The
Eurasian wolf (
Canis lupus lupus), also known as the
common wolf or
Middle Russian forest wolf, is a
subspecies of grey wolf native to Europe and the forest and
steppe zones of the
former Soviet Union. It was once widespread throughout Eurasia prior to the
Middle Ages. Aside from an extensive paleontological and genetic record,
Indo-European languages typically have several words for 'wolf', thus attesting to the animal's abundance and cultural significance. It was held in high regard in
Baltic,
Celtic,
Slavic,
Turkic,
ancient Greek,
Roman, and
Thracian cultures, whilst having an ambivalent reputation in early
Germanic cultures.