gray wolf vs Silver Mountain Vole

Canis lupus compared with Alticola argentatus

Key Differences

• gray wolf is Critically Endangered while Silver Mountain Vole is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	gray wolf	Silver Mountain Vole
Kingdom same	Animalia (động vật)	Animalia (động vật)
Phylum same	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)
Class same	Mammalia (lớp Thú)	Mammalia (lớp Thú)
Order	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)	Rodentia (Bộ Gặm nhấm)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Cricetidae
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Alticola
Species	Canis lupus	Alticola argentatus

Evolutionary Relationship

gray wolf and Silver Mountain Vole share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (lớp Thú)

Conservation Status

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Silver Mountain Vole

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	gray wolf	Silver Mountain Vole
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.

Silver Mountain Vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.