Dire Wolves Explained

Man's best friends may have started off as European gray wolves, according to scientists whose research is challenging earlier thinking around where and why dogs became domestic animals.

Meet the Rare Swimming Wolves That Eat Seafood. Unlike their interior cousins, coastal wolves of Vancouver Island live with two paws in the ocean and two paws on land.

A very large juvenile male (white) challenges the alpha male (gray) for control of the wolf pack. Although it faced a formidable challenger, the alpha prevailed … for now  This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.

Hear photographer Ronan Donovan describe the challenge of photographing one of Yellowstone National Park's most elusive and iconic species: wolves.

This Month in Photo of the Day: From the National Geographic DVD Deadly Instinct.

Solve This Wolves Crossword Puzzle See if you can decipher the clues and show off what you know about wolves.

With their piercing looks and spine-tingling howls, wolves inspire both adoration and controversy around the world. Find out how many wolf species exist, the characteristics that make each wolf's howl unique, and how the wolf population in the continental United States nearly became extinct.

Why Killing Wolves Might Not Save Livestock. New study fuels debate over how to reduce attacks on cows and sheep.

Should We Save the Wolves of Isle Royale? As the predators dwindle, experts debate whether to intervene.

These rare wolves are unique species. Here’s why that matters. Mexican gray wolves and red wolves are taxonomically unique, a federal report says, and require protection under the Endangered Species Act.

A new study raises the possibility that Chernobyl's wolves could spread radiation-caused mutations to other European wolf populations.

This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. The secret behaviors of the timber wolves revealed in this photograph ascribe almost human attributes within the realm of affection and offerings of familial respect. 

This photo was submitted to Your Shot  "Wolves are especially hard to photograph in the wild," writes Petra Warner, a member of National Geographic.

Animals don’t just appear on the massively popular fantasy show Game of Thrones—they announce themselves, hitting the screen as larger-than-life, CGI-generated (or CGI-enhanced) fantastical beasts like dragons and dire wolves.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot.  A pack of arctic wolves strolls by on the Arctic Bay in Nunavut, Canada. It's hard for scientists to spend time studying the animals, as temperatures in their climate can get down to −63 °F.