a few wolf questions......

[Maia Huntress]

Ok I just wanted to know what rufus means in Canis Rufus (Red Wolf). Also, why are gray wolves called gray wolves? Not all of them are gray! One last thing: can wolves ever be all one color, such as solid gray, solid black, solid brown, ect.?

[StoneShadow]

1. i really dont know!
2. whos knows? maybe because all wolves primary coat, or guard hairs, not the ones showing, are all the traditional gray color?
3. i believe so... like white wolves are completely white i think.

[-Sheeba]

I'm not sure about the first two questions, but for your third one: No, a wolf cannot be one solid color. Although some white wolves may appear to look all white, if studied carefully, there are a few flaws with some flecks of other colors.

Even black and white wolves have impurities in their coats. Grey wolves generally have a pretty distinctive lighter underside and often a darker mark around their shoulders, usually some browns in there too.

*Taken from the topic "Can wolves be solid grey in color?" (http://www.wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.p ... 5#p1090045) which is now locked.

[Kivia]

About the first question, "rufus" translates into "red" from Latin to English, since scientific names are basically the species' Latin name.

[Maned_Wolf]

I have a question that fits into the first one,instead of making another topic I'll just ask here.

What does Arctos translate to? I just assumed it would mean arctic (Canis Lupus Arctos,Arctic Wolf) but bears have it in their latin names too (Ursus arctos)!

[Wolfie10]

What species of bear has that name? I know that just bear is "Ursur". So if it where say a Polar Bear then it would be "Ursur Arctos" (Arctos I would have thought-does mean arctic).

[Kivia]

What species of bear has that name? I know that just bear is "Ursur". So if it where say a Polar Bear then it would be "Ursur Arctos" (Arctos I would have thought-does mean arctic).

Ursus Arctos is actually the Brown Bear.

Arctos though, from what I looked up, could mean "North lands".

[Riceboy]

Ok I just wanted to know what rufus means in Canis Rufus (Red Wolf). Also, why are gray wolves called gray wolves? Not all of them are gray! One last thing: can wolves ever be all one color, such as solid gray, solid black, solid brown, ect.?

Hm..

1. "Rufus" means "red", as "canis" is pretty obvious.
2. Thats like asking why the great white shark is called a great white shark, though they are gray. It's probably because most of them are gray, or the first one seen/named was gray.
3. They can't be a PURE color... there's always some lighter or darker shades around certain parts of their bodies.

[cloudywolf]

1.it mean reddish-grey wolf of southwestern North America or something like that I'm not really sure to be honest but that is my best guess. 2.I am not really sure about that one sorry.3.Yes wolves can be a solid colour,although some have tips of small other colours but yes a wolf can be a solid colour such as Grey and White and Black.

[Songdog]

1.it mean reddish-grey wolf of southwestern North America or something like that I'm not really sure to be honest but that is my best guess. 2.I am not really sure about that one sorry.3.Yes wolves can be a solid colour,although some have tips of small other colours but yes a wolf can be a solid colour such as Grey and White and Black.

No, they can't be a solid color. They have mixtures of other colors in their fur, and generally patches or streaks of impurities.

If you think you can disprove this, find a non-photoshopped photograph of a solid-colored wolf.

[SoranofAvalor]

maybe reddish??

[shenzie]

Ok I just wanted to know what rufus means in Canis Rufus (Red Wolf). Also, why are gray wolves called gray wolves? Not all of them are gray! One last thing: can wolves ever be all one color, such as solid gray, solid black, solid brown, ect.?

1: red im pretty sure cuz i think Canis is K9 like wolves,dog,foxes, ect so if it means K9 then when u say Canis Rufus ur prob saying red canine
2"im not sure
3 not sure

[wolfzrule555]

im not sure of the first few but i can tell you that, there have been pure white and pure black pups spotted before and adult wolves to im sure theres a name for that type of wolf ill look it up for you

[CLBaileyi]

1) rufus means red or ruddy in Latin

3) a true wolf cannot be a single color. Even arctic wolves have other colors in their coat.