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Wolves - Anatomy - Behavior - Conservation - Social life

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A wolf howl can last anywhere from 3 to 11 seconds

The pack, the basic unit of wolf social life, is usually a family group. It is made up of animals related to each other by blood and family ties of affection and mutual aid.

Wolf pups are born in northern climates as late as early June and in southern climates as early as late February

The average litter size is 4 to 6 cubs.

The cubs weigh approximately one pound at birth and cannot see or hear.

Fur color varies from gray, tan and brown to pure white or black.

Packs can have as little as 2 members or as many as 30 members. Average Pack size is 6 to 8.

Pack Territories vary with location. In the Alaskan or Canadian Wilderness the territory for one pack ranges from 300 to 1,000 square miles while in the continental U.S. the territory is between 25 and 150 square miles.

A Wolf in a hurry can go as fast as 35 miles per hour for short distances.

Fact: A wolf howl can last anywhere from 3 to 11 seconds. Source: Gray Wolf, National Wildlife Federation.
Fact: When a wolf becomes separated from his pack, it howls. The other members of his pack respond, giving him a sound to guide him home.

In the Shadow of a Rainbow: The True Story of a Friendship Between Man and Wolf

Wolf Info

The average litter size for the wolf is 4 to 7 pups

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Tambako the Jaguar

The wolf has rounded ears
The wolf has one of the widest ranges of size, shape and color of any mammal in North America
The average litter size for the wolf is 4 to 7 pups
Wolves have a vast communication repertoire including scent marks, vocalizations, visual displays, facial and body postures and rituals
In chases, the wolf can achieve estimated speeds of between 28 and 40 miles per hour for up to 20 minutes

The Arctic Wolf

Canis lupus arctos

Able to tolerate years of sub-zero temperatures, up to five months of darkness a year, and weeks without food, the arctic wolf lives in one of the few places on earth where it is safe from the greatest threat of all - man. Arctic wolves inhabit some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. In April, the air temperature rarely rises above -22%uFFFD F. The ground is permanently frozen. The arctic wolf is one of the few mammals that can tolerate these conditions. Details of the animal's life through much of the year are virtually unknown. The arctic wolf is the only subspecies still found over the whole of its original range.

by Tambako the Jaguar

A Fellow Lensmaster and Wolf Supporter

In the Shadow of a Rainbow: The True Story of a Friendship Between Man and Wolf [Paperback]

Wolf Gardens Wildlife Center: To Quote
"Michi is one of 36 wolves that are captive bred rescues who live with us.

The sad part about captive bred wild animals is that they can very rarely be released into the wild successfully."

Why Restore Wolves in North America?

Other Cool Pages

"Wolf Pack" - blk/orng by Tia_Walters

See more Crossfit T-Shirts

Excellent Wolf Link List

by Tambako the Jaguar

North American Wolf Association: Non-profit organization focused on wolf reintroduction and preservation through education.
Wolf Education and Research Center: The center located in the Northern Rocky Mountains provides public education and scientific research concerning the Gray Wolf and its habitat.
Wolf Web: Wolf information, tales, pictures, and games.
Canadian Centre for Wolf Research: A non-profit organization researching social behavior of wolf packs through non-invasive methods.
Ethiopian Wolf: Fact sheet about the Ethiopian Wolf.
Mexican Gray Wolf: Fact sheet on the Mexican Gray Wolf.
Wolf Source: Guide to wolf biology, conservation, activism, and other resources.
Wolf Country: Wolf sanctuary in Ohio with information on wolf communication, pups, the pack, and why wolves are endangered.
Wolves, Wolves, Wolves: Provides facts about wolves, opinions about recovery and other issues, news, and photos.
International Wolf Center: Non-advocacy, non-profit organization in Superior National Forest, Minnesota dedicated to educating people about the wolf.
Wolves of the World: Social behavior, habitat, breeding, and endangerment of Gray, Red, Mexican Gray, Maned, and Arctic Wolves.
California Wolf Center: Conservation and education center focusing on Gray and Mexican Wolves.
Arctic Wolves and their Prey: Essay and photo gallery on arctic wolves and their prey by a widely recognized expert.
The Searching Wolf: Collection of information about the different species of wolves, including resources, pictures, news and opinion, and sounds.
Wolves - National Wildlife Federation: The National Wildlife Federation offers ways to help wolves through conferences, newsletters, public education and films. Read about the different species of wolves, commonly asked questions about wolves, and what you can do to help.
World of the Wolf: Natural history of wolves and other canids, photo galleries, fossil records, sound and video files, and links.
Spirit of the Wolf: Learn all about wolves, how to protect them, find out about myths, view photographs, and buy wolf items.
Arctic Wolves (Canis lupus arctos): Facts about the endangered status, habitat, range, and diet of this mammal. Includes photos.
Wolf Howl Animal Preserve: Dedicated to the preservation of Canis Lupus and its sub-species. Includes facts about wolves and a reading list.
UK Wolf Conservation Trust: Non-profit organization promoting conservation and providing a natural habitat sanctuary for observation.
Behavior and Ecology of Wolves: Find out how these creatures communicate and defend themselves and their territories, and learn about our relationship with them.
White Hawk Wolf: Personal site of Tamra Brennan dedicated to the preservation of wolves. Information on wolf biology, conservation, and wolves' role in Native culture. Includes photo gallery.
Iberian Wolf - Wolves in Spain: Includes facts on population, distribution, habitat, diet, regional differences, and management.
Animals and Nature: Domestic and wild animals: Find and share videos at Animals and Nature.

