Description of the life of the wolf. Timber wolf: habitat and color of a predator. Gray wolf video

For most people, the wolf is not just a wild animal, but an archetypal image familiar from childhood. He became a character in fairy tales for a reason. People have long feared and revered this beast. They scared naughty children with a wolf, called the elder brother of a man, composed fairy tales and legends about him.

In the languages ​​of different peoples of the world, the word wolf is consonant. It is worth noting that it was born in the Old Slavic language and means “to drag” or “drag”. Apparently, the name came from the manner of dragging prey (drag in front of you).

Habitat and distribution in the world

In past centuries, the wolf was the most common animal on earth. To date, the habitat has been significantly reduced. The reason for this is the widespread extermination of the animal by man. Today, most of the species lives on the territory of the following states: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Georgia, China, Korea, Iran, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Scandinavian and Baltic countries, South American countries, Italy, Poland, Spain , Portugal, Mexico, USA, Canada.

The wolf adapts to life in any terrain, but tries to settle in places with a small number of trees. Often lives in close proximity to human settlements. In the taiga, for example, it invariably follows people, choosing to live in places cleared of trees.

In mountainous areas they live up to the border of meadows, choosing slightly crossed areas.

The wolf is one of the territorial animals. In the cold period, flocks lead a sedentary lifestyle. The habitat of the flock is marked with marks. The area of ​​such territory can reach up to 44 km2. With the onset of warm months, the animals form pairs.

The strongest individuals continue to live in their territory, while the rest disperse. It is worth noting that wolves accompany herds of deer and domestic animals.

Wolf ancestors and evolution

The likely ancestor of the modern wolf is Canis lepophagus. This is a representative of a canine breed that inhabited the territory of North America during the Miocene period.

The first true wolves appeared during the early Pleistocene period. Among the species was Canis priscolatrans, distinguished by its small size. It is believed that this species is the ancestor of the red wolf, which migrated to Europe and Asia.

Subsequently, Canis priscolatrans changed and evolved, which led to the appearance of C. Mosbachensis, a species that has many things in common with modern representatives. Over time, C. mosbachensis evolved into Canis lupus.

Types and features of each type

About 32 species and subspecies of wolves are known to science. The most interesting species will be described next.

Arctic (polar)

The rarest subspecies of the gray wolf. Distributed in Greenland, northern Canada and Alaska. The absence of a person in a cold, snowy area made it possible to preserve the habitat in its original form.

The Arctic wolf is distinguished by its large and powerful body build. The male at the withers can reach 1 m, with a weight of 100 kg. This species is characterized by sexual diformism (males outnumber females by 15-16%).

The animal is ideally adapted to life in the conditions of the polar night, overcoming great distances along the snowy plain to search for prey. An adult can eat up to 12 kg of meat at one time. Often there is nothing left of the prey, because the polar wolves do not chew the meat, but swallow it along with the bones.

Representatives of this species live in packs that number 12-15 individuals. The head of such a group can be not only a male, but also a female. There are times when a pack takes in lone wolves (if they obey the leader).

Ruffed

The species got its name from the long fur that covers the neck and shoulders. The skin resembles a horse's mane. The main place of residence is South America.

The maned wolf has a red color. A distinctive feature of the species are large ears and an elongated head. In appearance, the animal looks lean. The body weight of an adult does not exceed 25 kg.

The maned wolf is a lone hunter. As prey, he chooses small livestock, birds, reptiles. It also eats fruits.

INTERESTING! A few years ago, the threat of extinction of this species was observed. Today the problem has been solved, but the animal continues to be in the Red Book.

Mackensensky

The most common species found in North America. The weight of the animal can reach 80 kg, and the height - 90 cm. An individual hunts deer, musk oxen, elk and bison.

Mountain (red)

The mountain wolf has a beautiful appearance. Its coat is similar in color to fox fur. The weight is slightly over 20 kg. The length does not exceed 100 cm. The color depends on the region of residence. In the cold period, the fur becomes softer, more fluffy and thick. With the onset of heat, it takes on a dark color and begins to coarsen.

Predators of this species live and forage in a flock of 12-15 individuals. There is rarely a clear leader in their community. Deer, antelopes or large rodents are chosen as prey. A strong flock can attack a bull and even a leopard. In case of food shortage, the red wolf may feed on carrion.

INTERESTING! A distinctive feature of the mountain wolf is the method of attacking the victim. Unlike other species (and indeed all canines), it attacks prey from the back, without trying to bite into the neck.

The animal lives secretly, trying to arrange parking away from people. It hinders learning.

Ginger

The appearance of the red wolf is similar to the appearance of gray individuals, only the red ones are inferior in size and weight, and also have shorter ears and hair. The body can reach a length of 130 cm and a weight of 40 kg. The color is not uniform, the muzzle and legs are red, and the back is dark.

Predators settle in swamps, steppes and mountains. In flocks there are individuals of different ages. In a group, there is almost never aggression towards individual members.

The red wolf eats not only meat, but also vegetation. It mainly preys on rabbits, rodents and raccoons. Very rare, but attacks large mammals. There are times when the predator itself becomes the prey of a lynx or an alligator.

common wolf

This species is collectively called the gray wolf. It is the most common animal in the family. Body length reaches 160 cm, weight - 80 kg.

The animal lives in North America, and on the territory of Eurasia. In recent years, the total number has greatly decreased. The reason for this is the extermination of man. And only in North America the population remains at a stable level.

What do wolves eat

The wolf is a predator. Most often chooses the following animals as prey:

• Roe.
• Antelope.
• Boar.
• Deer.
• Hare.
• Elk.

Small species, as well as single individuals, attack smaller animals - rodents, ground squirrels, birds. Very rarely it can choose a victim in the face of a large predator, although there are cases when flocks attack wounded or sleeping bears, foxes.

