Gray Wolves - General Information
Gray Wolves - Social BehaviorThe social life of Gray Wolves is complex. Their groups are called packs and they are lead by a domineering alpha pair (set of parents). The rest of the pack consists of the alpha pairs offspring, and other non-breeding adults. The aggressive behavior of the alpha pair discourages other members of the pack from breeding, which allows the best survival rate for the alpha pair's young. Younger wolves are always looking for opportunities to improve their status in the strict hierarchy of the pack.
Gray Wolves - Breeding EcologyGray Wolves are one of few animals that mate for life. Typically, mating occurs between January and April depending on the elevation of the pack. After a gestation period of 63 days, a litter of 1-11 pups are born. The females normally use the same secluded den for rearing her pups annually. Pups emerge from the den at about three weeks. The whole pack aids in the upbringing of the new litter by bringing food to the den, assisting with the pups if the mother goes out hunting, and protecting the area from any potential predators. Near the end of the summer the pups are able to begin hunting and the pack becomes more mobile. The pattern of a Gray Wolf pack is strongly influenced by the availability of prey. When larger prey like moose, caribou, elk or reindeer are plentiful, wolves will live in larger groups to allow pack hunting. Although, large prey is preferred, wolves will also subsist on beavers, marmots, upland game birds, ground squirrels, hares, mice and occasionally spawning salmon. A pack uses a definite territory that can range in size from 50-1,000 square miles. They defend their territories from other wolves. Wolf's style of hunting indirectly gives support to a variety of other animals. The remains of animals taken by wolves provide food for: foxes, wolverines, ravens, vultures, other birds and even bears occasionally feed on the remains. During the winter, bald eagles will regularly feed on the remains of animals killed by wolves. Other large animals that have traditionally been hunted by wolves have evolved to avoid predation. Elk are more alert, antelope are faster, and mountain goats can climb amazingly steep cliffs. Thus, Gray Wolves have a really difficult task of hunting them.Gray Wolves - General Information Links
BBCi: Grey Wolves - Features photos and details on this impressive canine's physique, habits and preferred environs. Canadian Center for Wolf Research - A non-profit organization researching social behavior of Wolf packs through non-invasive methods. Desert USA - Mexican Gray Wolves - Nature magazine profiles this creature, which makes its home throughout North America. Learn about its life cycle. Discover Grey Wolves - Description and behavior of the Grey Wolf. Endangered Species: Gray Wolves - Facts about Gray Wolves. Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) - Description, distribution in Texas, habits, and more. Gray Wolf - Habitat, distribution, current status, and other facts about the Gray Wolf. Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) - Information on the Timber Wolf and its distribution around the world. Gray Wolf Guide - Guide to the Gray Wolf. Contains description, distribution, tracks, and more. Grey Wolf of BC - Species information and reasons for decline. Gray Wolves in Zoos and in the Wild - Description of the Gray Wolf, habitat, and behavior in Zoos and in the wild. International Wolf Center - Information about Wolf biology, environmental issues, and human interaction. Mexican Gray Wolf - Fact sheet on the Mexican Gray Wolf. Mexican Grey Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) - Learn more about this subspecies of the Gray Wolf. Contains basic facts about the Mexican Grey Wolf.
National Wolfdog Alliance, Inc. - The National Wolfdog Alliance is a newly incorporated organization, formed by those seeking a coalition of Wolf-dog organizations, rescue facilities, individual owners and enthusiasts. Questions and Answers about Gray Wolves in North America - Extensive information on the Gray Wolf. Roosevelt Park Zoo: Grey Wolves - Brief overview of the Grey Wolf. The Gray Wolf - Physical characteristics of the Gray Wolf. The Searching Wolf - Collection of information about the different species of Wolves, including resources, pictures, news and opinion, and sounds. Wild Arizona - Wolf Facts - Become familiar with the endangered Mexican Gray Wolf. Find out what they look like and how they live. Wild Ones: The Gray Wolf - Wildlife Preservation Trust International offers a fact sheet on this creature, which can be found throughout the world. With Wolf sound clips. Wolf Education and Research Center - Participates in groundbreaking research programs, in cooperation with both the public and private sectors. Wolf Howl Lupine Defense League - Information about, and political activism for, Wolves and Wolf hybrids (Wolfdogs). Wolf Information and Pictures - Pictures and links to Wolf sites. Wolf Park - A nonprofit education and research facility established in 1972. Wolf Resources - Links to Wolf related sites. Wolf Sanctuary - Providing an Alternative to Extinction. World of the Wolf - Natural history of Wolves and other canids, photo galleries, fossil records, sound and video files, and links.
Gray Wolves - Other Gray Wolves sitesTimber Wolves - Timber Wolves are one of the largest members of the canine family. The species' coloration varies anywhere from a beautiful arctic white to a dramatic black, but most common is the grizzled gray coat. The long bushy tail often looks like the tip has been dipped in black, giving it a characteristic detail that is noticeable most easily on the gray coats. Long muscular legs are well adapted to enduring strenuous treks across open tundra and thick forests and tranquil settings in search of food. Canis lupus Arctic Wolves - Arctic wolves are but the safest mammals on earth, largely because they live in the most inhospitable regions of the planet. They are mostly concentrated in North America, (mostly along its polar edge), and in Greenland, where few humans adventured throughout history. However, some species can be found in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada. Arctic Wolves (Canis Lupus Arctos) are in many ways similar to their Grey cousins, which can be found almost all the way across the western hemisphere. Because Arctic wolves haven’t dealt with humans so much as their gray counterparts have, they react in a specific way, should a human appear within their range. While most grey wolves seek safety either in attack or in flight, an Arctic wolf may simply stand still and stare. This can even contribute to establishing long-term contacts with animals and befriending them. Thus, David Mech, senior research scientist of the Biological Resources Division, managed to spend several summers in a company of Arctic Wolves. He even had his boots unlaced by one of them.
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