Zoo Check Campaign" by actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers along with their son Will Travers and four associates....
. A rabies outbreak in 1990 reduced the largest known population, found in the
Bale Mountains National ParkThe Bale Mountains National Park is a national park in the Oromia Region of southeast Ethiopia. Created in 1970, this park covers about 2,200 square kilometers of the Bale Mountains to the west and southwest of Goba in the Bale Zone...
, from about 440 wolves to less than 160 in only two weeks.
Taxonomy and evolution
Initial molecular evidence suggested that the Ethiopian wolf is a descendant of the
gray wolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
. More recent evidence suggests that this is not the case; although the Ethiopian wolf is closely related to other wolves, it probably diverged some three or four million years ago.
Description
The Ethiopian wolf is a medium sized canid resembling the
coyoteThe coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
in size and conformation, having long legs and a narrow pointed muzzle. It weighs 11 to 19.5 kg (24.3 to 43 lb), with males being 20% larger than females. Head-and-body length can range from 84 to 102 cm (33.1 to 40.2 in), with a tail of 27 to 40 cm (10.6 to 15.7 in) and a shoulder height up to 63 cm (24.8 in). The skull has a flat profile with a thick, narrow and low neuro-cranium which is almost cylindrical in shape. The coronal ridge is linear and the inter-
parietal boneThe parietal bones are bones in the human skull which, when joined together, form the sides and roof of the cranium. Each bone is roughly quadrilateral in form, and has two surfaces, four borders, and four angles. It is named from the Latin pariet-, wall....
slightly developed. The teeth are small and widely spaced, an adaptation to their rodent-heavy diet. The dental formula is 3/3-1/1-4/4-2/3=42. The back molars are occasionally absent. The canine teeth are sharply pointed and average 19 millimetres in length. The ears are pointed and broad, sporting thickly fringed pinnae. The front feet have five toes, while the back have four.
The coat is ochre to rusty red on the face, ears and upper portions of the body and white to pale ginger on the underparts. Small white spots are present on the cheeks, as well as a white ascending crescent below the eyes. The contrast of red and white markings increases with age and social rank. Females tend to have paler coats. The back of the tail has a short, rufous-coloured stripe which ends in a thick brush of black guard hairs on the tip. The pelt has short guard hairs and thick underfur which protect the wolf from temperatures as low as −15 °C (+5 °F).
Social behaviour
Although the Ethiopian wolf is primarily a solitary hunter of
rodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s, it lives in packs that share and defend an exclusive territory. This differs from most larger social carnivores that live in groups for the purpose of hunting cooperatively. In areas with little human interference, packs may average 6 adults, 1–6 yearlings, and 1–13 pups. Typically, packs are an extended family group formed by all males born into the pack during consecutive years and 1–2 females. One study showed that the sex ratio of adult pack members in optimal habitat was biased toward males by a ratio of 2.6:1.
Social gatherings among different packs are more common during the breeding season, and take place in close proximity to the den.
Inter-pack confrontations occur at the territorial border. Ethiopian wolves become highly vocal during these interactions, which invariably end with the smaller group retreating from the larger.
Males do not disperse from their natal pack, while females will leave at the age of two years, joining another pack should a breeding vacancy occur.
Reproduction
Within the pack, the dominant female discourages attempts to mate with her from all but the pack's dominant male, though she is receptive to any wandering male from a neighboring group. Up to 70% of all matings involve males from outside the pack. All members of the pack assist in caring for the pups, with subordinate females sometimes assisting the dominant female in suckling the pups. Females breed no more than once annually and give birth to litters usually consisting of 2–6 pups which are born after a two month gestation period. Females give birth in a den dug on open ground, under a boulder or within a rocky crevice. Adults will regularly shift pups between dens, up to 1300 m (4300 ft) apart.
Dietary habits
The diet of the Ethiopian wolf is almost exclusively composed of diurnal rodents. One study revealed that rodents account for 96% of all prey, with the endemic
Big-headed Mole RatTachyoryctes macrocephalus, also known as the Big-headed Mole Rat, Giant Root-rat, Ethiopian African Mole Rat, or Giant Mole-rat, is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family.It is endemic to Ethiopia's Bale Mountains...
(
Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) being the main food item. In areas where the Big-headed Mole Rat is absent, the wolf will primarily subsist on the
East African Mole RatThe East African Mole Rat is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is found in Ethiopia and Somalia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes, dry savanna, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude...
. Other recorded prey species include the
Black-clawed Brush-furred RatThe Black-clawed Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Ethiopia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss....
,
Blick's Grass RatBlick's Grass Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Ethiopia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, various
vlei ratAfrican vlei rats , also known as groove-toothed rats, live in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. They live in marshlands and grasslands, and eat the green grass and herbs that grow there, occasionally supplementing this with roots and seeds...
s, the
Yellow-spotted Brush-furred RatThe Yellow-spotted Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia....
, young
birdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, the
Ethiopian Highland HareThe Ethiopian Highland Hare is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia, where almost entirely restricted to altitudes above that of other African hares.-References:...