In a hungry period, they can return to half-eaten carcasses. At such a time, predators do not disdain carrion.

In addition to meat, they eat forest fruits, berries, grass, watermelons, melons. Such food allows you to get the required amount of fluid.

Reproduction and rearing of offspring

A pair of wolves, as a rule, is formed for life. If one of the partners dies, the other does not look for a replacement. Animals live in packs of 12 to 45 individuals (depending on the species).

In the wolf community, there is a clearly built hierarchy. The head is the alpha animal (it can be either a male or a female). Then come adults, lone wolves, and puppies. Very often, single individuals are accepted into the flock. The main condition is a tolerant attitude towards other members of the pack. When the puppies reach the age of three, they are driven out of the conglomerate. It's time to find a mate on your own, and start a family.

INTERESTING! It should be noted that puppies born in the same litter will never mate with each other.

The most stressful time in the life of a pack is the mating season, when alpha males and females try to fight off other members. Often fights between animals end in death.

For one litter, a she-wolf has from 3 to 15 puppies. The offspring is hatched for more than two months. Puppies are born blind. The eyes open 10-14 days after birth.

Wolves in zoos - features of captivity

Wolves in zoos live longer than wild relatives (the former live 20 years, the latter from 8 to 15). This is due to the fact that in the wild, old individuals, unable to get food, die or become victims of relatives.

For a full life in captivity, special conditions must be created. The fact is that the animal in its natural environment passes up to 20 km daily. This is a normal and necessary load, so there must be an aviary of the appropriate size. It is not bad to recreate the conditions of the area in which the animal should live.

An adult should consume up to 2 kg of fresh meat daily. In winter, the norm increases to 3 kg.

Periodically, live food should be brought in to maintain the hunter's instinct.

The history of the domestication of the wolf into a dog

Very often, small wolf cubs fall into the hands of hunters. They don't always take animals to the zoo. Someone brings them home, someone sells them. Such a product is in demand, there are risky people who want to get a predator. And the desire to raise a pet from a wild beast fuels the excitement even more.

In most cases, such solutions are erroneous and unsafe. The wolf is primarily a predator. Starting it at home is like planting a time bomb. Sooner or later it will explode.

If such a predator appeared in the house, then first of all it is necessary to create all the conditions that ensure safety. The wolf is a smart, freedom-loving and cunning animal, so he will spend all his free time trying to get out of the cage. In addition, he is able to learn primitive actions from a person. In other words, he can remember how a person opens the cage, and do it himself.

Another point that everyone who wants to tame a wild animal should know. He will never serve as a dog. The wolf is a predator, and a man is an enemy for him, he will always be afraid of him. Therefore, when a stranger tries to enter the territory of the house, he will try to hide.

Video information

• Numerous experiments by breeders made it possible to breed mixed breeds of a wolf and a dog. Today, two mixed breeds have gained recognition - the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and the Saarloos.
• In the Middle Ages, he personified the servant of the devil. Many stories, fairy tales, legends were composed, in which the image of a wild animal appeared.
• Many coats of arms belonging to the noble families of Europe had the image of a wolf. Representatives of ancient families claimed that their family originated from werewolves (a mixture of man and wolf).
• Before the battle, the Scandinavian Vikings put on wolf skins and drank the blood of predators. In their opinion, this ritual was supposed to bring good luck.
• In the 16th century, Ireland was called the land of wolves. The reason for this was the numerous flocks of predators that lived on these lands.
• In a calm animal can hear a sound at a distance of 17 km.
• Wolves are excellent swimmers. They are able to swim a distance of 10 km at a time.
• Hitler was an admirer of these animals. For this reason, many Wehrmacht headquarters had names associated with predators.
• It was customary among the Aztecs to puncture a dying person in the chest with a wolf bone. In their opinion, with the help of the ritual it was possible to escape from death.
• In Japanese, the word wolf means "great god".

Watching wolves for centuries, man realized that a predator is a disciplined and intelligent animal, and not just a hunter and killer. The image of survival in the wild, life in pairs, building a hierarchical ladder in a pack, allows us to talk about the uniqueness of this mammal.

The genus of wolves is one of the smallest
Among mammals, the genus of wolves is one of the smallest. It includes only 7 species: wolf (Canis lupus); common jackal (Canis aureus); coyote (Canis latrans); red wolf (Canis rufus); black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas); striped jackal (Canis adustus); Ethiopian jackal (Canis simensis), wild and domestic dogs. In addition, the wolf family includes all foxes, arctic foxes, the raccoon dog and the maned wolf.

Appeared about 1 million years ago
The wolf evolved from carnivorous predators that lived 100 million years ago, and dogs evolved from the wolf about 20 million years ago. As a species, Canis lupus developed in Eurasia about 1 million years ago, and by the end of the Pleistocene it became the most common predator.

wolf ancestors
Dogs and wolves are descended from miacids that lived on earth 50 million years ago. Their immediate ancestors were the race of predatory mammals Hesperocyon (35 million years ago). During the Miocene, from the mammals Borophaginae, the Canidae family stands out. Fossils of representatives of the Canis family were found in Spain and date back 7 million years. The immediate ancestors of the American steppe wolves settled in North America between 4 and 2 million years ago. During this period, the Etruscan wolf (Canis etruscus) lived in Europe, which became the direct ancestor of European wolves (Canis lupus). The formation of the modern species took place 1 million years ago.

most common predator
Among all land mammals, Canis lupus wolves have the widest range of habitat. At present, only the gray rat, with the help of man, has been able to spread wider than the wolf. Wolves live in many areas of Europe, Asia and North America, where only large ungulates are found: from the taiga, coniferous forests and icy tundra to deserts. The northern border of the distribution of the wolf is the coast of the Arctic Ocean. In southern Asia, in Hindustan, the wolf is distributed up to about 16 "northern latitude. In its range, the wolf is very variable, forming many subspecies that differ in size, color, and some lifestyle features. Zoologists distinguish several dozen subspecies of the wolf. The largest wolves inhabit the tundra, the smallest are the southern regions.

