THE POSSIBLE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREAT PLAINS WOLF
IN NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA
L. David Mech and L. D. Frenzel, Jr.
The timber wolf (Canis lupus) of northeastern Minnesota occupies an area within the range given by Goldman (1944) for the eastern timber wolf (C. l. lycaon Schreber). However, this area is within 150 miles of the eastern edge of the former range of the Great Plains wolf (C. l. nubilus Say), and there is some question as to whether the Minnesota wolf is really an intergrade between these two subspecies. Writing of nubilus, Goldman (1944, p. 444) stated: "Specimens from eastern Minnesota and Michigan seem more properly referable to lycaon, but relationship to nubilus is shown in somewhat intermediate characters."
In describing lycaon as basically a gray wolf, Goldman made no mention of the occurrence of black or white color phases in that subspecies. However, in discussing nubilus, Goldman (1944, p. 442) wrote the following: "Many color variations are presented. Individuals may be nearly white at any season, except for a sprinkling of black hairs over the back, a small, narrow, but conspicuous, black patch over the tail gland, and a more or less distinctly black tip. Black individuals may occur in the same litter with those normally colored." Goldman also referred to nubilus as "now probably extinct."
Figure 1.—A few wolves observed in the study area were jet black. (Photo courtesy of L. D. Mech.)
In the eastern part of the range of lycaon, color phases other than gray appear to be rare as Rutter and Pimlott (1969, p. 188) attest: "The uniformity of the color of timber wolves in many areas is evidenced by the work in Algonquin Park, in Ontario. There, over the past eight years, dozens of packs have been observed from the air. However, we have never been able to discriminate between any of them on the basis of the color variation of individual animals."