Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 107, November 2013, pp. 1-29. | Page 8

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Precipitation in Palestine is highest in the north and west, and decreases toward the south and east. The lower Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea depression, The Naqab Desert and the Wadi Araba are deserts with less than 150 mm. annual rainfall. The largest wolves are all from areas with more than 400 mm. annual rainfall and a Mediterranean climate and vegetation, whereas the smaller wolves inhabit the more arid areas with less than 400 mm. rain (Mendelssohn 1982, Khalaf-von Jaffa 1990). For Mediterranean Canis lupus pallipes wolves, the average CBL for males was 214.5 mm., and for females 203.8 mm. For the Desert Canis lupus pallipes wolves, the average CBL for males was 205.1 mm., and for females 193.8 mm. While the Palestinian southern subspecies Canis lupus arabs Pocock 1934, has an average CBL for males 192.9 mm., and for females 181.1 mm. (Mendelssohn I982, Khalafvon Jaffa 1990).

The Arabian Wolf (Canis lupus arabs) at the Arabia’s Wildlife Centre in Sharjah, UAE. 01.02.2013. Photo by: Prof. Dr. Norman Ali Bassam Khalaf-von Jaffa. In the desert areas (less than 400 mm. rain), two sizes of wolves occur. Most desert wolves are quite uniform in size, but in the most southern area with less than 50 mm. rain, and in southern Sinai, much smaller wolves occur. They not only have smaller skulls, but also smaller bodies. The males had CBLs of less than 200 mm., and the females had CBLs of less than 190 mm. Although the larger wolves in Palestine can be divided into two size groups separated by the isohyet of 400 mm., they can all be considered Canis lupus Pallipes. There is also a considerable difference in the size of the os penis between
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 107 – November 2013