Between coyote and wolf
American zoologists believe that the states of Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida are inhabited by a special species - the red wolf. This very rare animal has been preserved in small numbers in the southwest of North America. It occupies, as it were, an intermediate position between the coyote and the wolf, given its size and some other characteristics. Some zoologists consider it a hybrid of a wolf and a coyote, others - a special subspecies of the wolf, others - give a separate species status.

Wolves big and small
There are 41 species in the canine family. The wolves of the northern populations are larger, those of the southern populations are smaller. On average, the length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail is 1000 - 1300 mm (males), 870 - 1170 mm (females). Tail length 350 - 520 mm. Weight 30-80 kg (males), 55 kg on average, 23-55 kg (females), 45 kg on average. Height at the withers (from the base of the paw to the shoulder) 60 - 90 cm.

wolf color
... varies depending on the distribution area. White individuals are found in the Arctic, other colors are variants of white with gray, brown, cinnamon, black, sometimes completely black. North American populations have three color phases. The first (normal) is a mixture of black, gray and cinnamon with a brown top. The second is black (a mixture of black and dark brown). The third phase is gray with brown. From coyotes (Canis latrans) and red wolves (Canis rufus), similarly colored wolves Canis lupus differ in size (they are 50 -100% larger), wide muzzle, shorter ears and higher paws.

thick fur
Thick fur up to 8 centimeters long protects the wolf from frost. The layer of fur closest to the body is the undercoat, and the outer layer is formed by hard, long, black outer hairs at the ends. They repel water, and the undercoat does not get wet. Swift-footed deer can run away, and moose can give a worthy rebuff: these 600-kilogram giants with sharp horns and heavy hooves do not have to break a wolf's skull.

wolf teeth
The weapon of the wolf is the teeth. There are as many as 42 of them in his mouth. 4 sharp, crooked 5-centimeter fangs stick out in front - two at the top and bottom. With them, the wolf can bite through the dense skin of the victim. And predatory, or carnivorous, teeth - this is the name of the molars of all predators - an adult wolf gnaws even the femur of an elk.

Smell and hearing
When hunting, the nose, not the ears or eyes, is the first to tell the wolves where to look for prey. In the wind, they catch the smell of even the smallest animal, located 1-2 kilometers from them, when it is not yet heard or seen. Thanks to their keen sense of smell, wolves can follow the tracks of their prey. The hunter needs a keen ear, and in this respect the wolves are lucky. When they hear a noise, they move their ears and determine where the sound is coming from. The sound source may be several kilometers away.

Moves silently and quickly
Wolves hunt almost silently because they run on the very tips of their fingers. Just like horses and cats, the wolf does not touch the ground with its heel. He has strong muscular legs and a sweeping gait, and he can trot for a long time at a speed of 9 km / h, and in pursuit of deer and elk, accelerate to 60 km / h.

The social life of the wolf
Wolves live in families of 2 to 15, usually 4 to 8 animals. A flock is a family group consisting of animals of different ages. Usually the flock consists of parents, arrived (brood of this year) and pereyarki (animals that have not reached puberty). But very often it also includes several adult animals, apparently not taking part in reproduction. In years with abundant food, up to 30 wolves or more can gather in a family. Young wolves usually stay in the family for 10-54 months, after which they leave.

The flock is a self-regulating mechanism
If the population density is low, then the flocks are small, the separation of the younger generation occurs faster. Under favorable environmental conditions, the population density increases, in which case the size of the flock increases, but up to a certain limit. Growth occurs only at the expense of non-herding lone wolves, occupying a subordinate position. Thus, in the pack there is a "core" of wolves with a high social status and subordinate wolves. With the deterioration of the environment, at the birth of a new generation, it is the subordinate male wolves who leave the pack on their own, and the females are expelled by the most important female.

Males and females in a flock
A pack of wolves consists of a-male, a-female, b-male, low-ranking wolves of both sexes and puppies that are outside the hierarchy. During the mating season and before it, the a-female is extremely aggressive towards all sexually mature females. Although she prefers the a-male, she can also mate with other mature males, including low-ranking ones. But she maintains the greatest number of contacts with the a-male. After the rut, her aggressiveness drops sharply, and she behaves friendly towards all members of the pack, which contributes to the establishment of a climate favorable for raising puppies in the family.
The A-male, in the figurative expression of Cymen, "tolerant boss", is a true leader in the pack - he is friendly to all its members, but exclusively aggressively meets strangers. Almost all the activity of the flock is concentrated around him, and he also owns leadership in marking behavior.
The B-male is the most likely successor to the a-male. Usually this is the son or brother of an a-male or a-female, or their common. Thus, he is closely related to the puppies, being their elder brother or uncle. The B-male demonstrates high aggressiveness towards low-ranking members of the pack, but sometimes it is also addressed to high-ranking ones. The B-male, demonstrating aggression towards the a-male, periodically checks the status of the latter, since he is his successor in the hierarchy and is constantly ready to take his place.
The role of low-ranking males is determined primarily by the advantages that the pack receives from collective hunting for large ungulates, often larger than the predators themselves. The chances of low-ranking males to leave offspring are very limited. They have to wait a long time for their turn in the hierarchical goal of leadership. At the same time, such animals are the most likely contenders for a leading position when entering a new flock.

