Short answers, pulled from the story.
The wolf's scientific name is Canis lupus, and it belongs to the family Canidae. It is the largest wild extant member of that family, and Carl Linnaeus formally classified it under that name in 1758.
The global wild grey wolf population is estimated at between 200,000 and 250,000 individuals as of 2026. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the species as Least Concern on its Red List due to its relatively widespread range and stable population.
Adult wolves measure 105 to 160 cm in length and stand 80 to 85 cm at the shoulder. The mean body weight is 40 kg, with the heaviest individual on record reaching 79.4 kg. Wolves in central Russia can reach 69 to 79 kg.
Wolves were exterminated in Great Britain by 1684 and in Ireland by 1770. They were also eliminated in Central Europe by 1899, in France by the 1930s, and across much of Scandinavia by the early 1970s.
Wolves communicate through vocalizations including howls, growls, barks, and whines, as well as body posture, scent marking, touch, and taste. Wolf howls can be heard over areas of up to 130 km2 under certain conditions. Raised leg urination makes up 60 to 80 percent of all scent marks observed and is considered one of the most important forms of scent communication.
The wolf appears in mythologies across its entire historical range. The Ancient Romans believed the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were nursed by a she-wolf. Norse mythology features Fenrir and Odin's wolf companions Geri and Freki. The Pawnee regard the wolf as the first animal brought to Earth and call the Milky Way the "wolf trail" alongside the Blackfoot. In literature, the phrase "to cry wolf" derives from one of Aesop's fables.