The Japanese Wolf Library

The Japanese Wolf is a subspecies of Grey Wolf native to Honshu, the central island of Japan. It could be found in mountainous regions of broad-leaf temperate forests. This species of wolf is considered one of the smallest in the world, being a similar size to a coyote or border-collie. It was known for its short ears and legs, sloped face, brown mottled fur and black tip on the end of its tail. They were known to often breed with dogs resulting in a large percentage of the population being crossbreeds. It could be argued that due to the uniqueness of this animal it should be regarded as its own species.

Wolves are important figures in Japanese folklore and religion as they are considered messengers of the gods and were even known in stories to protect travellers in the mountains. 

It is believed that the species went extinct in 1905 after a series of misfortunes including a rabies outbreak, habitat destruction and bounties for their lives. However, many pieces of evidence have hinted that the wolves may still be alive in areas such as Chichibu-Tama-Kai, a large mountainous national park.