The gray wolf or grey wolf (Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf, or western wolf, is a canid native to the wilderness and remote areas of North America and Eurasia.It is the largest extant member of its family, with males averaging 43–45 kg (95–99 lb), and females 36–38.5 kg (79–85 lb).s of May 2015, genetic analyses indicate that the Taymyr wolf diverged from the ancestor of the dog/modern gray wolf 40,000 years ago, with the Taymyr wolf being classified as Canis lupus because it was found to be substantially closer to modern gray wolves than it was to coyotes.