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Canis simensis

(Ethiopian wolf)

Overview

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Endangered

Threat status

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Ethiopische wolf

Common Names in English:

Ethiopian wolf, Simian Jackal, Simien fox, Simien jackal

Common Names in French:

Loup D'Abyssinie

Common Names in Spanish:

Lobo Etiope

Description

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Habitat

Biome: Terrestrial [1].

Ecology:  

A very localized endemic species, confined to isolated pockets of Afroalpine grasslands and heathlands where they prey on Afroalpine rodents. Suitable habitats extend from above treeline at about 3,200 m up to 4,500 m, with some wolves present in montane grasslands at 3,000 m. However, subsistence agriculture extends up to 3,5003,800 m in many areas, restricting wolves to higher ranges (Marino 2003a). Rainfall at high altitude varies between 1,000 and 2,000 mm/year, with one pronounced dry period from December to February/March.

Wolves utilize all Afroalpine habitats, but prefer open areas with short herbaceous and grassland communities where rodents are most abundant, along flat or gently sloping areas with deep soils and poor drainage in parts. Prime habitats in the Bale Mountains are characterized by short herbs (Alchemilla spp. ) and grasses and low vegetation cover , a community maintained in continuous succession as a result of molerat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) burrowing activity. Other good habitats include tussock grasslands (Festuca spp., Agrostis spp.), high-altitude scrubs dominated by Helichrysum spp. and short grasslands in shallow soils. In northern parts of the range, plant communities characterized by a matrix of 'guassa' tussock grasses (Festuca spp.), 'cherenfi' bushes (Euryops pinifolius) and giant lobelias (Lobelia rhynchopetalum) sustain high rodent abundance and are preferred by wolves. Ericaceous moorlands (Erica and Phillipia spp.) at 3,2003,600 m are of marginal value, with open moorlands having patches of herbs and grasses which are relatively good habitat.

[1].

List of Habitats:

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 15-Aug-2007

Similar Species

Members of the genus Canis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 30 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. adustus (Side-Striped Jackal) · C. adustus adustus (Side-Striped Jackal) · C. aureus (Asiatic Jackal) · C. aureus aureus (Golden Jackal) · C. latrans (American Jackal) · C. latrans clepticus (Coyote) · C. latrans latrans (Coyote) · C. lupis baileyi (Mexican Wolf) · C. lupus (Domestic Dog (Feral)) · C. lupus arctos (Arctic Wolf) · C. lupus baileyi (Mexican Gray Wolf) · C. lupus beothucus (Newfoundland Wolf) · C. lupus dingo (Dingo) · C. lupus familiaris (Dingo) · C. lupus hodophilax (Japanese Wolf) · C. lupus irremotus (Northern Rocky Mountains Wolf) · C. lupus ligoni (Alexander Archipelago Wolf) · C. lupus lupus (Domestic Dog) · C. lupus lycaon (Eastern Wolf) · C. lupus minor (Austro-Hungarian Wolf) · C. lupus mogollonensis (Southwestern Wolf) · C. lupus nubilus (Southern Gray Wolf) · C. lupus occidentalis (Northern Gray Wolf) · C. lupus pallipes (Gray Wolf) · C. lupus tundrorum (Gray Wolf) · C. lupus youngi (Southern Rocky Mountains Wolf) · C. mesomelas (Silver-Backed Jackal) · C. microtis (Indus River Dolphin) · C. rufus (Red Wolf) · C. simensis (Ethiopian Wolf)

More Info

Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Marino, J. & Sillero-Zubiri, C. 2011. Canis simensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 31 January 2012. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-05-02