There is only one kind of wolf in Alaska. The wolves in Alaska are all from the species Canis lupus. (Canis means dog and lupus means wolf.) These wolves are commonly called Timber Wolf or Gray Wolf.

A lot of wolves in North America are subspecies of Canis lupus and there are a lot of common names for the same kind of wolf.

The wolves' closest relative is the domestic dog. The coyote is also a relative of the wolf. It also has two relatives across the ocean: the dingo in Australia and jackal in Africa. Wolves that are in colder climates have smaller ears and wider mouths than wolves in warmer places. This is called the Bergmen Rule.

Hybrids {mixtures} such as wolf-dogs or wolf-coyotes are not really wolves at all. Even though wolf-dogs or wolf-coyotes may look much like dogs, they are very difficult to train and can be dangerous if kept as pets in homes with small children. Canis lupus is found in 85 percent of Alaskan land.