- Gray wolf territories in the lower 48 states may be less than 100 square miles while territories in Alaska and Canada can range from about 300 to 1,000 square miles or more.
- The gray wolf, Canis lupus, lives in the northern latitudes around the world. There are even subspecies, or races, of the gray wolf in North America and seven to 12 in Eurasia. The currently recognized subspecies in North America are:
- Mexican wolf or lobo
- Great Plains or buffalo wolf
- Rocky Mountain or MacKenzie Valley wolf
- Eastern timber wolf. Some scientists maintain this wolf is a separate species, Canis lycaon
- The arctic wolf
- Red Wolf
- The coyote evolved separately from the wolf over 500,000 years ago
- The wolf has 42 teeth
- The wolf has extremely powerful jaws capable of generating 1,500 psi pressure
- The wolf has one of the widest ranges of size, shape and color of any mammal in North America
- Mating season for the wolf occurs in February and March
- Wolves have a vast communication repertoire including scent marks, vocalizations, visual displays, facial and body postures and rituals
- Wolves communicate with each other more by harmony and integration rather than by aggression and submission
- Wolves are territorial and defend their territory through vocalizations and scent marking
- If necessary wolves will attack other wolves and anything they see as a threat to protect their territory and pack
- The wolf is opportunistic and will attempt to catch the easiest and most vulnerable animal
- The wolf can kill healthy animals but naturally seeks out the sick, the weak, crippled, old and young animals
- The wolf primarily travels at a 5 mile per hour trot
- In chases, the wolf can achieve estimated speeds of between 28 and 40 miles per hour for up to 20 minutes
- Dominance in a wolf pack is not necessarily established by brawn or direct attack
- A wolf 'scent marks' its home range. This serves as messages, and provides warnings
- The hierarchy in a wolf pack neutralizes aggression, reduces conflict and promotes social order
- The "Alpha" wolf is the highest ranking individual within the dominance hierarchy
- The "beta" wolf is the second ranking individual within the dominance hierarchy
- The "omega" wolf is the lowest ranking individual within the dominance hierarchy
- Three (3) geographic races of the red wolf have been recognized; the Florida Red Wolf, The Mississippi Red Wolf and the Texas Red Wolf
- Wolves are often confused with Indian dogs, huskies, malemutes and German Shepherd Dogs
- The wolf is generally a docile animal with a strong aversion to fighting
- Submissive behavior plays a big role in maintaining peace within the pack
- A pack's home range will sometimes overlap the territory of another pack
- In addition to howling, wolves bark, yap, whine, and growl
- Although wolves are feared throughout much of the world, documented attacks on people are extremely rare
- The causes of wolf death are primarily lack of food and being killed by other wolves in conflict over food. This fact denies all credibility to perceiving wolves as wasteful gluttons, as they are often portrayed.
- There are an estimated 7,000 to 11,200 wolves in Alaska and more than 5,000 in the lower 48 states. Around the world there are an estimated 200,000 in 57 countries, compared to up to 2 million in earlier times.
- Wolves were once common throughout all of North America but were killed in most areas of the United States by the mid 1930s. Today their range has been reduced to Canada and the following portions of the United States: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Mexican wolves are found in New Mexico and Arizona.
- Thanks to the reintroduction of wolves in 1995, Yellowstone National Park is one of the most favored places to see and hear wolves in the native habitat.
- Fact: Black wolves don’t occur naturally.
- A 2008 study at Stanford University found that the mutation responsible for black fur occurs only in dogs; so black wolves are the result of gray wolves breeding back with domestic canines. The mutation is a dominant trait, like dark hair in humans, and is passed down to the majority of offspring. It is not entirely clear what benefit black fur has for the animals; they do not seem to be more successful hunters, but do show a marked improvement in immunity to certain infections. Black wolves are far more common in North America than they are in the rest of the world.
- Fact: A large percentage of coyotes are actually wolf hybrids
- In areas where wolves have been largely eliminated, coyotes have thrived. Over the last few years, large populations have moved east, into suburban areas and even major cities like New York and Chicago. Genetic testing on 100 coyotes caught in Maine revealed that 22 had some wolf ancestry. Coywolves are generally bigger than regular coyotes, but smaller than wolves, and are said to be extremely cunning. They exhibit a fearlessness of human civilization as seen in coyotes, but seem to maintain the wolf’s pack hunting instinct and high level of aggression.
