All about the predatory wolf. The wolf - a terrible beast or a prudent animal? The lifestyle of wolves in the natural environment
Everyone remembers the fairy tale about the gray wolf, which we were told in childhood. So who is the real wolf? An image from a fairy tale or a dangerous animal? The common wolf is a large predator of the Canine family. The gray wolf is the master of the tundra and taiga, a hardy and very intelligent beast. In this article you will find a description and photo of the wolf, learn a lot of interesting things about harsh life this formidable predator.
Outwardly, the common gray wolf is very reminiscent of a dog, which is not surprising, because these animals have common ancestors. However, the wolf looks much larger. The body length of a wolf can reach 110-160 cm, the length of the tail is up to 52 cm, the height at the withers ranges from 60 to 90 cm, and the body weight of a wild predator can reach up to 80 kg.
There were cases when the weight of individual individuals exceeded 92 kg. The average weight of wolves varies from 30 to 65 kg. The size and weight of wolves depend on geographical location. The colder the climate, the larger the animal. Males are always larger than females.
The animal wolf has thick, rather long and warm fur, which consists of two layers, in connection with this, the wolf looks larger. The first layer of wool of the common wolf is tougher and protects from dirt. The second is a waterproof undercoat that protects the wolf from the cold and various extreme conditions of nature. Animal gray wolf is very hardy.
The wolf looks menacing and dangerous beast, has a strong muscular body, high strong paws and a large broad-browed head with pointed ears. The elongated and large muzzle with dark stripes is combined with almost white cheeks and light spots in the eye area. The massive muzzle of the wolf is also very expressive. The tail of the gray wolf is quite long and is usually lowered down. By its movement and position, one can judge the mood of a predator.
The common wolf has a completely different color, depending on the habitat. In the forests it is a gray-brown color. In the tundra - lighter, almost white. In the desert - grayish-reddish. There are even white individuals that are found in the Arctic, as well as red or almost black ones. The undercoat of the beast is always gray.
How is a wolf different from a dog? An ordinary wolf differs from a dog not only in appearance, but also in its tracks. The track of tracks in the gray wolf is more even than in dogs, and forms an almost straight line. Also, the wolf has a different track length, which is 9-11 cm, and the width is 6-7 cm, for the she-wolf it is 7-9 cm and 5-6 cm. a much more embossed imprint than that of a dog.
Where do wolves live?
The wolf is the most common land predator. This wild animal has a wide range of habitats. The wolf lives mainly in cold countries and in various landscapes. In forests, steppes, deserts, taiga, tundra, forest-steppe and at the foot of mountains.
Wolves live in many parts of Europe (from Russia to Portugal), Asia (from Korea to Georgia) and North America (from Alaska to Mexico). Large individuals inhabit the tundra, and small ones inhabit the southern regions. It is curious that in Russia the wolf is absent only on Sakhalin Island.
The common wolf is a territorial animal. Packs of wolves live in conquered areas, the boundaries of which are marked with marks. In the summer when Wolf Pack breaks up, the occupied territory is divided into several sections. The best of them is occupied by the main pair, and the rest of the wolves are moving to a nomadic lifestyle.
How do wolves live?
The common wolf is a social animal. Therefore, wolves live in packs, they hunt together, play and even howl. A wolf pack is a family group that consists of animals different ages and can number from 3 to 40 individuals. The pack is controlled by the leader or seasoned wolf- the dominant male. This is the smartest, wisest and strongest male in the wolf pack. The leader of the pack has a girlfriend - a dominant female. Together they form a pair, thereby uniting other wolves around them - this is the wolf pack.
A pack of wolves has its own hierarchy. The leader in the pack has unquestioned authority. This is a wise leader and he is friendly towards all members of the pack. But the seasoned wolf meets strangers extremely aggressively. A beta male is often present in the pack - the most likely successor to the leader. Usually this is the common son of the leading pair or the brother of the leading male. The applicant for the position of the head of the pack periodically demonstrates aggression towards the alpha male, as if checking his status, as he is ready to take his place at any moment.
