Wolves are the largest members of the canid family. This is the species from which our pet dogs were domesticated. Wolves... moreWolves are the largest members of the canid family. This is the species from which our pet dogs were domesticated. Wolves were once the most widely distributed, wild terrestrial mammals. They inhabited most of the available land in the northern hemisphere. Due to the destruction of their habitat and persecution by humans, they now occupy only about two-thirds of their former range worldwide, and only about 5-8 percent of the contiguous 48 United States.