Gray wolves, or timber wolves, are canines with bushy, long tails that are often black-tipped. Their coat colors are typically a mix of gray and brown with buffy facial markings and undersides However, their color may change from pure white to brown or black. Gray wolves appear a bit like an enormous German shepherd. Wolves differ in size based on where they live. Wolves living in the north tend to be larger than those living in the south. It is common for wolves to have a head is between three and five feet and their tails can be one to two feet long. Females usually weigh between 60 and 100 pounds, and males weigh 70-145 pounds.
What is gray wolf?
Wolves are famous for their thrilling howl which they make use of for communication. A lone Wolf howls to draw the attention of his group, while collective howls can send territorial messages from one pack to the next. Certain howls can be confrontational. Much like domestic dogs that bark Wolfs may begin with howling when a wolf has already begun.
Population and conservation
Wolves constitute the largest part within the canine family. The Adaptable Gray Wolf is among the most widespread and were once seen all across the Northern Hemisphere. However, humans and wolves have a long and enduring adversarial time. Although they rarely attack humans, wolves are believed to be one of the animal world’s most terrifying natural villains. They do , however, attack domestic animals, and countless Wolfs have been killed, trapped, or poisoned by this problem.
The lower 48 US states, the gray wolves had been hunted to almost extinction. However, a few populations survived, and some have been restored. Gray wolves are rare in Europe, though many live on the continents of Alaska, Canada, and Asia.
Wolf pack behavior
Wolves hunt in packs of around six to 10 animals. They can be seen roaming large distances, perhaps 12 miles within a single day. The social animals work together on their preferred prey–large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they’re successful the wolves don’t eat in moderation. A single animal could consume 20 pounds of meat in a sitting. Wolves also consume smaller mammals, birds snakes, fish, lizards and even fruit.
Wolfpacks are organized by strict hierarchy with a dominant male on top, and his mate a few steps behind. In most cases, the male and female are the only two animals in the pack that can breed. All of a pack’s adults take care of the pups , feeding them and watching them as others hunt.
Wolves live in groups. Most packs have up to nine members but their size can range from as small as two wolves up to as many as 15. In rare instances, packs can grow to 30 members, until some individuals break off to find new territories and create their own pack.
Within the pack hierarchy there are female and male hierarchy. The male alpha is the dominant over all the pack members, both females and males. The male and female alpha are the only ones to breed.
As the young adults reach 3 years old, they have the option to either join in with the group or find their own territory. The new territory could be located close to where there are plenty of prey. In certain areas young adults can traverse hundreds of miles locate a new territory.
Wolves usually mate for the rest of their lives. In nordic United States, they breed from the end of January until March. The breeding season begins earlier in wolves who live further south. Wolves are pregnant for approximately three months and typically birth between four and six pups.
The wolf pups are usually born in dens. When they are born, they can’t be heard or seen and weigh around one hundred pounds. The pups are weaned at around six weeks. Adult pack members consume meat before bringing it back to the den for their pups. After the adults eat this food for the puppies, they are served an energizing food. The mother wolf takes the pups around to different dens every few months until the fall, when the pack stops living at den sites. In the wild, wolves age 8 to 13 years Sometimes, they live longer. In captivity, they live up to 15 years.
5 FUN FACTS
1. Gray wolves are the biggest ever living canine wild species.
2. Wolves are the wild ancestor of all our domesticated dogs, from poodles to bulldogs to greyhounds.
3. Wolf packs usually hunt within a territory which ranges up to 50 square miles (129 square kilometers) to over thousand square miles (2,590 square kilometers).
4. Wolves usually travel at 5 miles (8 kilometers) in an hour, however they could reach speeds of forty miles (64 kilometers) in an hour.
5. Wolves howl in order to strengthen their friendships and warn others wolf packs to keep away. However, contrary to popular belief, wolves don’t howl at the moon.
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