J&T's Critter Care & Wildlife Education Center

Rescue, Rehabilitate, Release, Educate

Wolves

 The Gray Wolf

Canis lupus                                            

 

First of all, I am a HUGE wolf fan!! I LOVE!!!!!!!!! wolves & always have. 

 
Eastern subspecies: the Eastern Timberwolf (Canis lupis lycaon)
Adults 50-100+ lbs (23-46+kg)
Usually about 30” tall
Family name: Canidae
 
WOLF HISTORY:
 
Wolves were perceived as a threat to lives/livelihoods of settlers since earliest colonial times. Colonies waged war on wolves way back as far as 1631. Wolves were considered responsible for loss of livestock, but also because of the general notion that wildlife was deterimental to progress, and large carnivores were considered cruel. As a result, wolves were hunted & trapped until they were extripated from most of the United States. Only in recent decades have public opinions began to change some in favor toward wolves again. Wolf preservation & management efforts were enhanced in 1973 with the passage of the Endangered Species Act. Populations in the upper midwest are doing well currently. We should not let them fool us into believeing the wolf does not need our help & protection!
 
 
•Although the wolf population has not yet recovered, there is talk of removing the wolf from the Endangered Species List. They need our help now more than ever! Be sure to speak up!! A movement is led by livestock owners (who fear wolves will eat their livestock) & hunters (who want to kill wolves or avoid competing with them) to lift the Endangered Species Act protections in several states.
•The Gray Wolf plays a very important role in the ecosystem of our country.
•Humans took over a lot of the wolves habitat & placed livestock on the areas where wolves natural diet once were. With less of the wolves diet available, it would be natural to see they would have to supplement their feedings.
 
 
Wolf History in New York
 
•The history of the wolf in New York is somewhat uncertain, although we can assume that they did once live here.
•There is only 1 known museum specimen of a wolf taken from NY state. It was not checked for accurate identification & without a body of physical evidence to work with, it can’t be determined how many animals historically reported as wolves were really wolves. Early settlers may have called coyotes wolves.
•NYS DEC restores native species when it is biologically feasible & socially acceptable. At this time though, it is not clear that a wolf population could survive in NY for various reasons, as well as being accepted by all of NY states citizens. So, at this time, wolf-reintroduction into NY state is not being seriously reconsidered.
 
Wolf Ranges
 
The current range of the wolf is throughout Alaska & Canada. In the continental US (lower 48), wolves are present in:  Northern & central Idaho
•Northern Montana
•Throughout Yellowstone National Park & surrounding area:
•The Great Lakes States of Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan
 
 
Wolf Habitat:
 
-Wolves are terrestrial mammals with a very broad natural distribution.
-Secluded areas with a sufficient number of  large, hoofed mammals.
-This type of habitat is found throughout a lot of North America.
 
The Wolf Pack
 
•Usually consist of 2-8 individuals – some may contain 20 or more members
•Packs are territorial – frequenting areas of 20-200+ sq. mi. (51-555+ sq. km.)
•Packs are usually comprised of family members & relatives
•Packs are numerous, tight social groups.
 
Hierachy
 
•Each pack maintains a social hierarchy
•1 dominant male & female breed, although exceptions occur
•The alpha pair eat first
•Dominant members are seen with ears & tails up; subordinate members show their submissiveness by lowering their ears & tails & sometimes rolling on their backs to expose their bellies to the dominants
•Regardless of rank, any member that returns after an absence will be greeted with muzzle licking & mouthing.
 
Territory
 
 
•Territories usually cover between 42 & 100 sq mi traveled at regular intervals
•Territories may overlap slightly but packs usually avoid one another
•As long as food is adequate packs will usually remain in the same range for many generations
•Wolves mark their territory with urine & scat – this is called scent marking
 
 
Diet
 
•Large mammals: moose, caribou, elk, musk ox, big horn sheep & deer
•Smaller mammals: beaver & hares
•Kill young, old & sick, which are nutritionally stressed or physically burdened.
•Like many carnivores, wolves test they prey. Many that stand & fight, they will leave & go off to find & easier meal. However, if say a moose, first stands & fights, & then runs off, perhaps due to illness or injury, they will often continue to pursue it.
•In times of need, wolves will submit to scavenging.
 
