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Portugal at a glance

Main prey for wolves here are roe deer and wild boar.

Main threats to wolf survival are poaching, prey availability, depredation conflict and habitat fragmentation.

This summary of wolves in Portugal is from the UK Wolf Conservation Trust: “The wolves found in Portugal and Spain form a single population. In 1907 this was described as a sub-species of the grey wolf, bearing the scientific name Canis lupus signatus – the Iberian Wolf.
“Wolves were once numerous in Portugal, but by 1910 the population was in decline as they suffered habitat loss and as some of the chosen prey species became extinct. Studies estimate that the wolf population within Portugal is between 250-300 animals, occurring only in the north and centre of the country – corresponding to 30% of its original range. The Iberian wolf which has been threatened with extinction has been protected by law since 1988 in Portugal.”

Species Information

Male Iberian wolf. Image: J.C. Blanco, Spanish wolf biologist

Male Iberian wolf. Image: J.C. Blanco, Spanish wolf biologist

Species
Common Names: gray wolf, lobo (Portuguese and Spanish)
Latin Name: Canis lupus

Subspecies
Common Name: Iberian wolf
Latin Name: Canis lupus signatus

Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: About 300
Population trend: Stable
Legal protection: Full protection

This page was last updated in 2018

Additional Information

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