Transcript The Grey Wolf - Mount Mansfield Union High School

The Grey Wolf
http://www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/Wil
dSpecies/Mammals/WildDogs/images/GrayWolf.jpg
Christina Dorsett
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y_Wolf_copy.JPG?0
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The Grey (gray) wolf is a very adaptable creature that
lives in much of the Northern hemisphere.
Its scientific name is Canis lupus, and it has many different
subspecies.
Although it is present in both North America and Eurasia,
the wolves from each of these continents seems to have
evolved separately
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It is estimated that the European wolf evolved about 10,000
years before the North American gray wolf.
It is the largest canid, or canine, that is alive today.
General Physical Characteristics
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Can sprint up to 40 mph
Can jump up to 12 feet
off the ground
They have very large
paws for their size
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the paws can spread out
to support their weight in
snow
They also have nonretractable claws and
fleshy pads for traction
Maximum lifespan is
generally 17 years
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*Fun fact*: wolves do not
use their claws for
hunting or in fights; they
are only for traction
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wrLFV9TMv4XXCiVx6QJy8zcyaZSOstkzVO2rj
Their Fur
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They can have white, grey,
black, brown, or red fur
Their coats are made of
wooly fur for insulation, with
‘guard’ hairs to keep out
moisture
More Physical Characteristics
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Their sense of hearing is 20 times
sharper than a human’s; their sense of
smell is 100 times keener.
They have VERY strong jaws; they can
apply a force of over 500 pounds per
square inch.
Size varies with different subspecies,
but the average male weighs about 90,
and the average female weighs about
80
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The size of different subspecies varies
with region- the farther south the wolf
lives, the smaller the subspecies will
grow to be
Vision
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motion sensitive
They are color blind
They have a reflective retina, called a
tapetum, that enhances their night vision
Activity
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Behavior
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Live in packs
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Can have anywhere from 2 to 36
members
NO natural enemies
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Though bears and wolves have
been known to kill each other, they http://www.lugh.name/images/pack-mentality-1.jpg
do not seek each other out
Humans are the biggest threat to
the survival of the wolf
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Interactions with Other Predators
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Bears
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Foxes
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Wolves will drive off or kill foxes if
they get too close
Felines
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Wolves will kill coyotes if they come
too close to anything the pack does
They will do the same with raccoon
dogs and golden jackals in other
parts of the world
Hyenas
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In some parts of Asia, hyenas share
the same ranges as wolves; however,
wolves generally stick to the slopes,
while hyenas are lowland animals
Lynxes
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They often steal kills from
each other; sometimes they
will kill the other’s young if
they feel threatened.
Leopards
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Their population in Slovakia
has gone down significantly
since wolves were introduced.
Cougars
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Coyotes
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Wolves try to avoid bears when
they can
If food is scarce, they might fight
over kills or take each other’s young
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In Tibet, their numbers have
been severely reduced.
Tigers
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Tigers will often kill wolves;
there are very few wolves in
tiger ranges.
Interactions with Humans
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Wolves have been feared and hated in many parts of the
world for centuries; only recently has public opinion
changed about them.
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Even as late as the 1970s, there were ad campaigns created by
the government that were degrading to wolves.
They were often hunted by professional hunters who were
paid by the government to get rid of as many wolves as
possible.
They were perceived as a threat to people, livestock, and pets,
and therefore if a wolf or wolf pack was sighted, they would be
hunted down and often mutilated; some were blinded, or had
their muzzles wired shut, and left to starve to death.
However, almost all alleged wolf attacks on livestock were
actually the work of packs of feral dogs or coyotes.
Range
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The historical range of the grey wolf covered most of
North America, all of Europe, and all of Asia; the
largest range of any land animal except humans.
They are now
virtually gone
from Europe,
the U.S.,
Mexico, and
southeast
Asia.
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Range continued
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Wolves are able to live in just about any biome except for
tropical rain forests.
Wolves have recently been reintroduced to parts of
Yellowstone.
They are still endangered or extinct in many parts of
Europe; unfortunately, in some areas, they are being
hunted again, mostly for sport.
Wolf numbers have dropped so significantly that the red
fox is now the widest distributed member of the family
Canidae in the world.
Bibliography
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Alderton, David, and Bruce Tanner. Foxes,Wolves, and Wild
Dogs of the World. New York: Facts on File, 1994. Print.
"Gray Wolf." EcoHealth Alliance - Formerly Known as
Wildlife Trust. EcoHealth Alliance. Web. 20 May 2011.
"Gray Wolf Facts - National Zoo| FONZ." Welcome to the
National Zoo| FONZ Website - National Zoo| FONZ.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Web. 26 May
2011.
"Grey Wolf- Canis Lupus." Carnivora. Web. 20 May 2011.
Hampton, Bruce. The Great American Wolf. New York: H.
Holt and, 1997. Print.
"Wolves of the World." Cosmosmith. Web. 26 May 2011.