The Arabian wolf (Canis lupus arabs), is one of the smallest sub-species of the grey wolf. It was once found living throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula, but now can only be found in small clusters of Southern Israel, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and possibly in parts of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
these wolves have large home ranges which they patrol constantly. They escape the heat by digging deep dens and burrows, but as they cannot survive without water, they do not wander far into the great sand deserts.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) desert has seen the extinction of many indigenous species and among these is the Arabian wolf, not seen wild in this area since the 1980s. To see this wolf in the UAE one would need to visit Arabia's Wildlife Centre in Sharjah www.breedingcentresharjah.com.
This small wolf lives in one of the most extreme environments on earth; the arid and semi-arid areas of the Middle East.
The Arabian wolf is a desert adapted canid and although one of the smallest wolves, is one of the largest canids in Arabia.
Their coat hairs are thin, short, wiry and light in colour, varying from light brown through to a greyish yellow, with the stomach being paler or white. The hair on the back remains long, which is thought to be an adaption against solar radiation. In winter their coats are thicker and longer, but not as long as its northern subspecies.
An adult wolf stands approximately 25 - 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs an average of 40 - 45 lbs. The desert wolf is very lean; to survive it must carry no excess weight or fat. It is honed down to optimum weight and physique by constant exercise and the ceaseless effort of seeking prey.
The ears are large compared to other wolves, this adaption enables the Arabian wolf to dissipate heat and keep the blood cool. As the Arabian wolf, like other canines, possesses no sweat glands, it helps control body temperature by evaporation from the lungs, by rapid panting. Arabian wolves are unique, as their middle two paw toes are fused. Their eyes are yellow as with all wolves, but some are found with brown eyes, thought to be an indication of interbreeding with feral dogs, which adds to the threat of survival.
DIET
This is a true hunter constantly on the move tracking and killing prey. It has the stamina to cover long distances, but also has to cope with heat gain and water loss. Arabian wolves will hunt small to medium animals from cape hares, dorcas gazelles and ibexes, foxes, small birds, reptiles, rodents and insects. They are a solitary hunter which will take any carrion it can find but like all wolves they will also eat fruit and plants.
They are opportunistic feeders, hunting mainly at night and will attack and eat any domestic animal up to the size of a goat, the consequences of which result in farmers retaliating by shooting, trapping or poisoning the wolf.