Canis lupus

Wolves scent-roll to bring scents back to the pack

The gray wolf, Canis lupus, lives in the northern latitudes around the world. There are five subspecies of the gray wolf in North America and seven to 12 in Eurasia.

The currently recognized subspecies in North America are: Canis lupus baileyi, commonly referred to as the Mexican wolf or lobo. Canis lupus nubilus, referred to as the Great Plains or buffalo wolf.

Canis lupus occidentalis, known as the Rocky Mountain wolf or Mackenzie Valley wolf. Canis lupus lycaon, commonly referred to as the eastern timber wolf. Canis lupus arctos, known as the arctic wolf.

Never Cry Wolf : Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves

More Wolf Facts

First Song

Buy at AllPosters.com

Wolves are highly intelligent animals. Studies indicate that the domestic dog's brain is 15% to 30% smaller than the wolf's.
Wolves once had the widest range of any mammal, inhabiting arctic tundra, plains, prairies, deserts, mountains and forests. They were found throughout Europe, Asia, Japan and all of North America except southwest California.
Gray wolves measure between 5 and 7.5 feet from nose to end of tail. (Red wolves are generally somewhat smaller.)
The bond between pack members is so close that observers have recorded that the death of one engenders an evident sense of loss among the survivors.

Never Cry Wolf" is on my personal top 10 books

Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone

Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone [Hardcover]

European Wolves

Few European countries still have substantial numbers of wolves.

Roughly, about 250 wolves live in remote mountainous areas in Italy, and are officially protected. Projects which are financed by the World Wide Fund for Nature may enable small numbers of wolves to survive if farmers and herdsman can be persuaded to accept them. In Norway, Wolves are protected to the extent that they are illegal to kill by anyone other than farmers protecting their livestock. To prevent continuous slaughter, farmers are often compensated for livestock which is killed by the endangered wolves. "Grupo Lobo" was founded in Spain and Portugal in 1985 in attempt to protect the wolves in the mountains on the Spain/Portugal border. There is an extremely small number of wolves in Sweden, regardless of protective legislation. These systems are often abused. Lapp herdsman in the North of Sweden have often blamed the deaths of their reindeer on wolves rather than on poor care.

Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)

This medium sized canid has a reddish coat, distinctive white markings

The Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis), once thought to be closely related to the jackal is actually more closely related to the gray wolf and coyote than any African canid. This conclusion was reached through phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA sequencing. It is thought that this species evolved from a gray wolf-like ancestor that crossed Eurasia to northern Africa as recently as 100,000 years ago. This medium sized canid has a reddish coat, distinctive white markings throughout the body and black markings on the tail, long legs and an elongated muzzle. The contrast of white markings against the red coat increases with age and social rank in both sexes. Males are significantly larger (20%) than females with an average weight of 16.2 kg (14.2 - 19.3 kg); females weigh an average of 12.8 kg (11.2 - 14.15 kg).

Source: a-z-animals.com via Judy on Pinterest

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Tambako the Jaguar

Gray Wolf - Canis lupus

wolf

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Tambako the Jaguar

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Tambako the Jaguar

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Tambako the Jaguar

Face to Face with Wolves

The Arctic wolf inches towards you. Like you, he is torn between fear and curiosity.

Face to Face with Wolves (Face to Face with Animals) [Paperback]

The Wolf Almanac

The newly revised reference work on the history and evolution of wolves, their biology and physiology, behavior and sociology, and their mythology. It is considered the best reference on wolves of its kind.

The Wolf Almanac, New and Revised: A Celebration of Wolves and Their World [Paperback]