Wolves WSW

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TASK LEARNING OBJECTIVE
“Gray Wolves”
Learn basic knowledge
about Gray Wolves; their
evolution, physical
characteristics, behavior,
ecology, range and
conservation, and their
relationship to humans
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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Wolves
“I woke up one morning thinking about wolves and realized
that wolf packs function as families. Everyone has a role, and
if you act within the parameters of your role, the whole pack
succeeds, and when that falls apart, so does the pack.”
- Jodi Picoult

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Wolves
 Feliforms and caniforms emerged within the super-family
Carnivoramorpha 43 million YBP.
 The caniforms included the fox-like Leptocon genus whose
various species existed from 34 million YBP before branching 11.9
million YBP into vulpes (foxes) and canini (canines). The Eucyon
genus diverged 6.2 million YBP towards Canis ferox, which
diverged 5 million YBP towards Canis lepophagus, which diverged
3.5 million YBP towards the wolf-like canids
 If the geological record is correct, the first Canis Lupus emerged about
800,000 YBP, with the wolves most similar to modern species being
present in Siberia and Alaska.
 A split occurred between a common ancestor, forming the ancestral
taymyr wolf, gray wolf, and domestic dog lines about 40,000 YBP
 Modern dogs differ from gray wolves by only about .02% of the
maternal mitochondrial cytochrome B marker
 Domestic dogs were re-classified as canis lupus familiaris in 1993

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Wolf-Dog Hybridization
 Wolves and Dogs are close genetically and share ranges in the wild, and can,
but do not voluntarily cross breed in nature.
 All known offspring of wolves and dogs are known the be viable and able
to reproduce.
 Conservation groups have raised concerns about maintenance of genetic
purity of the Gray Wolf line due to cross-breeding, but it has been noted that
mating seasons do not coincide between dogs and wolves, and the number of
offspring is relatively low.
 Cross breeding in the US has been a marked problem, with over 300,000
known dog-wolf hybrids
 The Gray Wolf has interbred with the Eastern wolf extensively around the great
lakes area, creating a hybrid known as the Great Lakes Boreal wolf, which is
larger and can have multiple fur colors. The Boreal wolf specializes in taking
down larger prey such as Moose and Caribou, as opposed to White Tail Deer.
 The Gray Wolf is not known to voluntarily cross breed with coyotes or jackals,
though there are some occurrences of cross breeding known.

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Wolf Anatomy
 The Gray Wolf is generally larger and heavier than it’s
cousins, the Coyote or Jackal, featuring a broader snout,
shorter torso, shorter ears and longer tail.
 The Gray Wolf has a descending ribcage, a sloped back
and a set of powerful muscles in it’s neck.
 The Gray Wolf has comparably larger legs than it’s wild
cousins, allowing it to run faster and move through large
snow drifts easily.
 Females tend to have smaller anatomical features than
males do.
 Gray Wolf teeth are built for crushing bone; their bite can
exert a measured 1,500 PSI, double that of a German
Shepard.
 Gray Wolves can leap 5 meters in a horizontal bound, run
50-70 mph, and can maintain rapid pursuit for about 20
minutes.

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Wolf Fur
 The Gray Wolf has dense and fluffy winter fur, with
short (down) underfur and long guard hairs.
 The longest fur occurs on the back, especially the
shoulders, almost forming a crest on the neck.
 The winter fur of a Gray Wolf is highly resistant to
cold, with wild wolves being able to rest
comfortably in -40 degree weather by tucking their
heads between their legs and covering their heads
with their tails.
 Wolf fur does not collect ice when warm air is
breathed upon it.
 Coat colors range from almost pure white to
shades of blonde and cream to grays, browns and
blacks.
 Most of the wolves in Yellowstone are black.

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Social and Territorial Behaviors
 The Gray Wolf is a social animal, with the basic
unit being a mated pair, followed by their offspring.
 The average pack consists of 5-11 animals (1-2
adults, 3-6 juveniles, 1-3 yearlings)
 Dispersion usually occurs with sexual maturity and
competition for food within the pack.
 Even after dispersion, offspring tend to stay
close to the ranges of their original packs
 Wolves rarely adopt other wolves into their packs,
instead killing them. The adoptions that do occur
are typically younger, 1-3 years old.
 The younger wolf is unlikely to compete for
breeding rights with the mated pair.
 Sometimes an older wolf is adopted to replace
an ailing breeder.

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Ranges
 The ranges of Gray Wolf populations can vary widely, and usually depend on the amount of prey animals present.
 The smallest range on record was about 13 square miles, and the largest was 2,422 square miles.
 The ranges are typically larger than required, to ensure a steady supply of food animals.
 Prey animal populations tend to be larger on the fringes of a range; packs avoid hunting on the fringes or outside of
their ranges due to possible deadly encounters with neighboring packs.
 Wolves defends their territory through scent marking (urination, defecation, ground scratching), and howling.
 Scent markers are generally left every 240 meters, and are placed near trees, rocks, and skeletons of large
animals.