- Fact: The heaviest wolves can approach 200lbs.
- Wolves increase exponentially in size the further they are from the equator. Wolves of the tropics are often no larger than medium sized dogs, but those of the far north (Alaska, Canada, and Russia) can be in excess of 120lbs. The largest wolf ever killed in North America was taken in Alaska in 1939 and tipped the scales at 175lbs. In the former Ukraine SSR, a still more massive wolf was killed that weighed 190lbs. There are unsubstantiated reports of 200lb+ specimens, presumably alpha males in areas that boast a steady food supply
- Fact: Rabid wolves are extremely dangerous
- Although wolves are not a major vector of rabies, they can catch it from other species such as raccoons and fox. Unlike some animals, which display lethargy and disorientation, wolves fly almost immediately into a rage when they contract the disease. A significant number of attacks on humans are tied directly to rabies. Such incidents have dropped off precipitously over the years, but a few still occur every year. Although there are obviously treatments available for people bitten by rabid animals, the wolf’s propensity is to bite near the head and neck, and oftentimes the virus reaches the brain before medical help can be sought
- Fact: Wolves in the Americas are less likely to attack humans than elsewhere in the world
- There are very few verifiable records of wolf attacks in the US and Canada, but in Europe and Asia, wolves are far nastier. Historical accounts indicate over 3,000 people killed in France between 1580-1830. In the Middle Ages throughout Europe, special structures were built along highways for travelers to take refuge from roving packs. The wolves of India and Russia are also particularly well known to claim human victims. During World War I, soldiers from the Allied and Central Forces were occasionally forced to join forces fighting off starving wolves attracted by the scent of blood on the battlefield
- Wolves find dogs delicious
- Although they are closely related (practically the same species) and can readily interbreed, many wolves consider dogs prey items. In a fight, the even large dogs are generally outmatched, as wolves of equal size have larger teeth and a more devastating bite. In Russia, where stray dogs have become a serious problem since the fall of the Soviet empire, they have become a staple in the diet of wolves. Often, a single wolf will solicit a dog to follow, and lead it into an ambush by the remainder of the pack. Only the largest and fiercest livestock guardians such as Caucasian Shepherds generally have a chance defending themselves
- Fact: The black plague put humans on the menu
- The Black Plague, which devastated Europe in the Middle Ages, may explain much of the strained dynamic between wolves and humans. With corpses stacking up way faster than they could be buried or burned, it was only natural that wolves would gather at the edges of cities to feast on the dead. In doing so, whole generations developed a taste for human flesh and likely began viewing us as prey items. No doubt horrified, the highly superstitious people began spinning tales, contributing to already prevalent beliefs of werewolves, vampires, and ghouls
- Smallpox brought to the Americas by European settlers had a devastating effect on the natives. Having had no contact with the disease in the past, their immune systems were defenseless, and of those who contracted it, 80 to 90 percent died. Swedish naturalist Peter Kalm, sent to America in 1748, records that in the period preceding the Revolutionary War smallpox was at a particularly devastating point along the east coast. Sensing an easy meal, wolves invaded the Indian villages, devouring the bodies and helpless sick. Although many Native Americans revered wolves, they also exhibited a healthy fear, especially in wooded areas, where one could encounter them unexpectedly and at close range
- The Vikings wore wolf skins and drank wolf blood to take on the wolf’s spirit in battle. They also viewed real wolves as battle companions or hrægifr (corpse trolls).
- Wolves do not make good guard dogs because they are naturally afraid of the unfamiliar and will hide from visitors rather than bark at them.
- A wolf pup’s eyes are blue at birth. Their eyes turn yellow by the time they are eight months old.
- A male and female that mate usually stay together for life. They are devoted parents and maintain sophisticated family ties.
- Wolves were once the most widely distributed land predator the world has ever seen. The only places they didn’t thrive were in the true desert and rainforests.
- Wolves can swim distances of up to 8 miles (13 kilometers) aided by small webs between their toes.
- Between 1883 and 1918, more than 80,00 wolves were killed in Montana for bounty.
