The wolf (canis lupus) is a species of dog (canidae) in the Canidae family. Wolves live and hunt in packs, main prey are medium to large ungulates. The species used to be widespread throughout Europe, but has been largely eradicated in Western and Central Europe. Germany was only repopulated at the end of the 1990s, in 2000 puppies were detected for the first time.Wolves have found their way into the myths and fairy tales of many peoples at an early stage, making them one of the most famous predators.