A wolf that left the pack on its own or was expelled is called a lone wolf. Such animals have every chance to create their own flock.
Wolves live by relying on their feelings. They use these senses to hunt and communicate with other wolves. The excellent hearing of the beast allows you to hear a howling wolf at a distance of seven kilometers. Their sense of smell is 100 times stronger than that of humans. The gray wolf is able to run at a speed of 55 km/h.
Wolves live in packs and each pack has its own hunting area, which animals carefully guard from other wolves. In a pack where the leader keeps order, the wolves live peacefully and do not fight. Skirmishes happen with strangers and lone wolves that have violated the boundary of the site. Each wolf pack has its own territory and hunts only on it.
The owners carefully guard and mark their territory, leave scratches on fallen trees or old stumps. Thus, make it clear that it is better to stay away. Unexpected guests are punished, such are the cruel laws of the wolf pack. wolf howl, which is heard around - a way of notifying that the territory is already occupied.
The size of the family territory of the common wolf depends on the landscape and ranges from 50 to 1500 km². The pack's survival depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves protect them carefully. If there is more than enough food in the family hunting area, then several generations of wolves will live on one site. The largest hunting grounds for wolves are found in open landscapes of the tundra and steppe and are 1000-1250 km². In the forest zone, they are much smaller - 200-250 km².
When wolves do not have small cubs, they are nomadic. Wolves travel both in packs and alone. As a result of wandering, animals sometimes appear in areas where no wolves have been seen for several years. Nomadic wolves run up to 70 kilometers in one night.
In flocks Gray wolves gather in winter. If the snow is deep, the wolves in the pack walk in single file. Each animal follows each other, stepping on the same track if possible. The common wolf is very cunning. Therefore, it is very difficult to find out from the tracks how many wolves a pack consists of.
Why do wolves howl? Wolves howl because howling is the way they communicate with each other. With the help of howling, wolves find out where their family members are, announce the capture of prey and the seizure of territory, or simply to communicate with relatives. Wolves howl usually in the late evening hours. During the year, wolves howl most frequently in winter, when the number of pack members reaches its maximum. Wolves begin to howl more actively by the end of summer and with the beginning of autumn, as well as when puppies are developing the family plot and begin to move its territory.
What does a wolf eat and how does it hunt?
The wolf is a picky predator. The main diet of the common wolf includes large ungulates: deer, elk, saigas, sheep and goats. But the wolf also feeds on hares, various rodents and birds, because he is picky. Sometimes wolves can eat the dead members of the pack.
Large concentrations of livestock attract wild and predatory wolves. Therefore, meeting a gray wolf near farms is a common thing. The wolf eats meat, so the average animal needs 3-4.5 kg of meat per day. The wolves store their food. Having sated, the animal wolf buries the remaining pieces of meat. Wolves can go without food for more than two weeks. AT summer period the diet of the common wolf includes vegetable feed therefore, in summer, the wolf also eats fruits and berries.
The principles of wolf hunting are very diverse. AT winter time wolves prey collectively on large ungulates. Wolves use this type of hunting in winter. The main advantage of winter wolf hunting is the presence snow cover where he moves with ease. For hoofed animals, snow makes it much more difficult for them to escape from the wolf, a wild and predatory animal.
It is curious that the collective hunting of wolves provides for the distribution of responsibilities: part of the pack participates in the pursuit of prey, while the other cuts off the path of prey. On the hunt, the nose of a wolf - chief adviser. He tells the wild predator where to look for prey. Wolves smell even a small animal that is a couple of kilometers away from them. It is with the help of a keen sense of smell that wolves can follow their prey in the footsteps. The wolf hunts almost silently.
The main weapon of the wolf is the teeth. With sharp fangs 5 cm long, the wolf holds and drags the victim, and with the rest of its teeth it cuts the game. The teeth of a wolf are not only its weapons, but also its protection, so their loss is detrimental to the animal.
