Until the 1900s, the Mexican gray wolf had ranged throughout Central Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Western Texas. Settlers at this time began hunting the wolf's prey, forcing the wolf to turn to feeding on the settler's livestock. This in turn lead to the settlers hunting the wolf.

By the 1950s, the Mexican wolf was virtually wiped out in the United States by private trappers and government agencies. The last wild Mexican wolf known of in the United States was shot in 1970. In 1976, they were listed as endangered. Their number has since been increased through captive breeding, and they have been re-released into the wild, though they are still a very rare mammal in the wild.

When in the wild, the wolf feeds primarily on deer, antelope, rabbits and other small rodents. As the smallest subspecies of gray wolf, the Mexican gray wolf varies in size from 50 to 64 inches long (nose to tail), 24 to 32 inches shoulder height, and weighs from 50 to 90 pounds. It's coat is usually a blend of black, white, and grey. They form in packs which usually consist of a breeding pair and their offspring. Just like the Canis Lupus, all members of the pack help in raising the young.