Family hunting ground
The survival of the pack depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so the wolves protect them not for life, but for death. The boundaries of the territory (it can be 50-1500 sq. Km, depending on what animals the pack hunts) are marked by odorous marks - they spray stumps and large stones with urine - and notify neighbors of their rights by howling. Family groups of wolves living in the same territory are closely related, the areas of neighboring families may overlap, but they never collide. If there is an abundance of food, then many generations of wolves live in one area.

The size of the family territory is highly dependent on the landscape.
...and varies widely. The largest family plots are in open landscapes of the tundra, steppe or semi-desert, where they reach 1000 - 1250 km2. In the forest zone they are smaller - 200 - 250 km2.

Border signs
Wolves mark their territory with urine, feces, or by leaving scratches on paths, fallen trees, and stand-alone stumps. Litter of wolves, drying, acquires a white color and is visible at a great distance in an open place. It seems that wolves sometimes specifically choose the most visible places to leave their droppings. In Altai, the droppings of a large wolf were found on the seat of a mower, which towered a meter and a half above the ground. The mower itself stood for many days in the middle of a spacious clearing, very noticeable from the road, along which wolves regularly walked, gathering in places where the deer roared.

Wolves wander
When wolves do not have small cubs, they rarely live permanently in one place. For the most part, the animals go quite far and leave their inhabited places for several days or weeks, only to return here again when they find prey. The wolf undertakes its wanderings both in packs and alone, making its way along the mountain ranges, crossing large steppes, moving from one forest to another, and as a result sometimes appears in areas where no wolves have been seen for several years in a row. It has been proven that during these wanderings wolves run from 40 to 70 kilometers in one night.

They gather in flocks in winter
In spring and summer, a wolf lives alone or in pairs, in autumn - with a whole family, in winter, these predators sometimes gather in packs, the size of which depends on the conditions of the area where they live. If a wolf and a she-wolf form a couple, then their union almost never breaks up; in the spring, pairs are formed necessarily; in large flocks, males predominate.

Sign language
They express their feelings through facial expressions and body movements. "Wolf tongue" unites the pack and helps it to act as one.

Tail
If the tail is up and its tip is slightly curved, this means that the wolf is quite confident in himself. In a friendly wolf, the tail is lowered, but the very tip of it looks up. A wolf with its tail between its legs is either afraid of something or communicates its sympathy in this way. The way a wolf holds its tail speaks of its position in the pack. Among the leaders, it is raised high, among their "subjects" it is lowered, and those who stand at the lowest degree in the wolf family tuck their tail. Dancing and wagging its tail, the wolf invites relatives to play.

welcome ceremony
Members of the pack show love and respect to the leader in a welcoming ceremony. Crawling, with flattened ears and smoothed hair, they approach the leader or his girlfriend, lick and gently bite his muzzle.

aggression and tolerance
Thanks to mutual tolerance, it is possible to unite the pack during group hunts, accompanied by fine coordination of the actions of its members. Behavioral mechanisms based on mutual tolerance and the desire for unity prevail in the daily life of the pack. The frequency of aggressive contacts in wolves in natural and artificial conditions is probably very different. Limited space does not allow wolves to avoid mutual psychological pressure, maintaining a constantly high overall level of aggressiveness. For animals with a highly developed psyche, such as wolves, psychological relief is of great importance. In the field, we have repeatedly observed that during the day during the rest, the wolves were dispersed at a distance of tens and hundreds of meters from each other. Even the puppies that grew up by the end of the summer did not always stick together.

Muzzle
In a surge of tenderness, the wolves lick each other and rub their muzzles. The muzzles of wolves are very expressive. Frightened, the wolf presses his ears and depicts a semblance of a smile. An angry wolf bares his teeth, and turns his upright ears forward. Sensing danger, he turns his ears back, bares his teeth and sticks out his tongue.

Cruel laws of the pack
In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves usually do not fight among themselves. However, skirmishes are common with strangers or lone wolves that have violated the border of possessions. Each wolf pack hunts only in its own territory. The owners strictly guard and mark it, warning the neighbors that they should stay away. Any uninvited guest will be punished. In large packs, it often happens that a wolf is poisoned by all his relatives. Sometimes the outcast becomes completely unbearable, and he is forced to leave the pack.

When Wolves Are Most Dangerous
In autumn and winter, the wolf becomes much more dangerous, as it constantly roams around the still grazing herds and attacks both large and small livestock, but it is wary of adult horses, cows and pigs when they go in a herd, and the wolves have not yet gathered in packs. At the beginning of winter, he comes closer and closer to villages and cities, and in small places he hunts for dogs, which he loves very much and which often constitute in some places his only prey.

They go in single file
Quite often in winter, and almost always in deep snow, packs of wolves walk in single file, with each animal following one after another, like Indians on a military trail, stepping on the same track if possible (lynxes do this too), so that even an experienced it is difficult for a hunter to know how many wolves a pack consists of.

Distribution of duties when hunting
When wolves hunt in packs, they know how to distribute responsibilities among themselves very well: part of the pack chases prey, while the other cuts its path and bites it.

wolf vs bear
In Russia, they say that hungry packs of wolves attack the bear and, after a long fight, kill it. The observations of Kremenets confirm that wolves sometimes disturb a bear in its winter lair, pursue wounded bears and try to capture cubs.

They attack people
A flock of wolves mad with hunger, on occasion, of course, can attack people, even adults and armed ones; it may happen that wolves will both bite and devour a person, but in any case, the danger from wolves in those countries where there are many of them is not at all as great as it is often imagined. A lone wolf rarely attacks a grown man, even one armed with a single club; such behavior can be caused only by special circumstances, for example, if the wolf is rabid or the she-wolf is afraid for her cubs.

Sitting in ambush for hours
During the search for prey, the wolf approaches the chosen victim with all possible caution, sneaks up to the animal imperceptibly, grabs it by the throat with a deft jump and knocks it to the ground. On forest paths, he sometimes waits for hours on end for prey, such as deer or roe deer, and in the steppe areas, in the same way, he patiently watches for a boba that has hidden in a mink. He follows the trail of the beast with unerring confidence.

