gray wolf vs meadow thistle

Canis lupus compared with Cirsium dissectum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	gray wolf	meadow thistle
Kingdom	Animalia (động vật)	Plantae (thực vật)
Phylum	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (lớp Thú)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)	Asterales (Bộ Cúc)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Cirsium
Species	Canis lupus	Cirsium dissectum

Conservation Status

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

meadow thistle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	gray wolf	meadow thistle
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.

meadow thistle

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.