Gray Wolf

Gray Wolf

 

Gray Wolf - Canis lupus

Gray Wolf – Photo taken by Gary Kramer / United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Gray Wolf Description

Also known as Common Wolf, the Gray Wolf is very popular. However, when you start to learn more about it you will learn this animal is anything but common. It has a very definite presence that has continued due to its body and its adaptability. These are intelligent animals that have a desire to continue on Earth in spite of what is taking place all around them.

Their coloring can be very different for each of them which is why they can often be mistaken for others. Many Common Wolves are gray in color but they don’t have to be. Others have white, black, brown, and even red or yellow in them. It is often that one will have multiple colorings found within the fur.

The size of a Common Wolf can be hard to say for sure. Yes, there are some cases of extremely large ones out there, more than 200 pounds. It is believed these are the ones that legends about werewolves derive from. However, most of them are about 55 pounds on the small end and 90 pounds on the higher end. Most of them are about 5 feet long but they can be from 4 ½ feet up to 6 feet.

Gray Wolf Anatomy

These particular wolves have a head that is smaller than other species and a narrower width across the shoulders. Even so, they are very powerful animals and not one to be taken lightly. They also have muzzles that are long an skinny which is different from other types of wolves. They have amazing stamina which means they can go for a very long time without stopping. They are slower overall when it comes to top speed than other wolves but that doesn’t really matter since they can go for so long.

What is really amazing about the Common Wolf is the way their paws are designed. They have feet that are very large which allows them to move their weight around when they need to. This is why they are able to stay on top of soft snow even when they are on the heavier side of the weight spectrum. They also have webbing between the feet so they are able to walk around on any type of terrain.

All canines have very sharp teeth as well as strong jaws. However, the Common Wolf also has three times the power of those others out there. This is an amazing ability that they have and one that means once they capture prey it is surely going to meet its death. What about rumors about the saliva from them for healing? Research does show it is able to reduce the risk of an infection setting it. This is due to it offering properties to get new cells to quickly be created.

Gray Wolf Evolution

The evolution for the Common Wolf definitely has plenty of mystery behind it. What we do know is that these wolves are related to canines that are more than 300,000 years old. We also know that they have evolved in their appearance including their webbed feet in order to be able to survive in a variety of conditions offered out there.

Gray Wolf Behavior

Contrary to popular belief, the Common Wolf isn’t an animal out there that preys on humans. In fact, they are quite content within their packs to be peaceful. They do have a sophisticated level of hierarchy that works well for them. They use verbal communication including howling to connect with their pack and to warn other packs to keep their distance.

They will leave their scent behind in order to keep the message out there that they have a claim to particular areas. Sometimes their territories do overlap and they will have to protect the area where they hunt or where the beta female has a den with her pups.

Gray Wolf Habitat and Distribution

Since these wolves have a body designed to handle different terrain you won’t be surprised to find they are in many places around Northern America. They can live in the mountains or on the plains. They can live in the grasslands or in the desert. They just need enough range to move around and access to food sources in order to thrive.

One of the biggest problems for the Common Wolf is the reduction of their land. They are very versatile though so in many instances they do move into new territory. Of course this can easily upset the balance of that other ecosystem as well so it isn’t always a well received move.

Gray Wolf Feeding Habits

The Common Wolf mainly goes after large prey that the entire pack is able to consume. This can include deer, elk, and bison. What they come into contact with is going to depend on where they reside. What is interesting is that they usually won’t attack prey that is standing still. They love the thrill of chasing it and brining it down. They will also consume small types of animals such as rodents when they see them.

The young pups in a pack will be fed food that the adults have partially digested when they are about three months of age. This continues until they are six months old. At that point they observe the kills and then get to fight to consume what they can. This is part of establishing their rank with the Common Wolf pack.

Gray Wolf Reproduction

Mating take part the first four months of the year, but only for about 10 days when the female is in estrus. The specific time frame for it depends on the location of the wolf packs. Those in lower elevations will mate sooner than those higher up. It takes two months after mating for the young to be born. Even with plenty of members of a Common Wolf pack, it is generally only the beta female that will have pups. For this reason many young go out on their own before they are two years old.

The mothers will use a den to keep their young safe for the first few months of life. She can have a large number of them, but six per litter is average. They need her for food and they can’t see or hear. They will develop those senses before they leave the den with her at three months of age. At that point, these young are cared for by all in the pack.

Gray Wolf Predators

Due to the issues they have with territory, it is often that Common Wolves have encounters with other packs. The desire for the territory, mating, and food can make these all out battles. Sometimes part of the pack is injured or killed before it is finished. The young of a pack can be killed in these battles as well, dropping the overall numbers by quite a bit.

Humans continue to be a serious problem for these wolves. First, they are the ones responsible for taking all their habitat away from them. Yet they wish to complain when their livestock or other animals are killed by these wolves. Hunting of the Common Wolf has gone on for centuries.  Even so, this species continues to evolve and to be strong. They aren’t in as much danger of the possibility of extinction as other species out there.