Cunning in hunting
When hunting, wolves use cunning, making sure that the prey has gone far ahead, they stop chasing, and when a deer or elk slows down, they attack it again. Often wolves refuse to attack from an elk, which is actively defending itself, and leave to look for other prey. If the ungulate defends itself, and then tries to flee - this is a clear sign of weakness, the wolves pursue such a victim to the end.

Wolves understand humans worse than dogs

Between a man and a dog there is a unique connection at the genetic level, which is inherited. Two containers were placed in front of the puppies and wolf cubs, one of which contained meat. The researchers then made it clear to the animals which food was hidden: the scientists pointed to the "correct" container with gestures, touched or gazed at it. The puppies won a landslide victory - man's best friend each time quickly "guessed" where the meat was, leaving no chance for the wolves. Wolves are behaviorally better adapted to the wild environment, where communication with people is not the highest priority.

Attacks the fox
Foxes often become victims of wolves. If the wolves meet a fox on the plain, then they try to surround it immediately, and some start chasing it. But wolves only kill foxes, leaving them in place, and very rarely eat them. This incomprehensible feature of the behavior of a predator was noted by many zoologists. Among hunters there is a sign: where there are many wolves, foxes disappear

Distracts from the herd of dogs
When attacking a herd, wolves very cunningly try to distract dogs from it. When a lot of wolves gather, and there are several dogs and shepherds with a herd, then some of the wolves attack the dogs, and the other - the sheep.

Ungulates are driven out to the crust
In winter, wolves often drive ungulates to the crust. The relative load on the track in wolves is 2-3 times less than in most ungulates. Therefore, the victims of wolves, running away along the crust, get tired very quickly, falling into deep snow, and often in the process they injure their legs on the sharp edges of the frozen snow.

Driven into an ambush or a dead end
Wolves are excellent at navigating the terrain. Many packs constantly, from year to year, use the same parts of the territory to drive the victim into a dead end. Such dead ends can be blockages of trees, placers of stones or a dead end in the truest sense of the word - a sheer cliff or a deep gully in a ravine. Wolves often drive saigas into dried-up lakes, where in autumn and spring the bottom softened by water turns into difficult-to-pass mud, and ungulates move with great difficulty. Getting into a dead end, ungulates begin to rush about, trying to break out of it. In rubble or heaps of stones, they often break their limbs and then become easy prey for wolves.

Long chase the victim
Often they can follow the herd without betraying their presence and waiting for the right moment for decisive action. Such passive pursuit can last for many days. Prolonged active pursuit of prey is not typical for wolves. As a rule, this is a short jerk for several tens, less often - several hundred meters.

Wolves can "mouse"
Like foxes, wolves can "mouse", hunting for small rodents and insectivores. After waiting for, for example, a vole to appear on the surface, the wolf in a jump presses it down with its paw and eats it. This is a common hunting technique of lone wolves, adults and young, in the summer. In summer, the pack breaks up In summer, when the parents feed the puppies, and the pack breaks up and the predators live alone or in small groups, wolves eat insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and various mammals, on which they have also worked out skillful hunting techniques. More often than others, hares become victims of wolves.

wolf diet
The basis of the diet of the wolf is large ungulates - reindeer and red deer, elk, saigas, sheep and goats, caribou, in the absence of which he hunts rodents, rabbits, and eats carrion. Where there are no ungulates, there are no or very few wolves. Wolves are also attracted to large concentrations of domestic animals. In areas of reindeer and sheep breeding, the presence of wolves is common.

How much food does a wolf need
The wolf needs at least 1.5 kg of food per day, and much more - 2.3 kg - for successful reproduction. Wolves can go without food for two weeks or more. On average, wolves eat 4.5 kg of meat per day, and in case of successful prey, they can eat more - up to 9 kg. The wolf, due to its bloodthirstiness, did not exterminate much more animals than it needs to saturate. Wolves kill young ungulates, or old and sick ones. Attacks on ungulates are especially frequent during the winter months, when the wolf has clear advantages when moving on snow.

In summer it eats fruits and berries.
In the summer, plant foods occupy a large place in the diet of the wolf: fruits, berries, greens. It was noted that in the vicinity of the family day out, on an area of ​​more than one hectare, blueberries were bitten by wolves. The wolves ate the top shoots along with the berries. Numerous litter of predators on the day was everywhere painted in a soft blue color. The wolves regularly fed on mulberries and apples, which fell in abundance from the trees.

Food storage
A characteristic feature of the feeding behavior of wolves, like many other predators, is the storage of food. When satiated, animals often bury pieces of meat. But they probably do not remember the exact location of the pantry, but remember the area where the victim was killed and eaten. Moving by shuttle, like a setter dog, wolves instinctively discover a pantry, and not necessarily their own.

howl
It is believed that wolves howl to find out about the location of their family members, to announce the capture of prey, or simply from the desire to communicate with relatives. Under natural conditions, wolves usually howl in the late evening hours, less often at night and early in the morning. Wolf howling is heard at a distance of 10 km. Under artificial conditions, their sound activity can be strongly shifted, which depends on the general mode of activity of animals, due to the specifics of the daily dynamics of stimuli that excite the motivation for consolidation. In artificial conditions, the behavior of wolves is largely human-oriented. Contacts with him usually differ in a certain rhythm. For example, in the vivarium, wolves howled most often around lunchtime, when people serving the animals usually passed by the enclosures. The wolves knew them well and reacted positively to them, as they regularly received random food from them. The expectation of people, their appearance and disappearance aroused the consolidation motivation in wolves. They began to whine and often the whining turned into a prewar and then into a howl. During the year, wolves howl most frequently in winter, when pack numbers are at their highest. In winter, wolves stay in the most close-knit and numerous groups, facilitating collective hunting for large ungulates. It is in winter that such hunts are especially characteristic of wolves. The activity of howling wolves also increases in late summer and early autumn, during the period of territory development by puppies, when they begin to move especially widely across the family plot. But if in winter during the schooling period spontaneous group howling is more characteristic for wolves, then in early autumn it is single and caused by group.

