The gray wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the timber wolf or wolf, is a mammal of the order Carnivora. The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the Canidae family and an ice age survivor originating during the Late Pleistocene around 300,000 years ago. Its shoulder height ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 meters (26–36 inches) and its weight varying between 32 and 68 kilograms (70–150 pounds). DNA sequencing and genetic drift studies indicate that the gray wolf shares a common ancestry with the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). A number of other gray wolf subspecies have been identified, though the actual number of subspecies is still open to discussion.Expansion has had a dramatic effect on wolves. Though once abundant over much of North America and Eurasia, the gray wolf inhabits a very small portion of its former range because of widespread destruction of its habitat, human encroachment of its habitat, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that sparked broad extirpation. Considered as a whole, however, the gray wolf is regarded as being of least concern for extinction according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Today, wolves are protected in some areas, hunted for sport in others, or may be subject to extermination as perceived threats to livestock and pets.Gray wolves play an important role as apex predators in the ecosystems they typically occupy. Gray wolves are highly adaptable and have thrived in temperate forests, deserts, mountains, tundra, taiga, and grasslands.Wolves have been featured in the folklore and mythology of many cultures throughout history. Norse mythology tells the legend of the giant Fenrir. More sympathetic depictions include the suckling of Romulus and Remus in the Roman creation story. Wolves have also appeared in Western fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, in which the wolf plays the role of the villain.