Wolves

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This page is all about wolves, as you would of guest.

Name: Grey Wolf

Scientific name: Canis lupus

Scientific classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Canis

Species: Canis lupus

Habitat: Wolves were once widely distributed across much of Eurasia from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, and in North America, their distribution extended from the far north to the Sierra Madre in Mexico. Today the grey wolf can only be found in Canada, Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Wisconsin in the USA, Russia, and pockets of East Europe.

Diet: They feed on large ungulates, beaver, small mammals, domesticated animals and rubbish.

Physical characteristics: Gray wolf weight and size can vary greatly worldwide, tending to increase proportionally with latitude as predicted by Bergmann's Rule. In general, height varies from 0.6 to 0.95 meters at the shoulder and weight ranges from 20 up to 68 kilograms, which together make the gray wolf the largest of all wild canids. The smallest wolves come from the Arabian Wolf subspecies, the females of which may weigh as little as 10 kg at maturity. Grey wolves are sexually dimorphic, with females in any given wolf population typically weighing 20% less than males. Females also have narrower muzzles and foreheads; slightly shorter, smoother furred legs; and smaller shoulders. Gray wolves can measure anywhere from 1.3 to 2 meters from nose to the tip of the tail, which itself accounts for approximately one quarter of overall body length. Gray wolves are built for stamina, possessing features ideal for long-distance travel. Their narrow chests and powerful backs and legs facilitate efficient locomotion. They are capable of covering several miles trotting at about a pace of 10 km/h, and have been known to reach speeds approaching 65 km/h during a chase. One female gray wolf was recorded to have made 7 metre bounds when chasing prey. Gray wolf paws are able to tread easily on a wide variety of terrains, especially snow. There is slight webbing between each toe, which allows them to move over snow more easily than comparatively hampered prey. Gray wolves are digitigrades, which, with the relative largeness of their feet, helps them to distribute their weight well on snowy surfaces. The front paws are larger than the hind paws, and have a fifth digit, the dewclaw, that is absent on hind paws. Bristled hairs and blunt claws enhance grip on slippery surfaces, and special blood vessels keep paw pads from freezing. Scent glands located between a wolf's toes leave trace chemical markers behind, helping the wolf to effectively navigate over large expanses while concurrently keeping others informed of its whereabouts. Unlike dogs and coyotes, gray wolves lack sweat glands on their paw pads. This trait is also present in Eastern Canadian Coyotes which have been shown to have recent wolf ancestry. Wolves in Israel are unique due to the middle two toes of their paws being fused, a trait originally thought to be unique to the African Wild Dog. Wolves have bulky coats consisting of two layers. The first layer is made up of tough guard hairs that repel water and dirt. The second is a dense, water-resistant undercoat that insulates. The undercoat is shed in the form of large tufts of fur in late spring or early summer. A wolf will often rub against objects such as rocks and branches to encourage the loose fur to fall out. The undercoat is usually gray regardless of the outer coat's appearance. Wolves have distinct winter and summer pelages that alternate in spring and autumn. Females tend to keep their winter coats further into the spring than males. Fur colouration varies greatly, running from gray to gray-brown, all the way through the canine spectrum of white, red, brown, and black. These colours tend to mix in many populations to form predominantly blended individuals, though it is not uncommon for an individual or an entire population to be entirely one colour. With the exception of Italy, in which black wolves can constitute 20-25% of the entire population, melanistic wolves rarely occur outside the North American continent. A multicolour coat characteristically lacks any clear pattern other than it tends to be lighter on the animal's underside. Fur colour sometimes corresponds with a given wolf population's environment; for example, all-white wolves are much more common in areas with perennial snow cover. Aging wolves acquire a greyish tint in their coats. It is often thought that the coloration of the wolf's pelage serves as a functional form of camouflage. This may not be entirely correct, as some scientists have concluded that the blended colours have more to do with emphasizing certain gestures during interaction. At birth, wolf pups tend to have darker fur and blue irises that will change to a yellow-gold or orange colour when the pups are between 8 and 16 weeks old. Wolves' long, powerful muzzles help distinguish them from other canids, particularly coyotes and Golden Jackals, which have more narrow, pointed muzzles. In wolves, the anterior incisures of the nasal bones does not have a medial protrusion, unlike jackals. The cingulum on the external edge of the first upper molar is only slightly expressed, while it is broad and distinctly marked in jackals. Wolves differ from domestic dogs in a more varied nature. Anatomically, wolves have smaller orbital angles than dogs and a comparatively larger brain capacity. Larger paw size, yellow eyes, longer legs, and bigger teeth further distinguish adult wolves from other canids, especially dogs. Also, precaudal glands at the base of the tail are present in wolves but not in dogs. Wolves and most larger dogs share identical dentition. The maxilla has six incisors, two canines, eight premolars, and four molars. The mandible has six incisors, two canines, eight premolars, and six molars. The fourth upper premolars and first lower molars constitute the carnassials teeth, which are essential tools for shearing flesh. The long canine teeth are also important, in that they hold and subdue the prey. Capable of delivering up to 10,000 kPa (1450 lbf/in²) of pressure, a wolf's teeth are its main weapons as well as its primary tools. This is roughly twice the pressure that a domestic dog of similar size can deliver. The dentition of grey wolves is better suited to bone crushing than those of other modern canids, though it is not as specialised as that found in hyenas. Wolf saliva has been shown to reduce bacterial infection in wounds and accelerate tissue regeneration.