Especially large ungulates are killed by wolves, attacking the whole pack and attacking until their prey falls. At the same time, the primacy of eating prey rightfully belongs to the leader and his female, they eat the best pieces of the carcass.
The wolf hunts very carefully. Imperceptibly sneaking up to the animal, with a deft jump grabs it by the throat and knocks it to the ground. It can sit in ambush for hours and wait for prey for a whole day. Often they can follow a herd of ungulates, predators do not betray their presence, but wait for a convenient moment to attack.
Wolves are very cunning, in pursuit they stop the pursuit, allowing the prey to go far ahead. When the victim slows down, the wolf attacks again. Often wolves attack foxes. But most of the time they don't eat them. When attacking a herd of livestock, wolves can distract dogs. Part of the wolf pack attacks the dogs, and the rest - the herd.
Wolves are very good at navigating the terrain. Many packs use the same patches of territory to drive prey into a dead end. When hunting rodents, the wolf jumps on the prey, crushes it with its paw and eats it. This hunting technique is common for wolves in the summer.
In summer, the flock is divided and predators live singly or in small groups. Wolves feed on various animals using well-established hunting techniques. AT summer time most often the wolf feeds on hares. But even with all the prudent moves and clever maneuvers in the hunt, it does not always end successfully.
Wolf cubs - the birth of puppies. How does a pack raise wolf cubs?
A wolf's lair is a hole where a she-wolf brings out wolf cubs. Wolves make their lairs in secluded places. In this case, the place must be good review. Often wolves use empty burrows of other animals as a den device.
Wolves breed annually in January-February, for the first time the breeding season begins at the age of 2-3 years. The duration of the pregnancy of a she-wolf is about two months. In the spring, wolf cubs are born in the lair. Usually a female gives birth to 4 to 8 cubs. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, the first days of the life of the babies, the she-wolf is constantly nearby. They begin to see and hear around the 10-12th day of life.
After three weeks, the wolf cubs leave the den for the first time and begin to taste the meat at the same time. The whole flock takes part in the cultivation and education of wolf cubs. Wolves bring the best meat to the lair with the kids.
In small wolf cubs, the color has a grayish-brown hue, which changes with age. At the age of 2 months, wolf cubs leave the den, but still stay close to the hole. Such places are protected by vegetation from prying eyes. Wolf puppies learn the basics of hunting, attack shrews and mice.
Wolf cubs grow rapidly and their weight increases almost 30 times in the first four months. Newborn wolf cubs have blue eyes. At the age of 8 months, the eyes of wolf cubs change to yellow. By the end of the first winter after birth, wolf cubs reach adult size. The common wolf lives 12-15 years.
Are wolves necessary and why?
Why do we need wolves, because for a person a wolf is an enemy. It is dangerous to people and exterminates livestock. Gradually, the struggle of people with wolves led to a reduction in their numbers. But a wild predatory animal, the common wolf plays an important role in the balance of the ecological system.
Wolves are needed to regulate the population of large ungulates. Also, wolves are a kind of "orderlies", since by destroying sick animals, wolves do not allow diseases to spread. Hunting the weak animals helps the strong survive.
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wolf is predatory mammal. By its nature, it belongs to the canine family. In this family, the wolf is considered the largest mammal. A genus of wolves was identified, to which the jackal and coyote were also assigned.
In size, the gray wolf is quite large - in length it can reach up to 170 cm without taking into account the tail, and the tail itself can still reach a size of about 50 cm. In height, the wolf can reach a size of just under 1 meter, and weight can be up to 90 kg.
In total, 32 subspecies of the wolf can be distinguished. Representatives of these subspecies differ in coat color and size. In some regions almost white or almost black wolves can be found.
It is believed that the wolf is the ancestor of dogs, which are now universal favorites among people.
The gray wolf has a very highly developed charm. They can feel their prey from 3 kilometers away. Their nose is able to distinguish about 200 million odors. If we compare with human charm, then a person is able to distinguish only 5 million different smells.
wolf habitat
Some time ago, the wolf was distributed throughout the world. But many factors (landscape changes, mass extermination wolves, as well as urbanization) have played a negative role in the life of wolves. And their number began to decrease rapidly. And today in many regions hunting for it is not prohibited, it continues to be destroyed.
Despite the fact that the wolf can harm the economy and humans, the gray wolf is still considered the orderly of the forest. Scientists believe that wolves help to heal the gene pool of nature itself, as they destroy sick and dying animals.
Today, no matter how scary it sounds, but the wolf is teetering on the verge of complete extermination. And only in the territory of America and the north of Eurasia the situation with this population is more or less stable. In Russia, the wolf cannot be found only in the Kuriles and Sakhalin. In Russia, there are gray wolves and tundra wolves, which can sometimes be almost white.
Usually the wolf is territorial. The territory where a pack of wolves lives is marked on all sides with odorous marks. Wolves live in the crevices of caves, in thickets, and sometimes they can occupy other people's holes and dig their own holes much less often. Gray wolves are tied to burrows only for the period of rearing offspring. And that's just the female. The wolf doesn't live there. When the puppies grow up, the animals leave their permanent home and can change their place of rest, always giving preference to reliable and protected places for the night.
It has been proven that wolves can communicate with each other. They can communicate information to each other about the location of other animals, as well as the approach of people.
What do wolves eat
The basis of the nutrition of wolves is ungulates, such as deer, elk, wild boars, and so on. Sometimes they attack domestic animals, even destroying dogs. Do not neglect smaller prey, such as hares, voles, ground squirrels. They destroy nests, they can catch birds that are on the ground. A wolf is able to catch a fox, and in some cases even a sleeping bear in a den.
Very often, gray wolves catch weakened or injured animals. In difficult times, they eat fish thrown ashore, seals, and also eat insects and reptiles during famine. They can also eat plant foods, such as berries, watermelons, melons, and more.
Reproduction of gray wolves
The gray wolf is essentially a monogamous animal. This means that there is one male per female. The couple breaks up in the event of the death of one of them. Most often, wolves live in families, forming a pack. At the head of the pack is a pair of leaders - a female and a male.
Wolves breed once a year. This time falls on January - April. She-wolves also go into heat once a year. The gestation period for she-wolves is approximately two months, and the number of puppies at birth can reach up to 12 puppies. Wolf puppies are very similar to ordinary domestic dog puppies.
The first days of life, wolf cubs feed on their mother's milk, then the wolves regurgitate the digested food from their stomach, and later give their prey. In order to feed newborn puppies, the whole flock takes part in feeding. After about six months, puppies can already take part in the hunt with adult members of the pack.
Gray wolf video:
With all the efforts of the pack to feed the wolf cubs, usually only 30-45% of them survive. The female reaches sexual maturity at 2 years and the male at 3 years.
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Wolves have always played a very important role in human life. They were both sworn enemies and best friends of people. Giant wolves, weighing about ninety kilograms, are especially terrifying.
Large breeds of wolves
It is known about seven types of wolves and seventeen varieties of gray wolf. Thus, there are twenty-four species of wolves all over the world, and not all of them are large. The Arctic (polar) wolf is recognized as the rarest. As the name suggests, it lives in the Arctic. He has a warm, dense coat that helps the animal survive in extremely difficult conditions. The unique fur has always been of interest to hunters, which is why the polar wolf was on the verge of extinction. The average weight of an individual ranges from sixty to eighty kilograms with a length of up to 1.8 m.tasmanian marsupial wolf considered to be the largest marsupial predators. According to official data, the animal became extinct, but there is hope that a few individuals survived in wild places Tasmania. Excluding the tail, the length of this predator reached one and a half meters, and the height was about sixty centimeters. The weight of an individual was up to twenty-five kilograms.
