Mexican Wolf
Canis lupus baileyi
Status: Threatened. In the 1970s, the Mexican Wolf was endangered due elimination in livestock conflicts. Over the following decades, conservation efforts have been fruitful, breeding captive populations and releasing them back to their native habitat.
To the Aztecs, the dog was an animal of the dead. One of many final abodes for dead souls was Mictlan. There were many trials a soul had to pass through in Michlan, and after 4 years of passing through the hells, they would arrive at peace. A red dog was buried with the dead, or sacrificed so the spirit could be released as smoke. It was only with the help and guidance of this dog, that the soul would be carried over the deep river, Chignahuapan and succeed in its final journey. Warriors wore a small effigy of a dog as part of their ceremonial attire.
The god Xolotl was often depicted as a dog-headed man, and as the guide through the underworld.
References:
Werness, H. B. (2006). The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art. United Kingdom: Continuum.
Maffie, J. (2014). Aztec Philosophy: Understanding a World in Motion. United States: University Press of Colorado.