gray wolf vs Pale Clouded Yellow

Canis lupus compared with Colias hyale

Key Differences

• gray wolf is Critically Endangered while Pale Clouded Yellow is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	gray wolf	Pale Clouded Yellow
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)	Lepidoptera (ผีเสื้อ)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Pieridae
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Colias
Species	Canis lupus	Colias hyale

Evolutionary Relationship

gray wolf and Pale Clouded Yellow share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (สัตว์)

Conservation Status

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Pale Clouded Yellow

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	gray wolf	Pale Clouded Yellow
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	13 years	—
Average Length	1.6 m	—
Average Weight	45.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Pale Clouded Yellow

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (35 countries).

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Pale Clouded Yellow

Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden