Wolves live across a wide range of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, and Asia. They are highly adaptable and can be found in diverse environments such as forests, tundra, grasslands, deserts, shrublands, wetlands, mountainous regions, and even agricultural lands

Geographic Distribution

• North America: Wolves are widespread across Canada and found in several U.S. states including Alaska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming. Alaska hosts the largest population in the U.S. Russia has the world's largest wolf population, with about 300,000 individuals

• Europe: Wolves are present in many European countries, with significant populations in the Carpathian region (Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania), Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and several others. Wolves have been naturally recolonizing parts of Western Europe including Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands

• Asia: Wolves inhabit regions in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, India, Iran, Turkey, and other countries, with some subspecies adapted to specific areas like the Himalayan wolf in the Tibetan Plateau and the Arabian wolf in the Middle East

Habitat Preferences

Wolves occupy habitats ranging from sea level up to 3,000 meters in elevation. They prefer areas with adequate prey and water, and tend to live in remote or less accessible places due to historical persecution by humans. Most wolves live in forests but also inhabit tundra, deserts, grasslands, and mountainous terrain. They can even tolerate proximity to human settlements in some cases

Summary

• Wolves are found in wilderness and remote areas but can adapt to a variety of habitats including forests, tundra, deserts, grasslands, and agricultural areas.
• Their range spans much of the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic to parts of Mexico and from Western Europe to East Asia.
• Human activity has reduced their historical range, but conservation efforts have helped populations recover in some regions.

This adaptability in habitat and wide geographic distribution makes wolves one of the most versatile carnivores in the world