Nature & BioDiversity / Environment / December, 2004
albus: a large, light-colored wolf from the northern Russian Federation and northern Finland
arabs: a small, buff-colored wolf from the Arabian peninsula; not recognized as a subspecies until 1934
canpestris: the central Asian wolf, or steppe wolf
chanco (=laniger): the wolf of Mongolia and China
cubanensis: found between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea; not recognized by some taxonomists
deitanus*: a small wolf once found in Spain, now extinct; not recognized as a subspecies by some authorities
desertorum (=palies): Asian desert wolf, found in the arid areas east of the Black Sea; not recognized by some taxonomists
hattai* (=rex): a wolf once found in Hokkaido, Japan; probably now extinct, although some taxonomists believe that it still survives on Sakhalin Island
hodophilax*: a wolf once foound in Honshu, Japan; extinct in 1935; much smaller than C.l. hattai
laniger: ( see chanco ) the wolf of Mongolia and China
lupus: the most common species throughout Eurasia, and the first named of all subspecies, designated by Linnaeus in 1758
minor*: a wolf once found in Hungary and Austria; extinct by the early 1900's
palies: ( see desertorum ) Asian desert wolf, found in the arid areas east of the Black Sea; not recognized by some taxonomists
pallipes: a small wolf of India and southern Asia; synonomous with arabs, according to some taxonomists
rex: ( see hattai ) a wolf once found in Hokkaido, Japan; probably now extinct, although some taxonomists believe that it still survives on Sakhalin Island
signatus: the Iberian wolf of Spain and Portugal; not recognized by some taxonomists, although recent genetic work by Robert Wayne at the University of California suggests that it is a true subspecies
* indicates an extinct subspecies
It has been suggested by taxonomist Ron Nowak that the subspecies campestris, chanco, and desertorum are synonomous with lupus, and distinguished by a new subspecies, communis, for a race of large wolves found in the northern Russian Federation.