Food requirements
 
•Ideally, a wolf needs approximately 3 & Ύ lbs of food per day.
•However, they require at least 5lbs per day to successfully to reproduce
•They can go for 2wks or more without food
•Average, wolves will eat 10lbs of food per day but living on the feast & famine lifestyle, they will gorge on 20lbs of meat when a kill is made, then it could be awhile until the next is made
 
 
Behaviors
 
•Voice: howls, whines, yelps, growls, barks
•Howl: a continuous sound usually lasting 3-11secs. Used to bring packs together & is a long, distance form of territorial expression. Howls may be at a constant pitch, may rise & fall, or rise & break off abruptly, sounding dismal to beautiful to haunting. Individuals wolves have their own distinct howl. Barks are used to warn other pack members danger or to challenge an enemy. The most common bark is short, harsh, & uttered in a brief series. Often they growl in dominance disputes or other fights. Wolves make a high whine or squeaking noise to call pups. Pups’ mothers whimper to calm the young ones.
•Gaits: usually moves at a trot gait but also has a running gait. It can cover 16ft in a single bound & can maintain a rapid pursuit for at least 20min.
•Body Language: used as a form of communication. May stick their ears straight up & bare their teeth when angry. A nervous wolf may pull its ears back & squint. Flattening the ears against the head is often a sign of fear. Similar to dogs, a wolf that wants to play will dance & bow.
 
Reproduction
 
•Most do not breed until about 22 mos of age
•In North America wolves generally breed between late January & early April
•1 litter of 1-11 young are born between April – June after a gestation of 63 days
 
          Pups                    
 
•All members of a pack help care for the young
•At 3wks of age pups emerge from the den to play by the entrance & begin experiencing the world – guarded by an adult
•The rest of the pack members leave the den site in late afternoon or dusk & return the next morning with food
•Pups jump & bite at the snouts & throats of the returning hunters stimulating them to regurgitate undigested meat which the pups & the guardians devour
•Pups survival is directly related to the availability of prey at the time
•At about 8wks of age the pups are moved to a rendezvous site, usually near water where the play teaches them about the social & behavioral characteristics of pack life
•In late summer they begin to travel with the pack
•Pups usually stay with their parents for 10-54 mos & then disperse
 
 
Other Wolf Facts
 
•
 
•Males are usually larger than females
•Color ranges from black, grizzled gray, rust to white
•Round erect ears
•Tail held down, long erect & straight, doesn’t curl
•Muzzle large & blocky
•Massive, long legs
•Extremely large feet
•Live 13 yrs or so in the wild
•Have an VERY good sense of smell – their sense of smell can alert them to food or the presence of enemies
 
 
Prey & Hunting
 
Prey include:
-deer, moose, beaver, caribou, elk, musk ox, hares, big horn sheep, sometimes domestic livestock & pets
-Wolves tend to focus on the old, weak, sick or disabled individuals of a herd
-Wolves are not usually detrimental to populations of prey species
-Usually packs hunt larger prey items, lone wolves will hunt smaller items
 
Feeding
 
•The wolf ideally needs 3 & Ύ lbs of food per day – but require 5lbs per day to successfully reproduce
•They can go 2 wks or more without food
•On average eat 10lbs of food a day – but they live on a feast/famine lifestyle. Wolves will gorge on 20lbs of meat when a kill is made – then it may be a while before another.
 
Shelter
 
•Wolves normally do not use a shelter except a maternity den
•When it is in a blizzard it curls its tail over its paws & nose & soon becomes covered with snow which insulates it from the cold
•The maternity den is an enlarged chamber without nesting material, usually on high ground & near water
             - May have several entrances that lead to an underground chamber
             - tunnel is usually 4-17ft long or longer
             - the same den may be used for yrs, though, the pups may be moved between several dens at times
 
 
WILD Wolves
 
Although usually feared by people, wolves usually shy away from humans contact. According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, no attack on a human by a healthy, WILD wolf, has ever been confirmed in North America. There have been cases of aggression recorded, but a wild, healthy wolf who has not been habituated (learned to see people as a source of food) & who is not provoked, poses little threat or risk to a human.
 
 
Images on this page were found on the internet. I clain NO COPYRIGHT to them. They remain (C) to their original photographer. Educational use only:)
Acknowledgements:
The following sources were of great information for me: