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The wolf is a flesh-eating mammal that belongs to the dog family. Wolves live in North America, Europe, and Asia. There was a time when wolves ranged through almost every part of the United States and Canada, but this is no longer true. Timber wolves, also called gray wolves, are seldom seen today. They still live in the Rocky Mountains and in heavy forests of Canada and the northern United States. Coyotes, or prairie wolves, are fairly common from the western plains to the Pacific Coast.
A wolf looks like a skinny, long-legged dog. It has a wide head, a long nose, and a pointed muzzle. Its thick tail droops, but its ears always stand up. Wolves have different colors in different climates. The northern wolves have the longer, thicker, and lighter colored coats. A full-grown wolf is nearly 5 1/2 feet long, including the tail, which may measure nearly 1 1/2 feet. Wolves have five toes on the front feet, and four on the hind ones.
The wolves of Europe are close relatives of the North American timber wolves. They are slightly smaller, and have coarse gray fur, which often has a brown or yellow tinge.
Wolves live in dens, which they build in hollow logs, openings between rocks, or holes dug in the ground. Seven or eight cubs are born in each litter. They start to open their eyes a week after birth, and usually have them fully open by the ninth day. This is about the same as with dogs' puppies.
In the summer, wolves hunt alone or in pairs. They often hunt rabbits, hedgehogs, birds, snakes, rats, and field mice. Sometimes they attack a herd of sheep. In winter, they may gather in large packs. Packs of wolves have been known to kill deer, horses, cattle, and even people. There are more wolves in Russia than in any other country,.
People in North America have little fear of an attack by wolves. But these animals are the enemies of stock raisers, who have declared war against them. In Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, hunters killed more than 7000 timber wolves in one year. Wolves can be tamed and a few have been trained to hunt like dogs.
Scientific Classification. Wolves belong to the family Canidae. Both the American and European wolves are genus Canis, species lupus.
The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 19
Gray Wolf adults greeting each other
Gray Wolf Pup
Gray wolves are born with black fur that usually turns white, tan or brown. Gray wolf pups weigh only one pound and are blind and deaf at birth. Like a human baby, a wolf pup cries when it is hungry or in pain. Most wolves leave the pack when they are about two years old.
Gray Wolf
Sadly, there are only about 6000 to 8000 wolves residing in Alaska and an estimated 4500 in the lower 48 states. The biggest threats to the gray wolf are illegal hunting and trapping along with loss of their natural habitat.
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