I've been told there is no test to tell the difference between a wolf and a dog, or between a wolf and a wolfdog, Is this true?
A) No...this is NOW false there are tests available. New Genetic test http://www.petandwildlife.com/wolf-conservation/wolves-genetic-test.html
There is new information coming to light all the time of the close relationship wolves and dogs share. At one point wolves and dogs were scientifically classified as two separate and distinct species of canine. The wolf *Canis lupus* The Dog *Canis familiaris*. But in 1993 the Smithsonian Institute reclassified the domestic dog taxonomically to reflect that wolves and dogs are from the same genus *family*, dogs are now known as *canis lupus familiaris*. However this does NOT make them the SAME.
Montana Fish,Wildlife & Parks learned today that the animal likely responsible for a rash of eastern Montana livestock depredations last year was a domestic wolf, and not a wild Rocky Mountain gray wolf.
The domestic wolf was suspected of killing more than 120 sheep and injuring a number of others in eight different incidents in Dawson, Garfield and McCone counties from December 2005 and July 2006.
Although there was some question early on about the animal’s genetic origin, FWP authorized affected landowners, USDA Wildlife Services, and county predator-control specialists to kill the elusive animal. The animal was eventually killed by federal agents on a Garfield County ranch east of Jordan last November.
To determine the animal’s origin and genetic make up, samples were sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon and to Dr. Bob Wayne’s genetics laboratory at UCLA’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in California.
Both labs determined independently that the animal did not come from, nor was the animal’s genetics consistent with, wild free-ranging wolf populations in the Northern Rockies, the Midwest, or Canada.
The genetic experts concluded that the animal was a product of human-manipulated breeding in a domestic, captive situation.
"This individual displays classic characteristics of being a domestic wolf," said Dyan Straughan, a forensic scientist at the National Forensics Laboratory. "The hodgepodge mixture of DNA found does not occur naturally in wild wolves in North America."
Lab results revealed DNA from three different sources, including maternal DNA from the Great Lakes region, paternal DNA from the lower 48 states, and DNA closely related to wolves in Alaska. It is the presence of all three DNA sources that preclude the possibility of the animal being a wild wolf.
The carcass’s orange color, small foot size and general appearance also did not match typical wild, free ranging wolves. Other physical evidence also suggest that the animal had been in captivity, including long claws, tartar stains on the teeth, and teeth that were in relatively good condition compared to most four-year-old wild wolves.
"The National Forensics Laboratory in particular has an extensive DNA library of wild North American wolves, captive domestic wolves, and wolf-dog hybrids for comparison," said Carolyn Sime, FWP’s wolf program coordinator. "They have run over a thousand samples and maintain the most extensive reference collection anywhere so we have confidence in their results."
Montana law requires that any captive, domestic, or hybrid wolf that is more than half wolf to be permanently tattooed and registered with FWP. State law also requires that any escape, release, transfer, or other change in disposition of such animals be reported to FWP. Financial liability for property damage caused by these animals is the responsibility of the owner.
Sime said no one knows where the animal came from, how it arrived in eastern Montana, or when it arrived. "There were no permanent markings or tattoos on this animal, which are required by law."
Anyone with information on this domestic wolf is urged to call Montana’s violation hotline at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668).
The offspring born to the female Mexican wolf of the Pipestem pair have been confirmed as hybrids. The genetic analysis revealed that (1) F628 is the mother of the pups, (2) M190 is not the father, and (3) the pups are not Mexican wolves. The genetic analysis could not determine for certain what the father is. However, the results indicate that the father is most likely a domestic or feral dog, or wolf x dog hybrid. The phenotypic traits of the pups supports the finding that these pups resulted from such a cross-breeding.
The whole Pipestem group, which included the adult male, adult female and offspring, were removed from the wild in May of this year at the request of a private landowner on whose property the wolves had been frequenting and killing livestock. They were all held in captivity at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge where the adults remain. In keeping with the Service’s Final Rule for managing the Mexican wolf reintroduction and recovery program, these offspring have been humanely euthanized.
Section (3) (x) of our current Final Rule for the reintroduction of Mexican wolves into the Blue Range of Arizona and New Mexico (50 CFR section 17.84(k)) states:
"As determined by the Service to be appropriate, the Service or any agent so authorized by the Service, may capture, kill, subject to genetic testing, place in captivity, euthanize, or return to the wild (if found to be a pure Mexican wolf) any feral wolf-like animal, feral wolf hybrid, or feral dog found within the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area that shows physical or behavioral evidence of hybridization with other canids, such as domestic dogs or coyotes; being an animal raised in captivity, other than as part of a Service-approved wolf recovery program; or being socialized or habituated to humans."
Laboratory tests by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources determined an animal shot by a hunter in Winnebago County was a wolf and not a dog-wolf hybrid, the DNR announced today.
The wolf was killed in the town of Nekimi on Dec. 29 by an archery hunter, after having been spotted in Oshkosh and the surrounding area in previous days. Although initial inspection of the animal indicated it was not a coyote, officials needed to wait for DNR to determine whether it was a wolf or a hybrid.
DNR officials have decided to levy the minimum fine of $306.30 against the hunter, who is from Brandon, but will not seek to revoke his license. In a statement, DNR officials said the hunter was cooperative and did not attempt to hide or conceal the incident, which would have resulted in more severe penalities.
“It is a difficult enforcement decision when a person takes responsibility for their actions and self reports a violation,” a press release states. “The shooter has been issued a Natural Resource Citation for taking a protected species. Proper identification of the target is one of the primary firearm safety tips and based on the investigation and circumstances the hunter should have known the animal was not a legal target (coyote).”
Winnebago County is not traditional or normal wolf range, but statewide DNR Offices often received calls of possible wolf sighting outside normal wolf range. It is not uncommon for young wolves to roam hundreds of miles outside their normal range. The known wolf packs closest to Winnebago County are the Menomonie Reservation to the north and Wisconsin Rapid area to the west. The Gray Wolf was removed from the Endangered and Threatened species list in March of 2007.
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/OSH/80215061/1987