Shelter
Wolves do not have a hole, except for the lair where the she-wolf breeds. Usually the wolf curls up into a ball. covers its paws and nose with its tail and allows the snow to powder itself. A wolf's lair is a hole that is located high above the water level near a reservoir. From the inside, it is not equipped with anything. The length of the tunnel is from 1.8 to 7.5 m, sometimes more. The wolf family returns to the same lair for many years. Wolf cubs leave the den at the age of 8 weeks.

wolf lair
Wolves make their lairs in sheltered, well-defended areas. They can be canopies in the rocks, deep cracks, niches, gullies in ravines, fallen trees. Often, wolves use burrows of other animals as dens: foxes, arctic foxes, badgers, marmots. Wolves expand other people's holes and very rarely dig their own, choosing for this the soft, usually sandy soil of the Lair, as well as family days on which the cubs spend the first months of their lives, meet two requirements: the presence of shelters from dense vegetation or microrelief and at the same time a good overview of the area, to detect danger. It is difficult to approach the lair of wolves unnoticed. As a rule, animals detect a person and manage to hide before a person detects them.

reproduction
Only one pair per family enters breeding, this occurs in February, and 6-10 (usually 7) puppies are born in April. The cubs' eyes open on the 9-12th day. At the end of the second week, they usually begin to respond to sounds, and after three weeks they first emerge from the nest and around the same time they begin to taste meat. In the neonatal period, wolf cubs are completely helpless. The mother helps them to toilet by licking under the tail. Puppies are not able to rise at this time to their feet and crawl. They are constantly in physical contact with their mother or with each other. Puppies sleep most of the time. The she-wolf diligently hides from prying eyes. If the family is in any danger, then the she-wolf carries her cubs in her mouth one by one to another, more secluded place. In the early days, the she-wolf is constantly with the puppies. The wolf feeds her. He brings food in the stomach and regurgitates it to the female. Gradually, the she-wolf leaves the puppies alone, often and for a long time away in search of food. According to the observations of Ya. K. Badridze, the female leaves the wolf cubs for 6.5 - 68 hours, that is, she can be absent for almost three days. The duration of the absence of the female strongly depends on the abundance of food in the vicinity of the lair. The more accessible it is, the less time the she-wolf leaves the puppies. Usually, when the female leaves the den, the cubs are left alone, gathering in a heap to keep warm. The wolf is rarely with them in the lair. But if the puppies crawl up to the father, he does not drive them away, warming them with the warmth of his body. When the babies have grown up, the female goes to hunt with the pack, and all family members feed the puppies, burping food for them. Growing up, puppies leave the den, but do not move away from it and stay nearby. Usually in this place there is a lot of vegetation and it is located near the water. Wolf cubs learn to hunt by attacking mice and shrews. Young wolves grow up to the third year and then become capable of reproduction.

mother wolf
does not show aggressiveness towards people close to her children. There are cases when hunters took the entire brood from the den, put the helpless puppies in a bag and carried them away, and at that time the she-wolf watched uneasily at a distance and then accompanied the hunters to the village for several kilometers without making any attempts to attack.

Close to its nest, the wolf never hunts
that is why young roe deer and wolf cubs often play together in the same clearing. Growing wolf cubs can frolic in an absolutely open, well-viewed place, but such a playground is necessarily adjacent to either dense thickets, or a pile of stones and labyrinths of passages in rocks and ravines. In these shelters, wolf cubs, and even adult wolves, instantly “dissolve”, without betraying their presence in any way.

Foxes destroy wolf cubs
A case of the destruction of a brood of wolves by a male fox in the Badkhyz Reserve in Turkmenistan is described. The cubs were about three weeks old, and they were left without parents for a long time, since for some reason the male was not there, and the she-wolf was forced to leave the den for a long time.

Young wolves die
Young wolves, whose mother is killed, often disappear without a trace, and, in all likelihood, the stomachs of old wolves become their graves. If the cubs are not disturbed in their nest, then this must be attributed to the vigilance of the mother rather than the love of the father.

Wolf fathers
The father participates in obtaining food for the cubs, but the question of this should be considered as not yet resolved. Only later, when the young wolves grow up, does the mother bring them to the old wolves, and they accept the babies into their society, always answer their squeals with a howl, train them, warn of danger and howl plaintively if the cubs die.

How long do wolves live
Wolves can live 12-15 years; many of them die of starvation, others perish from a variety of diseases to which they are subject in the same way as dogs.

Wolves exterminated
Under the influence of man, the range of the wolf has sharply decreased over the past 200-250 years. Man exterminates the wolf, protecting herds of domestic animals, and forces him out of densely populated areas. The wolf is currently absent from Japan and the British Isles. It is exterminated in France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, throughout Central Europe.

rare beast
In the northern hemisphere, the wolf is considered a rare animal and is listed on the CITES List (Appendix I) of India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal and (Appendix II) in other countries. In North America, the gray wolf is an endangered species for Mexico and 48 US states (with the exception of Minnesota, where the species is endangered). The protection of wolves is reduced to the preservation of the habitual habitats of wolves, the prevention of its hybridization with domestic dogs and educational activities among the population, which has long persecuted wolves.

Norway is cleared of predatory animals

The Association of Norwegian Forest Owners announced its intention to achieve the extermination of wolves in Norway, as well as a decrease in the number of other large predators and bears, lynxes and wolverines.

