A Wolf

 

wolf, any of two species of wild doglike carnivores. The gray, or timber, wolf (Canis lupus) is the better known. It is the largest nondomestic member of the dog family (Canidae) and inhabits vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The Ethiopian, or Abyssinian, wolf (C. simensis) inhabits the highlands of Ethiopia; until recently it was considered a jackal.

Grey Wolf

Pervasive in mythology, folklore, and language, the gray wolf has had an impact on the human imagination and has been the victim of levels of misunderstanding that few animals have shared. 

With the exception of humans and the lion, the gray wolf once had a larger distribution than any other land mammal, once ranging over all of North America from Alaska and Arctic Canada southward to central Mexico and throughout Europe and Asia above 20° N latitude. It lived in every type of habitat except tropical forests and the most arid deserts, and it was the premier hunter of the large hoofed mammals. 

Several subspecies occur throughout North America, Eurasia, and Africa; however, classifications disagree on the number of wolf subspecies. Wolves were first domesticated in northern Eurasia sometime between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago, and selective breeding produced dogs (C. lupus familiaris). 

The wolf is built for travel. Its long legs, large feet, and deep but narrow chest suit it well for life on the move. Keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws, and the ability to pursue prey at 60 km (37 miles) per hour equip the wolf well for a predatory way of life. A typical northern male may be about 2 meters (6.6 feet) long, including the bushy half-meter-long tail. Standing 76 cm (30 inches) tall at the shoulder, it weighs about 45 kg (100 pounds), but weight ranges from 14 to 65 kg (31 to 143 pounds), depending on the geographic area. Females average about 20 percent smaller than males. 

The Pack

Wolves live in family groups called packs. A pack is usually made up of a male parent, a female parent and their pups from the last few years. Usually, four to six pups are born together in a litter. 

The pups in a litter are called litter mates. Their first home is usually a den, which can be a small cave or a hole dug in the ground. 

It must be big enough to shelter the mother and pups from weather and protect the pups from other animals that may want to hurt them. 

Packs sometimes use the same den for several years, or they may find a new den each year.