The Arabian wolf ( Canis lupus arabs) is a subspecies of gray wolf native to the Arabian Peninsula—to the west of Bahrain, as well as Oman, southern Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. It is also found in Israel’s Negev Desert and Arabah Deserts, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. It is the smallest gray wolf subspecies and a specialized xerocole (arid-adapted) animal that normally lives in smaller familial packs. Arabian wolves are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters; they consume small to medium-sized prey, from insects, reptiles and birds to rodents and small , such as young Nubian ibex and several species of gazelle (Arabian gazelle, goitered, Dorcas gazelle, and ).
Taxonomy
Once thought to be synonymous with
C. l. pallipes (the
Indian wolf), the Arabian wolf was designated
Canis lupus arabs by the British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock in 1934.
[Pocock, R.I. (1934). "LXVI.—Preliminary diagnoses of some new races of South Arabian mammals". Journal of Natural History Series 10. 14 (84): 635. doi:10.1080/00222933408654939.] Pocock noted its smaller skull and smaller size.
In the third edition of
Mammal Species of the World published in 2005, the mammalogist W. Christopher Wozencraft listed under the wolf
Canis lupus the subspecies
Canis lupus arabs.
[ A 2014 study suggests that genetically the Arabian wolf is closer to C. l. lupus than it is to C. l. pallipes and supports the subspecies designation C. l. arabs.]
In Israel and Palestine, there is some disagreement as to the exact taxonomic status of wolves. Some scientists hold that two subspecies of wolf are present: C. l. pallipes in the northern parts and C. l. arabs in the south. They point out that the southern wolves are smaller than the northern wolves, which are also darker and have longer fur.
Admixture with other Canis species
In 2018, whole genome sequencing was used to compare members of the genus Canis. The study found evidence of gene flow between African golden wolves, golden jackals, and grey wolves (from Saudi Arabia and Syria). One African golden wolf from the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula showed high admixture with the Middle Eastern grey wolves and dogs, highlighting the role of the land bridge between the African and Eurasian continents in canid evolution. The African golden wolf was found to be the descendant of a genetically admixed canid of 72% grey wolf and 28% Ethiopian wolf ancestry.[
]
Description
The Arabian wolf is one of the smallest subspecies of wolf. It stands on average at shoulder height[Walker, Brett (2008). The Lost Wolves of Japan. University of Washington Press, Seattle. p. 53. .] Along with the Indian wolf, it is probably smaller than other wolves to help it adapt to life in a hot, dry climate.
They have a short thin coat which is usually a grayish beige color,
Behavior and Ecology
Behavior
Arabian wolves do not usually live in large packs, and instead hunt in pairs or in groups of about three or four animals.[Hefner, R.; Geffen, E. (1999). "Group Size and Home Range of the Arabian Wolf (Canis lupus) in Southern Israel". Journal of Mammalogy. 80 (2): 611–619. ISSN 1545-1542. doi:10.2307/1383305.] They are most frequently active around water sources at sunrise and mid-afternoon.
Diet
Arabian wolves are mainly carnivorous, but also omnivorous and in some areas largely dependent on human garbage and excess products.[ PG. 186] Opportunistically, almost any small animal including fish, snails, baby baboons can be part of their diet.
Other wildlife interactions
There is at least one case in Israel of a striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena) associating and cooperating with a wolf pack. It is proposed that this is a case of mutualism: the hyena could benefit from the wolves' superior ability to hunt large, agile prey. The wolves could benefit from the hyena's superior sense of smell, to locate and dig out tortoises, to crack open large bones, and to tear open discarded food containers like tin cans.
As with other wolf subspecies, Arabian wolves can facilitate a trophic cascade by suppressing smaller carnivores such as ( Canis aureus) and (Genus Vulpes). This allows smaller herbivores to become more abundant.
Range and conservation
The Arabian wolf was once found throughout the Arabian Peninsula, but now lives only in small pockets in southern Israel,[Bray, Timothy C.; Mohammed, Osama Badri; Butynski, Thomas M.; Wronski, Torsten; Sandouka, Mohamed Abdelkader; Alagaili, Abdulaziz Nasser (2014). "Genetic variation and subspecific status of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Saudi Arabia". Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde. 79 (6): 409–413. ISSN 1616-5047. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2014.06.005.] and some parts of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
In Oman, wolf populations have increased because of a ban on hunting, and they may naturally re-establish themselves in certain places within the region in the relatively near term.[Natural Emirates: Wildlife and Environment of the United Arab Emirates. Trident Press Ltd. 1996. pp. 219–. .]
In Israel, between 100 and 150 Arabian wolves are found across the Negev and the Arabah. The population is stable, as prey is abundant and much of the land is undeveloped and protected as nature reserves.
The United Arab Emirates and Egypt maintain captive breeding programs. The wolf is protected in Oman and Israel. Certain areas within Saudi Arabia offer protected status, and the Arabian wolf still exists in places with sparse human activity.
Sources