Wolves take over Swedish forests

The number of wolves in Scandinavia began to decline rapidly in the early 20th century. By 1960, it was believed that they had finally disappeared. However, in the mid-1980s, wolves suddenly reappeared in Sweden. Research scientists have shown that they came here, having traveled almost 1000 km from neighboring Finland. The periodic arrival of new animals from the east contributes to the recovery of a small population, which is threatened by degeneration due to closely related crossing. There are currently about 100 wolves in Scandinavia, including 10 actively breeding groups.

Wolf, wolves, about wolves, Falkland wolf, about Falkland wolf

Wolves are probably one of the strongest and most enduring animals on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries. His greatness and pride, look and the well-known wolf howl cause great interest in the way of life of the wolf. And the life of a wolf is not so simple, and it is she who makes him be so. The widespread destruction of wolves has now become the norm. Man is reducing the population of this species due to the destruction of farm animals, the spread of dangerous diseases, including for humans (rabies, etc.). Yes, and they do not allow the wild inhabitants of the forest to live in peace, their prey is hares, moose, roe deer, boars and even foxes. Because of this, wolves are considered pest animals, and a premium is due for each individual killed by a hunter. In some subjects of Russia, the reward for a killed wolf reached 8 thousand rubles. (winter 2011).

Now let's move on to the topic and look at wolf life from birth to death. I must say right away that in nature, the life expectancy of a wolf can reach 10-11 years, the cause of death is most often illness and hunger. In zoos, circuses, and in general in captivity, the wolf lives up to 21 years.

Wolves are strong animals both physically and psychologically. Their body length can reach one and a half meters, and weight 40-50 kg. Naturally, these are very average indicators, since physical data depend on their residence. The largest wolves live in the north of the country, the smallest - in the southern regions.

Tales of the gray wolf have fixed in the minds of many people that the color of the wolf's coat is only gray. However, in the far north, wolves with almost snow-white hair live, and the southern wolves have a predominantly buffy color. There are also black, light red and in North America even red wolves. But this is exotic for us.

The wolf has one remarkable feature that distinguishes it from other species of the canine family - these are "whiskers", long thick hair from ears to mouth. The wolf has very thick fur, even in the most severe frosts he can fall asleep in the snow and not freeze.

This is a very cunning and intelligent animal. If the wolf has already been hunted, but he managed to hide, then this beast will be difficult to catch, he literally develops a sixth sense for the approach of danger. Wolves have excellent eyesight, hearing is also well developed. A quiet rustle, for example, they can hear at a distance of more than a kilometer.

Hunting is one of the main activities in the life of a wolf. This beast is quite unpretentious, in conditions of hunger it also eats carrion. Basically, its prey are animals, the number of which is highest in its territory. A lone wolf hunts "stealing", that is, it sneaks up on the victim from behind, it can also wait for the beast at feeding places, a watering place for several hours. A wolf at the dawn of his strength can kill any animal, only a wild boar at the age of six or more years can give him a worthy rebuff, yes an elk. Therefore, they hunt large animals in packs.

Life in a pack of wolves is quite clearly organized, this also applies to hunting. The pack hunts in different ways. They can simply scare the herd, and when it starts to run away, they choose the weakest animal. Wolves are also so smart that they can organize ambushes. Some wolves scare the victim, while others hide in a shelter, and the beast, hiding from the pursuers, is ambushed. Animals can hide the rest of the food in a shelter or bury it in the ground and come for it after a few weeks.

At the head of the pack, which is a family, is usually a wolf, less often a she-wolf. There is always a clear hierarchy in the pack. The leader always gets the most tidbits of prey, after the alpha male is sated, other members of the pack can approach the food.

Only the wolves that have joined (as a rule, these are young wolf cubs of the previous litter) occupy the lowest position. But for them, the natural desire is to rise above, so the old wolves must constantly defend their position. The size of the flock depends on whether they can bite a large ungulate animal. If the pack has grown very large, then part of the wolves separates and they organize their own life in a pack with the same hierarchy. Each pack of wolves has its own territory, and one pack does not fit into the life of another, because the relationship between them is not very friendly. Although these animals always have their own territory, they still migrate if they do not have enough food. Most often they migrate after their prey.

Around the beginning of spring, mating season begins in the life of wolves. Only the alpha female is predominantly engaged in the continuation of the genus. Together with the leader, she separates from the pack, and they organize their lair in the deep forest. At the beginning of summer, from 2 to 8 cubs are born. The first 3 months of life, wolf cubs feed on mother's milk, and then they begin to feed them with meat. Both parents feed the cubs. They try very hard to hide their lair from prying eyes, that they go hunting several kilometers from the hole - so it seems that wolves do not live here at all. But if there is any danger, then they transfer the cubs to a spare hole. Six months after birth, wolf cubs enter an independent life. They can already hunt small animals and help their parents. on the hunt.

The wolf is a 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 of wolves, and 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 preferring reliable and protected places to sleep.

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 burp their 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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One of the most mysterious and amazing animals on the planet is the wolf. The ferocious predator demonstrates masterful skills during the hunt, and loyalty and care in the pack. People still cannot unravel the mystery of this beautiful animal. Next, we suggest reading more exciting and interesting facts about wolves.