To large species include the maned wolf. It has other names - it is aguarachay and guara. Long hair adorns the shoulders and neck of these wolves. Its average height is seventy-five centimeters, weight varies from twenty-one to twenty-three kilograms with a length of one hundred and sixty centimeters.
Melville is considered especially large. island wolf. With a length of up to a meter and eighty centimeters, the weight can be about eighty kilograms. The objects of his hunting are musk oxen, reindeer, moose.
On the Eurasian territory, the Central Russian forest wolf reaches its maximum size. The height at the shoulders can reach a meter, and the length sometimes exceeds a meter and sixty centimeters. Maximum weight an adult male - almost forty-five kilograms. The Siberian timber wolf is practically not inferior in size to the Central Russian wolf when compared with average sizes.
Where do the biggest wolves live?
It is believed that the farther from the equator wolves live, the larger they are. So, the size of wolves from the tropics is usually equal to the size of an ordinary dog, but wolves from Alaska, Canada and Russia are among the largest. 
The common gray wolf, recognized as the largest in the world, lives on a vast territory in various landscapes. More often it can be found in forest-steppes, deserts, steppes, tundra and open areas. mountainous areas. But in dense forests, this species lives less frequently. At one time, gray wolves lived on such a vast area that they conceded the rights of the owner only to humans. Today, the area of residence has been greatly reduced.
The other largest wolf, the Melville island wolf, lives on the North American continent in the Arctic islands and on the island of Greenland in its northern part. To equip the lair, the wolf uses the natural landscape. More often, their dwellings are located in ledges of rocks, small depressions or caves.
A rare polar wolf lives in the Arctic. The living conditions are harsh, however, the predator managed to adapt. polar Wolf can do without water for several weeks, but after the first successful hunt, he may well eat up to ten kilograms of meat. because of drastic changes climate, habitual habitats begin to change, this leads to a significant reduction in the number of the polar wolf.
What do giant wolves eat?
Wolves, regardless of size, prefer to eat prey alive - often these are large ungulates that are driven by a wolf pack. The wolves pounce on the animal and tear it apart. The victims are still alive for some time. 
It is known that cannibalism is common among wolves, they eat wounded and sick relatives. Sometimes in deadly fight between two flocks, alpha males die, who are later eaten by their own offspring.
The maned wolf is known to most often hunt alone. Its prey are small animals: various birds, pacu and agoutis. These wolves often carry poultry, and having gathered in a flock, they can attack sheep. Maned wolf does not disdain and vegetable food.
The Melville island wolf forages in packs using driven tactics. Prey are lemmings, moose, arctic hares, musk oxen, as well as large, but weakened animals.
The largest wolf in the world today
Gray predators today have “matured” and grown a little. It is known that the ancestor modern wolf is Canis dirus, extinct in time ice age. The length of the individual was about two and a half meters with a weight of one hundred kilograms. 
In the nineteenth century, a wolf was considered large, whose weight was in the range of sixty to seventy kilograms. In 1939, a wolf weighing ninety kilograms was shot by a hunter in Alaska, its length was about one and a half meters. According to unconfirmed reports, a wolf weighing more than ninety kilograms was killed by one of the hunters in Siberia.
The largest wolf on the planet is gray, common wolf Canis lupus. Its length, excluding the tail, reaches one meter and sixty centimeters, and its weight is about ninety kilograms. Height gray predator- ninety centimeters. Canis lupus is not only the largest wolf, but also the largest member of the canine family.
The site has a detailed article about who, where and when caught the largest catfish in the world.
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Many people openly dislike and are afraid of wolves. They consider them aggressive animals. This image for many is formed in childhood. Everyone knows what a wolf looks like, but few know his real habits, lifestyle. Few people can answer the question of how many years a wolf lives.
Appearance
Of domestic animals, the wolf looks like a dog with sharp ears. The body length can reach 160 cm, and the height of the wolf at the withers is 95 centimeters.
