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Ethiopian Wolf

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                 iEthiopian Wolf

                             Conservation status

   Critically endangered (CR)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Carnivora
   Family:  Canidae
   Genus:   Canis
   Species: C. simensis

                                Binomial name

   Canis simensis
   Ruppell, 1840
   Ethiopian Wolf range
   Ethiopian Wolf range

   The Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis; Amharic ተኵላ täkʷula, 'wolf', or ቀይ
   ቀበሮ qey qebero, 'red fox'), also known as the "Abyssinian Wolf", "Red
   Jackal" or "Fox", "Simen/Simenian/Simian/Simien Fox or Jackal" and
   "Horse's Jackal" in English.

   The Ethiopian Wolf is one of the rarest and most endangered of all
   canids. The numerous names reflect previous uncertainty about their
   taxonomic position, but they are now thought to be related to the
   wolves of the genus Canis, rather than foxes they resemble. Recent
   molecular evidence even seems to indicate that the Ethiopian Wolf is a
   descendant of the Gray Wolf. As a result, Ethiopian Wolves are the only
   wolves in sub-Saharan Africa.

   It is found in the Afro- alpine regions of Ethiopia, about 10,000 feet
   (3,000 meters) above sea level. Only about seven populations, totaling
   about 550 adults, remain. They feed on afro-alpine rodents (one study
   found that 96% of their prey were rodents), particularly African mole
   rats and grass-rats. They will, however, also take small antelopes like
   reedbuck, the calves of larger antelope (like the Mountain Nyala),
   hares and hyraxes. Ethiopian Wolves are diurnal.

   When feeding on rodents Ethiopian Wolves tend to hunt alone, but they
   are territorial social canids that form packs and defend territories.
   The pack, which numbers up to a dozen adults with a skewed sex ratio of
   several males to each female, patrols and defends the territory.

   The Oromo people of southern Ethiopia call the Ethiopian wolf the
   "Horse's Jackal" because of the reported habit of following mares and
   cows that are about to give birth, in order to eat the placenta.

   Claudio Sillero-Zubiri at the University of Oxford is the zoologist
   most closely associated with efforts to save this species of wolf,
   particularly with his work for an oral rabies vaccine to protect them
   from the disease passed from local dogs. A rabies outbreak in 1990
   reduced the largest known population, found in the Bale Mountains
   National Park, from about 440 wolves to less than 160 in only two
   weeks.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Wolf"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
