Wolf is a catch-all term for the gray wolf (Canus lupis), the largest wild member of the family Canidae, as well as the 39+ subspecies of gray wolf found throughout the world. Gray wolves are social predators that live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair which monopolizes food and breeding rights, followed by their biological offspring and, occasionally, adopted subordinates. They primarily feed on ungulates, which they hunt by wearing them down in short chases. Gray wolves are typically apex predators throughout their range, with only humans and tigers posing significant threats to them.
In the 1450s, European settlers learned very quickly that there were no wolves native to Atlantis. For many, this was a relief as wolves inspired great terror. However, when Terranova was first contacted by Europeans less than a generation later, many were surprised that wolves were quite abundant there.[1]
Wolves were common in the Unkerlanter wilderness, but were rare in the eastern parts of Derlavai.[2] They had been completely extirpated from Kuusamo.[3]
The krongs of Minerva reminded Valery Bryusov of the wolves which roamed near his grandmother's village in Russia, in the stories she told about her childhood. The only wolves he had ever seen in person were in the Moscow Zoo, which suited him just fine.[4]