The average weight fluctuates around 60 kilograms, although heavier animals have also been officially registered. The largest wolves can weigh up to 80 kilograms inclusive. The size of this predator depends on the latitude of habitat: the farther north the latitude, the larger the predator.
More forehead than a dog, the muzzle is bordered by whiskers. Rib cage narrow, and the back is wide. Long strong paws cannot be called massive. There are small webs between the toes on the paws. The predator has a long thick tail, reaching more than half a meter in length. Distinctive feature of this tail is that it is always down.
The fur, consisting of long guard hairs and a dense waterproof undercoat, has a very low thermal conductivity, which allows the predator to endure the most unfavorable conditions.
The color of the coat depends on the surrounding landscape. Basically, the color of the animal is a combination of white, gray, brown and black. Of course, the color of the coat directly depends on the species to which the predator belongs.
Varieties
Although more than 35 subspecies have been identified in the wolf family, consider the most remarkable of them:
- White- characterized by peaceful character and beauty. He prefers to hide from his enemies, including people. It lives in the tundra and the Arctic.
- Black- very similar to a dog, with which people often confuse him. The habitat of the predator is Alaska and North America.
- Red- resembles a short-tailed fox. In size inferior to the "gray" relatives. He loves rocky mountains, gorges, where he lives.
- steppe- has a small size. Lives in the steppes. It is noteworthy that he uses fox holes for living. It hunts marmots, hares and partridges.
Ordinary or gray look not mentioned here, since the main story will be about him.
habitats
Currently, this predator can be found on the territory of some European countries: Poland, Spain, Portugal and Italy, as well as in the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Baltic States and the Balkans. It lives in such Asian countries as Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan. The Middle East is inhabited by them only in the north. AT North America lives everywhere north of Mexico. AT South America this predator does not live.
In Russia, the beast can be found everywhere, excluding some islands.
Each species has its own habitat preferences. Wild wolves live in the tundra, semi-desert, steppe, forest-steppe, from the foot of the mountains to the height of alpine meadows. Not afraid to settle next to human habitation.
Having learned where wolves live, let's move on to studying their lifestyle and habits.
Lifestyle and habits
This predator mainly obtains food by hunting. As a hunter, he is well equipped. At a speed of 10 km / h, it can run for a very long time without getting tired. Able to reach speeds up to 65 km / h. Small webs between the fingers help him move quickly in the snow.
Possessing a very developed sense of smell, a predator is able to smell prey at a distance of more than a kilometer. Vision and hearing are well developed, but the sense of smell is weaker.
These predators prefer to live in packs. The pack is led by an alpha male wolf and an alpha female. Each individual in the flock performs a certain social role. The target of a pack hunt is always a large animal.
For the summer, the flock breaks up, because during this period you can feed yourself one by one.
There are wild wolves who prefer to live separately from the pack. They hunt from ambush.
When hunting in a flock, several individuals can play the role of beaters who lead game to an ambush. However, in general, predators, alternately replacing each other, force prey to expend energy faster. Frightening the herd, they accurately identify weakened or sick animals, which they continue to hunt.
Predatory wolves use a long howl to rally the pack and scare away strangers. Like others large predators are actively marking their territory.
Food
The main object of hunting for wolves are large ungulates: moose, deer, antelopes. They can also slaughter livestock: sheep, cows and horses. If there are few large animals, then wolves can hunt smaller animals: from mice to foxes. In summer, it often feeds on frogs, lizards, and even large insects.
With a shortage of food, it easily switches to plant foods. The wolf is an animal that never disdains carrion.
They can hide stocks of food, to which they will definitely return.
reproduction
The right to breed in a pack belongs only to a pair of leaders.
The newly formed pair leaves the pack to breed. It is worth noting that wolves are monogamous.
The pregnancy of a she-wolf lasts 60-65 days. Then 3-13 blind wolf cubs are born. Cubs begin to see clearly in 12-13 days. Wolf cubs always have blue eyes.
While the female is completely occupied with cubs, the whole flock brings her food. At first, wolf cubs feed only on mother's milk. Then they are transferred to meat, which is regurgitated by adults.
