The Grey Wolf

Christina Dorsett

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http://www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/WildSpecies/Mammals/WildDogs/images/GrayWolf.jpg

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The Grey (gray) wolf is a very adaptable creature that lives in much of the Northern hemisphere.

Its scientific name is Canis lupus, and it has many different subspecies.

Although it is present in both North America and Eurasia, the wolves from each of these continents seems to have evolved separately It is estimated that the European wolf evolved

about 10,000 years before the North American gray wolf.

It is the largest canid, or canine, that is alive today.

General Physical Characteristics

Can jump up to 12 feet off the ground

They have very large paws for their size the paws can spread

out to support their weight in snow

They also have non-retractable claws and fleshy pads for traction

*Fun fact*: wolves do not use their claws for hunting or in fights; they are only for traction

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Can sprint up to 40 mph

Maximum lifespan is generally 17 years

Their Fur

They can have white, grey, black, brown, or red fur

Their coats are made of wooly fur for insulation, with ‘guard’ hairs to keep out moisture

More Physical Characteristics Their sense of hearing is 20 times

sharper than a human’s; their sense of smell is 100 times keener.

They have VERY strong jaws; they can apply a force of over 500 pounds per square inch.

Size varies with different subspecies, but the average male weighs about 90, and the average female weighs about 80 The size of different subspecies

varies with region- the farther south the wolf lives, the smaller the subspecies will grow to be

Vision motion sensitive They are color blind They have a reflective retina, called

a tapetum, that enhances their night vision

Activity

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Behavior

Live in packs Can have anywhere from 2

to 36 members NO natural enemies

Though bears and wolves have been known to kill each other, they do not seek each other out

Humans are the biggest threat to the survival of the wolf

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Interactions with Other Predators Felines

Lynxes Their population in Slovakia

has gone down significantly since wolves were introduced.

Cougars They often steal kills from

each other; sometimes they will kill the other’s young if they feel threatened.

Leopards In Tibet, their numbers

have been severely reduced.

Tigers Tigers will often kill wolves;

there are very few wolves in tiger ranges.

Bears Wolves try to avoid bears when

they can If food is scarce, they might fight

over kills or take each other’s young

Foxes Wolves will drive off or kill foxes if

they get too close

Coyotes Wolves will kill coyotes if they

come too close to anything the pack does

They will do the same with raccoon dogs and golden jackals in other parts of the world

Hyenas In some parts of Asia, hyenas

share the same ranges as wolves; however, wolves generally stick to the slopes, while hyenas are lowland animals

Interactions with Humans Wolves have been feared and hated in many parts of

the world for centuries; only recently has public opinion changed about them. Even as late as the 1970s, there were ad campaigns

created by the government that were degrading to wolves. They were often hunted by professional hunters who were

paid by the government to get rid of as many wolves as possible.

They were perceived as a threat to people, livestock, and pets, and therefore if a wolf or wolf pack was sighted, they would be hunted down and often mutilated; some were blinded, or had their muzzles wired shut, and left to starve to death.

However, almost all alleged wolf attacks on livestock were actually the work of packs of feral dogs or coyotes.

Range The historical range of the grey wolf

covered most of North America, all of Europe, and all of Asia; the largest range of any land animal except humans. They are

now virtually gone from Europe, the U.S., Mexico, and southeast Asia.

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Range continued Wolves are able to live in just about any

biome except for tropical rain forests. Wolves have recently been reintroduced to

parts of Yellowstone. They are still endangered or extinct in many

parts of Europe; unfortunately, in some areas, they are being hunted again, mostly for sport.

Wolf numbers have dropped so significantly that the red fox is now the widest distributed member of the family Canidae in the world.

Bibliography Alderton, David, and Bruce Tanner. Foxes, Wolves, and

Wild Dogs of the World. New York: Facts on File, 1994. Print.

"Gray Wolf." EcoHealth Alliance - Formerly Known as Wildlife Trust. EcoHealth Alliance. Web. 20 May 2011.

"Gray Wolf Facts - National Zoo| FONZ." Welcome to the National Zoo| FONZ Website - National Zoo| FONZ. Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Web. 26

May 2011. "Grey Wolf- Canis Lupus." Carnivora. Web. 20 May

2011. Hampton, Bruce. The Great American Wolf. New York:

H. Holt and, 1997. Print. "Wolves of the World." Cosmosmith. Web. 26 May 2011.