The Grey Wolf

1. The Grey Wolf http://www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/WildSpecies/Mammals/WildDogs/images/GrayWolf.jpg Christina Dorsett http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/files/storyphotos/Gray_Wolf_copy.JPG?0 http://www.glogster.com/media/5/27/6/94/27069451.jpg

2. 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.

3. General Physical Characteristics • Can sprint up to 40 mph • 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 http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBEIfCcsUe--e1_E9pqPy761XjAwbPbjg44k9iQ_VSTENp3Ved *Fun fact*: wolves do not use their claws for hunting or in fights; they are only for traction • Maximum lifespan is generally 17 years http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcScKcTlejWDGhywrLFV9TMv4XXCiVx6QJy8zcyaZSOstkzVO2rj

4. 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

5. More Physical Characteristics Activity • 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 http://cmsimg.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A2&Date=20110525&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=105250326&Ref=AR&MaxW=300&Border=0

6. 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 http://www.lugh.name/images/pack-mentality-1.jpg http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/behavior/Spring2009/Kim/Assets/800px-Wolf_Pack.jpg

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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. http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g62/TigerQuoll/Grey%20Wolf/wolfrangemap.jpg

10. 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.

11. 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.