1. Determining weather conditions, wolves are able to hear sound signals that sound at a distance of 9 kilometers.

2. Wolf blood, which the Vikings drank before the battle, raised morale.

3. In caves that are 20,000 years old, the first images with wolves were found.

4. Wolves are able to distinguish more than 200 million smells.

5. Wolf cubs are always born with blue eyes.

6. A she-wolf bears cubs for about 65 days.

7. Wolf cubs are always born blind and deaf.

8. Wolves are ground predators.

9. In ancient times, wolves lived only in deserts and tropical forests.

10. A pack of wolves can include both 2-3 individuals, and 10 times more.

11. In one sitting, a wolf, which is very hungry, is able to eat about 10 kg of meat.

12. Wolves can swim and they are able to swim 13 km.

13. The smallest representatives of the wolf family live in the Middle East.

14. Wolves communicate by howling.

15. Ravens usually live where wolves live.

16. The Aztecs were treated with wolf liver for melancholy.

17. Residents of European countries based on wolf liver created a special powder, due to which it was possible to alleviate labor pain.

18. Wolves are the first animals to be protected as endangered species.

19. Wolves prefer to eat their relatives who have fallen into a trap. Therefore, it is better for hunters to quickly pick up the wolf from the trap.

20. Representatives of wolves can have a weight of 100 kg.

21. A hybrid of a wolf and a dog is a dog of the Volkosob breed. Moreover, the wolf was crossed with a German shepherd.

22. Although wolves are not considered carriers of rabies, they can pick it up from foxes and raccoons.

23. American wolves attack people less.

24. Wolves eat prey alive because they do not have anatomical weapons, thanks to which you can quickly kill the victim.

25. Wolves treat dogs only as their own prey.

26. Previously, Ireland was called the "Land of the Wolves", because there were many wolf packs.

27. The eyes of the wolf are endowed with a reflective layer that can glow at night.

28. Wolves react more to movements than to sounds.

29. Black wolves appeared in the process of mating a domestic dog and gray wolves.

30. A deadly fight of wolves begins when several packs meet in the same territory.

31. When biting with teeth, wolves create pressure up to 450 kg/cm.

32. Wolves are mysterious animals revered by the Arabs, Romans and Indians.

33. These animals are not trainable, even in captivity.

34. Wolves are devoted companions of life to their soulmate.

35. Wolves change their partner only if their partner is dead.

36. Usually, little wolf cubs are raised by females.

37. If the female falls asleep, then the male wolf guards her.

38. In every wolf pack there is a dominant pair, with which all other wolves take an example.

39. Wolves are lovers of freedom.

40. Wolves develop fear at the sight of fabric developing in the wind.

41. The claws of wolves are able to grind off from touching the ground.

42. Wolves are very tenacious and hardy animals.

43. The activity of a wolf that does not receive food remains for 10 days.

44. Wolf cubs at birth have a weight of 500 grams.

45. In Greece, there was a belief that one who eats a wolf becomes a vampire.

46. ​​Germany is considered the first country to take up the protection of wolf packs.

47. Wolves have many facial movements.

48. The Japanese language ascribes the meaning of “great god” to the word “wolf”.

49. Howling wolves try to attract lonely females.

50. The scent and hearing of wolves is simply excellent.

51. Those representatives who live closer to the Equator will have less weight of wolves.

52. Wolves are able to run without stopping for 20 minutes.

53. In winter, wolf hair is very resistant to frost.

54. Wolves can breed when they reach the age of 2 years.

55. Newborn wolf cubs leave the den already 3 weeks after birth.

56. On average, a she-wolf gives birth to 5-6 babies.

57. Usually wolf cubs are born in the summer.

58. Wolf cubs in the first 4 months after birth can increase in size up to 30 times.

59. During the mating season, wolves are more aggressive.

60. A wolf's sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human's.

61. Wolves are color blind.

62. A wolf who was kicked out of the pack or he left it himself is called a loner.

63. Wolves have been living on Earth for more than 100 million years.

64. Each wolf has a different character: some are self-confident and daring, others are cautious.

65. Each pack of wolves hunts only in its own territory.

66. The tail of the wolves-leaders of the pack rises very high.

67. Showing tenderness for each other, wolves rub their faces and lick their lips.

68. Most of all, wolves move in the spring.

69. Wolves are very attached to their own children.

70. In patriarchal times, wolves were compared to grooms who stole brides.

71. Wolf hunting was considered the most popular hobby of noble people.

72. Wolves are able to respond to a person who imitates a howl.

73. When a wolf is anxious, he raises his head up.

74. Wolves breed only in winter.

75. The leaders of the wolf pack must constantly confirm their status.

76. Wolves are much smarter than dogs because their brains are bigger.

77. Human wolves are not afraid of a bit.

78. Wolf howling can sound in different ranges.

79. Despite the fact that wolves are predatory animals, they also eat carrots and watermelons.

80. Arctic wolves do not attack deer until they have the hope of swallowing a mouse in their hearts.

81. Newborn wolf cubs begin to be interested in the world around them early.

82. Wolves are not in vain considered "forest nurses", they clear the territory of sick and dead animals.

83. Even when death comes, wolves will try to save their neighbor.

84. Wolves were the heroes of films and legends.

85. Wolves are able to feel their prey at a distance of 1.5 km.

86. Black wolves have a greater resistance to infectious diseases.

87. She-wolves weigh about 5-10 kg less than males.

88. Wolf cubs who are 1.5 months old can already run away from danger.

89. In the process of nutritional deficiency, wolves feed on carrion.

90. Wolves can kill foxes, but they won't eat them.

91. Red wolves breed well in captivity.

92. The gray wolf has a large and heavy head.

93. Most of the wolf's undercoat falls out in the spring, and grows in the fall.

94. In the same den, coyote wolves live for several years.

95. Coyote wolves have a life expectancy of 10 years.

96. Respect for the leader of a wolf pack is shown by special mimic movements of these animals.

97. Wolves in the den live in pairs.

98. When the teeth of a newborn wolf cub begin to erupt, the mother rubs his gums with her tongue.

99. In the process of hunting other animals, wolves use the exhausting method.

100. Keeping a wolf in a kennel will not work, because he can learn to open a lock in a short time.

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