Honshu wolf

Honshū Wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax )

The Honshū Wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax ) was a subspecies of the wolf and is occasionally shared with the Hokkaido wolf as Japanese Wolf (Japaneseニホンオオカミ, Nihon Ōkami, literally " Japan - Wolf" ) referred. The Honshū Wolf is now regarded as the Hokkaido wolf extinct.

The Honshu Wolf was an endemic species that occurred only in Japan. He lived on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Its extinction is attributed to the persecution by humans as well as a first time in the 17th century entrained there rabies epidemic. The last wolf died in 1905 in Nara prefecture.

From Honshu Wolf are now kept in total eight coat preparations or stuffed animals in different scientific institutions. A stuffed animal is located in the Netherlands, three in Japan and the preparation of the 1905 hunted animal is kept in the British Museum.

The Honshū Wolf is considered the smallest known subspecies of the wolf. His body size is likely to be similar due to the island gray fox on the Inselverzwergung.