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Common Name: Gray Wolf
Scientific Name: Canis lupus |
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DESCRIPTION |
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North American gray wolves average 3
½ to 5 feet long (without tail) and 60-90 pounds.
Their fur is usually gray, or mostly gray, but can vary
from white (in the tundra) to black. They have long, strong
legs, large feet and claws, and long, sharp teeth. Certain
subspecies in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
are significantly smaller than those found in North America. |
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GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE & HABITAT |
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The gray wolf has the greatest range
of any terrestrial mammal other than Homo sapiens. It
is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere (from the
Arctic continuing south, and across southern Central Mexico,
northern Africa, and southern Asia), They occupy a variety
of habitats (e.g., arctic tundra to forest, prairie, and
arid landscapes) except very arid deserts and tropical
rainforests. |
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FOOD HABITS & DIET |
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Wolves are carnivorous. They hunt in
packs (usually 5-10 wolves) and can prey on large species
such as elk, moose, deer, caribou and bison. They also
eat smaller mammals such as beavers, squirrels and mice.
Wolf packs typically do not attack large and healthy prey,
and will give up the chase if they cannot close quickly
on an animal. In this way, potential prey are tested,
and usually it is the young, the old or the injured that
are killed and eaten. After a kill, the pack remains in
the vicinity, returning to the carcass until it is consumed. |
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SOCIAL STRUCTURE |
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The wolf ordinarily lives in a pack
and defends its territory from other packs. Within the
pack, there are separate dominance hierarchies for the
males and females, with usually only the dominant male
and female mating. Intra-group strife may lead to changes
in status, result in the group splitting into two groups
or cause an individual to leave the group. |
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REPRODUCTION |
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Breeding occurs from January to April.
Gestation is about nine weeks. Litters average 6 - 7 pups.
Pups remain in the den dug by the mother for several weeks,
and by nine weeks they are weaned. They begin hunting
with the pack at about 10 months, and reach maturity at
2 years (females) - 3 years (males). Typically, they will
leave the pack into which they were born at 1 - 3 years
of age. All members of the pack care for the pups. Adults
regurgitate food for seven or eight weeks until the pups
can eat pieces of meat. |
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CONSERVATION |
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Wolf populations in most areas of the
48 states were nearly or entirely eliminated but the picture
is brighter today because of successful recovery and reintroduction
programs. The reintroduction efforts have resulted in
more than 300 wolves in 24 packs in the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem (including Yellowstone National Park, Grand
Teton National Park, and smaller land tracts in the vicinity).
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INTERESTING FACTS |
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Although the wolf has the reputation of being
dangerous to humans, there have been only four well-documented
attacks in North America, none of which resulted in fatalities.
In Eurasia attacks are more common and have resulted in
deaths. Even with their reputation, wolf eco-tourism is
an important source of revenue for protected areas, such
as Yellowstone National Park and Isle Royale National
Park, in Michigan. |
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