By the end of summer, young wolves begin to be trained to hunt.
The female becomes sexually mature at the age of 2 years, and the male - at the age of 3 years.
Wolves in wild nature can live up to 15 years. However, most often 4-6 years is how long wolves live. In captivity, the life expectancy of a wolf can be a record - up to 21 years.
Despite the collective reverent care for the cubs, 60-80% die before reaching a year.
Wolf hunting
Previously, there was an erroneous opinion that this predator is a pest of both agriculture and hunting. As a result of year-round hunting, the population has been greatly reduced, and some species have been completely exterminated. By and large, people are the only enemies of the wolf.
Now people, having become more literate in this matter, understand that wolves in nature are orderlies. Now considerable efforts are being made to increase the number of these animals.
Wolf cubs love to play with humans. But as pet still do not fit, because as they grow up, they begin to show more and more the habits of wolves.
As an object of hunting, only wolf fur is of value. Meat is not eaten.
Video
You will learn little-known facts about wolves from our video.
A short message about the wolf can be used in preparation for the lesson. The story about the wolf for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.
report about the wolf
The wolf is a predator that lives in the forests. Previously, they lived almost all over the world, but now they have become much smaller.
Wolf: description of the animal
Outwardly, wolves look like large dogs with a strong, muscular body and high legs.
The size and weight of wolves depend on the area in which they live, the closer to the north, the larger the animal. Usually males are larger than females. On average, their height ranges from 60 to 85 cm, head and body length 100 - 160 cm, tail length 35 - 56 cm. Weight of females 18 - 55 kg, males 20 - 80 kg.
The muzzle is elongated, broad and very expressive. The tail is long, thick and carried down. The fur of wolves is thick and long, consisting of two layers, helping to keep them warm in winter time. The coat color varies from light to dark grey.
The wolf's mouth is armed with 42 teeth: predatory teeth are designed to tear prey into pieces and grind bones, and with the help of fangs, the beast holds and drags its prey tightly.
Where do wolves live?
In nature, the wolf can be found in Europe (Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Portugal, Scandinavia, etc.), in Asia (Russia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Iran, the Hindustan Peninsula, etc.), in North America (Canada and Alaska). The wolf lives in all habitats except rainforest and arid deserts.
Being nocturnal animals, during the day wolves rest in various natural shelters, thickets and shallow caves, but often use the burrows of marmots, arctic foxes or badgers, and dig holes themselves very rarely.
How long does a wolf live?
The life expectancy of a wolf in nature is from 8 to 16 years, in captivity it can reach 20 years.
What does a wolf eat?
The wolf eats everything he can catch, and everyone who is weaker than him. These are: deer, elks, roe deer, wild boars, antelopes. In addition to large animals, hares, ground squirrels, and rodents play an important role in the diet of wolves. In summer they eat fish, birds, frogs, geese and ducks. They often return to the remains of half-eaten, their own prey, mainly in times of famine. Do not disdain wolves and carrion.
A wolf is a hunter capable of defeating an animal ten times heavier than himself. His only weapon is his nose and sharp teeth. A lone wolf is tough enough big deer or a sheep, but a flock can easily overwhelm a half-ton elk or bison.
The wolf runs easily and quickly, in such a rhythm it can cover 80 km in 24 hours.
wolf breeding
Female wolves mature at 2 years of age, males become sexually mature at the age of 3 years. When new pairs are formed, fierce fights begin between males, and a weaker rival often dies. At the time of mating, partners leave the pack and retire.
The gestation period is from 62 to 65 days, after which 5-9, 10-13 blind wolf cubs are born.
Wolves - caring parents and very smart animals. They take care of the cubs, and other wolves from the pack help their parents.
- Wolves attack humans extremely rarely, and in most cases, aggression is shown by animals infected with rabies.
We hope that the above information about the wolf has helped you. And you can leave your report about the wolf through the comment form.