Direwolf

* In Ark: Survival Evolved
* In Real Life

*The best adjective to describe Canis Maxdirus is "scary". This pack-hunter is a cunning and brutal predator, capable of taking down prey of nearly any size. In addition to being a vicious hunter, it is the size of a small horse, meaning even the largest predators aren't necessarily safe from the packs.*
*Unlike most creatures on the island, Canis is a dedicated pack hunter, and rarely hunts alone. In fact, Canis is naturally as effective with its packmates as most creatures are when their mate is in danger--when in a pack, they are naturally spurred to fight for their lives. Furthermore, when in a pack, the most experienced Canis will be designated "Alpha" and gain an even stronger enhancement.*
*The species has an incredible affinity for teamwork.*
*Domesticated*
*Obviously, Canis is an amazing battle mount. It is fairly fast, very strong, and agile. It can jump almost as well as the Island's battle cats. Riding a supercharged "Alpha" Canis into battle at the head of a bloodthirsty pack is a thrill for which most warriors would gladly proclaim: "Today is a good day to die!"*

The **Canis**, more commonly known as the **Dire Wolf** or **Direwolf**, is a large carnivorous mammal found on the Ark.

## Statistics

### Drops

* Raw Meat
* Hide
* Pelt

## Appearance

The Dire wolf is the ancestor of the modern wolf. It is adapted to the dangerous environment of the Ark, therefore making it a very large species standing a few inches higher than an average human. The Dire wolf ranges anywhere from white to black, with mixed grays and blacks. The Dire wolf is large and muscular.

Previous models: The old models of the wolves appeared to look more tiger-like with a large snout. The newer models are more wolf-like, and have a smoother fur.

Their puppy counterpart have a small frame which will grow over time (depending on the server growth setting)

## Behavior

Dire wolves are large pack animals. If you see a dire wolf on its own, be sure to scan the area for the rest of its pack unless you want to become their prey. Being carnivorous pack animals, dire wolves will likely attack on sight, so caution is advised. However, they do have the capability of being tamed, and are extremely loyal mounts once they are.

## Domestication

### Taming

The Direwolf requires any type of meat in order to be tamed. They must be fed raw meat.

## Breeding

In order to breed Dire wolves. A player must have one each of the opposite gender. Although they have to be set to wander, the best way to get both genders together is to trap them in a single area. It will mainly take around 10-15 seconds (Uninterrupted) to complete. The same wolves that birthed a pup can't do so again. The only way to make another is for one to mate with a different wolf.

## Benefits

Direwolves are INSANELY fast and have extremely fast and long lasting leaps and are really good scouts and battle mounts.

## Special Ability

Having a pack of 2 or more Direwolves, the highest level out of all has an ability called Aggro. This ability causes the Alpha and other members to howl. The Alpha or pack leader and the members will have a reddish-orange aura emit on them. With this active, the wolves will do extra damage and have more resistance to damage. The Aggro will last only 2 minutes with a long cool down of 5-7 minutes

## Trivia

* The dossier was revealed on August 4th, 2015.
* The dossier mentions an "Alpha Wolf". Unlike the Allosaurus, this feature is not yet available for the Direwolf.
* The dossier states that "It can jump almost as well as the Island's battle cats".
* Dire Wolves appear to take less fall damage than their Sabertooth counterparts, and they can fall from a greater height before sustaining fall damage at all.
* Unlike the Gigantopithecus, Dire Wolves cannot equip armor, giving it a disadvantage in comparison to other rideable creatures that benefit from additional armor.
* Pressing alt-fire (default right mousebutton) will make the wolf howl, making it easy to find home when you are lost and have a tribe.
* The Dire Wolf attack is very fast and can be devastating to prey and enemies. This makes the Dire Wolf a very powerful mount.
* In an interview, the developers said they may consider adding a saddle or some type of armor for the Dire wolf.
* In the dossier there is a typo underneath Domesticated saying "battle cats cats"
* Dire Wolves are the main danger of the Snow Cave, spawning at extremely high levels, sometimes up to 340.
* Dire Wolves are in Scorched Earth.

### Trivia not relevant for the game

* Real Dire Wolves were actually just bulkier and stronger versions of modern-day gray wolves, and would not have made very good mounts.
* Real Dire Wolves could reach up to 1.5 meters long, unlike ARK's ones which can get to 3.75 meters.