First Mention of a Wolf-Pack with Black Phenotypes in Provence (Sainte-Baume, France): Genetic Investigation of a Suspected Hybridization Event

• Published in: Zoodiversity (Vestnik Zoologii)
• Date: 2025
• Volume: 59
• Issue: 5
• ISSN: 2707-7268
• Author Affiliations: F. Roda — SIS Faune/ Wild SIS, France; J.-N. Philibert — Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs du Var, France
• Main Authors: Roda, F., Philibert, J.-N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2025
• Online Access: https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/699
• Journal Title: Zoodiversity

We document the first appearance of a wolf pack with black individuals in France. Black-coated wolves are excessively rare in Europe and are usually suspected of being wolf x dog hybrids. Camera trapping (CT) was used to characterize the phenotypes of the wolf pack’s grey and black wolves. We used a...