, the Cape Hyrax, and young of the
Common DuikerThe Common Duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia, also known as the Grey or Bush Duiker, is a small antelope with small horns found in west, central, east, and southern Africa- essentially everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the horn of Africa and the rainforests of the central and western...
,
Mountain ReedbuckThe Mountain Reedbuck is an antelope found in mountainous areas of much of Sub-Saharan Africa.The Mountain Reedbuck averages 75 cm at the shoulder, and weighs around 30 kg. It has a grey coat with a white underbelly and reddish-brown head and shoulders...
, and
Mountain NyalaThe Mountain Nyala found in Oromia, Ethiopia as gadumsa, is an antelope found in high altitude woodland in a small part of central Ethiopia...
.
SedgeCyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
leaves are sometimes eaten to aid digestion.
Subspecies
There are two recognised subspecies of this canid:
- Canis simensis simensis; Occurs north-west of the Rift valley. Its nasal bones are shorter than those of the southern race.
- Canis simensis citernii; Occurs south-east of the Rift valley. Its coat is redder than that of the northern race.
Status
Ethiopian wolves are decreasing rapidly in population. Fewer than 500 remain today owing to the increased pressure from agriculture, high altitude grazing, hybridization with domestic dogs, direct persecution, and diseases such as rabies. The EWCP (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project) actively works on protecting this
conservation reliant speciesConservation reliant species are endangered or threatened animal or plant species that require continuing species specific wildlife management intervention such as predator control, habitat management and parasite control to survive even when self-sustaining population recovery goals are...
. Scientists working with this project have found that this species has some resistance to the effects of small population sizes and some resilience to fragmentation. A 2003 study on the Ethiopian wolf resulted in the conclusion that the key to its survival resides in securing its habitat and isolating its population from the impact of people, livestock and domestic dogs.
The interaction between humans and Ethiopian wolves has become increasingly threatening to their conservation as these negative interactions increase as human density increases. Human interactions include poisoning, persecution in reprisal for livestock losses, and road kills. Mountainous areas are critical for Ethiopian wolves survival to provide a healthy habitat.
Protecting this unique creature entails securing protected status for conservation areas where ecological processes are preserved in an ecosystem, and addressing and counteracting direct threats to survival (human persecution, fragmented populations and coexistence with domestic dogs.) Biologists also recommend the goal of preserving a minimum of 90% of the existing genetic diversity of the species for 100 years, which may require establishing a Nucleus I captive breeding population (preferably in Ethiopia). These aspirations are being pursued by a group called the Ethiopian Wolf Recovery Programme (EWRP).
Cultural significance
Unlike the gray wolf, the Ethiopian wolf is barely touched upon in the folklore or tradition of the human cultures with which it coexists, though the species is mentioned in Ethiopian literature dating back to the 13th century. Currently, the Ethiopian wolf is a national symbol, having been used in two
stampA postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
series. There are not many traditional uses for the Ethiopian wolf, though its liver may be used for medicinal reasons in the northern regions of the country.
Livestock predation
Though in the past the Ethiopian wolf was feared as a livestock predator, today it is not usually considered a major threat to livestock, to the point where sheep and goats are sometimes left unattended in areas where wolves occur. In the southern highlands, losses caused by wolf predation are mostly dismissed due to the rarity of such events when compared to predation by the
Spotted HyenaThe spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which it is the largest extant member. Though the species' prehistoric range included Eurasia extending from Atlantic Europe to China, it now only occurs in all of Africa south of the Sahara save...
and
jackalAlthough the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
s.
Persecution
Although officially a protected species, wolf killings increased in frequency during Ethiopia's period of instability due to the increased availability of firearms. Ethiopian wolves are not usually exploited for fur, though there was an occasion in
WolloWollo was a historical region and province in the northeastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Dessie. The province was named after the Wollo Oromo, who settled in this part of Ethiopia in the 17th century...
in which wolf skins were used as
saddle padThe terms saddle blanket, saddle pad and saddle cloth refer to blankets, pads or fabrics inserted under a saddle. These are usually used to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the horse's back. Saddle blankets have been used for many centuries with all types of saddles...
s.
External links
- Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP)
- Conservation of Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) at WildCRU
WildCRU, or Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, is part of the University of Oxford Department of Zoology. Its mission is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through original scientific research, training conservation scientists to conduct research, putting scientific knowledge...
of the University of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
Department of Zoology
- Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis) from the IUCN Species Survival Commission#Canid Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Supporting the EWCP at the Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation is a conservation and animal rescue organization in the United Kingdom. It originated in 1984 as the "Zoo Check Campaign" by actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers along with their son Will Travers and four associates....
- Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) at ARKive
ARKive is a global initiative with the mission of "promoting the conservation of the world's threatened species, through the power of wildlife imagery", which it does by locating and gathering films, photographs and audio recordings of the world's species into a centralised digital archive. Its...
, images and videos
- Saving the world's rarest wolf An interview with Claudio Sillero-Zubiri, founder of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, 2009