Danna Chalela March 7th, 2018
Susana Angel 6th Grade Social Studies
Ana Valles The Ethiopian Wolf
The endangered Ethiopian wolf, or the Canis Simensis, is the only living species of wolf in all of Africa. Unfortunately, there are only around five hundred of these beautiful carnivorous canines alive today. Prominent to its name, the Ethiopian wolf resides in Ethiopia, Africa; they live in the highlands of the country’s enclave. Even with their predatory characteristics,
The Ethiopian wolf prey on rodents, such as moles and rats. They also eat young ungulates, eggs, and goslings. Ethiopian wolves also catch their prey in shallow holes, their long muzzle comes in very handy when it comes to catching prey. The Ethiopian wolves tend to hunt alone and rarely hunt in packs. However, they are more dependent socially upon their pack than other types of wolves. They seem to thrive on the social interactions that take place within a pack. The Ethiopian wolf is alike to the coyote in width and build, and is well-known for it’s long and narrow skull, and it’s red and white fur. “Unlike most large canids, which are widespread, generalist feeders, the Ethiopian wolf is a highly specialized feeder of Afroalpine rodents with very specific habitat requirements. The Ethiopian wolf is known as one of the world’s rarest canids. This particular species of wolf is only found in the areas of Africa, namely Ethiopia which is where their namesake comes from. Occasionally the wolves will band together to hunt young ungulates such as the duiker, mountain reedbuck and mountain nyala but for the most part the Ethiopian wolf is a solitary hunter. They subsist mainly on the abundant rodent population found in the afro-alpine grasslands. Sixteen (16) species of rodent have been documented in the Bale Mountain highlands including the black-clawed brush-furred rat, the vlei rat, Blick’s grass rat and the wolves favorite food, the giant mole-rat. Due to the physical appearance of the Ethiopian Wolf, it is often mistaken for either a fox or a jackal. They are a medium sized wolf with very long legs and a muzzle that is more pointed and elongated than other species. They can have a variety of colors including reds, browns, and some white. The color often gets darker with age. Sadly, there are only about seven locations in the area that are believed to still be home to them. Most of them reside in