This record was set by a huge male killed in Alaska. Wolves vary greatly in colour. The basic types are black, grey, and white. Arctic wolves are often white or whitish, but all shades of grey, buff or even black are found among them. Wolves are rarely a solid colour.
Grey wolves are grey because of the mixture of tones in each individual hair.
The hair is usually dark near the roots, light in the center, and often black-tipped. Colour is the darkest on the shoulder and back because here the guard hairs are the thickest or longest. Some wolves have distinct patterns, such as a black mantle over the back and neck of light-coloured animals. Two other common patterns are silver manes or ruffes on grey wolves or a dark band on the back of a light wolves. Colour varies widely not only among wolves in the same range but also among individuals in the same pack.