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Mating
 The Gray Wolf is generally monogamous, with mated pairs
remaining together for life.
 Males are predominant in any wolf population; unpaired
females are a rarity.
 If a dispersing male is unable to find a mate and/or establish
a territory, he’ll typically mate with the daughters of mated
pairs.
 This male is known as a Casanova; he does not forma
pair bond with his mate.
 Wolves can and do adopt pups of other mated pairs who may have died, for example.
 Heterosexuality is the norm, but homosexuality has been observed, for example, when the female of the pack goes
into heat. Non breeding males will mount each other.
 Mating ages generally are determined by environmental factors; when food is plentiful, wolves can breed as young as
9-10 months to take advantage of the availability of food.
 Females usually reproduce annually, with a litter of 5-6 pups being produced in a den in the middle of the territory.

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Wolf Pups
 Wolves bear relatively large pups in smaller litters
than their relatives.
 The largest litters occur where food is plentify, with
sometimes between 14-17 pups.
 Pups are usually born in spring, coinciding with
increased prey populations.
 Pups are born deaf and blind, only beginning to
see after 9-10 days.
 Pups can put on 30 times their original weight
within the first four months of life.
 Wolf pups begin to spar around 3 weeks, but are inhibited in their bites
 Actual fighting for dominance in the pack hierarchy begins around 5-8 weeks.
 By the fall, the wolves are large enough to join the adults in hunting.

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Hunting Behaviors
 Single or mated pairs of wolves typically have higher success rates
at hunting than large packs.
 Wolves have a comparatively weaker sense of smell, detecting
carrion only about 2-3 km upwind.
 Wolves easily follow fresh tracks.
 Wolves have a highly developed sense of hearing, able to register
the fall of leaves in Autumn.
 Gray Wolf hunts can be divided into five stages:
 Prey Location -
 The Stalk
 The Encounter
 The Rush
 The Chase

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Hunting Stages
 Prey Location: Wolf range through their territories, finding prey through scent, tracking, and random
encounters. When a breeze is located that carries a prey animal’s scent, the wolf stands upright and alert,
and point their eyes, nose and ears toward the target. In some open areas, wolf packs may precede the
hunt with a pre-hunt ceremony, rubbing noses and wagging their tails before going after the prey.
 The Stalk: Wolves will close with their prey, attempting to conceal themselves as much as possible,
getting as close as possible without forcing their prey to flee.
 The Encounter: Prey animals have three choices when they are aware of the wolves. They can approach
(attack), stand their ground, or flee. Larger animals tend to stand their ground; in this case, wolves will
attempt to coax the animal into running away. Wolves require their prey animals to run in order to proceed
with an attack.
 The Rush: This is the most critical stage of the hunt; wolves have to catch a prey animal running at top
speed. In large groups of prey, packs will work to separate weaker or slower animals from the group.
 The Chase: Larger animals will be allowed to run, tiring them out. Smaller animals usually are caught
quickly. Wolves usually give up after 1-2 kilometers.

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The Kill
 Gray wolves have differing methods of killing prey depending
on the prey size.
 Large animals: Wolves avoid frontal attacks due to the
potential for danger. Generally, they will bite large
chunks of flesh from the perineum area, causing
massive blood loss.
 Medium animals: Wolves will chase and attack the
throats of medium animals, clamping down to sever
arteries and choke a victim to death quickly.
 The mating pair will eat first typically, though they may rest
and let the rest of the family eat.
 Wolves tear chunks of flesh, retreating to an area where they
can eat in peace.
 A typical wolf can eat 15-19% of it’s body weight in a single
feeding.

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Communication – Visual
 Gray wolf expressive behavior is more complex than it’s relatives,
mainly because of it’s complex group living and hunting habits.
 When neutral, the animal’s legs are not stiffened, the tail hangs down,
the lips are untensed, the face is smooth, and the ears point in no
particular direction.
 Aggressive or self-assertive wolves are characterized by their slow,
deliberate movements, high body posture and raised hackles, while
submissive ones sleeken their fur, and carry their bodies low, and
lower their tails and ears.
 There are two types of submission – active and passive.
 Passive submission occurs typically as a reaction to the passing
of a dominant animal, in the form of the passive animal lying on
it’s back and allowing the dominant to sniff it’s anogenital area.
 Active submission includes acts like the passive animal
approaching and licking the face of the dominant.

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Communication - Visual

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Communication - Aural
 Gray Wolves howl to assemble the pack prior to and after
hunts, pass on alarms (particularly at den sites), locate each
other after storms, and to communicate across distances.
 Wolf howls, under the right conditions, can be heard up to 50
km away.
 Other Wolf noises can be subdivided into three categories.
 Growls: Usually emitted during food challenges.
 Barks: Usually emitted by a wolf who is startled; wolves do
not bark as continuously or loudly as dogs, and typically
bark a few times, then run from danger.
 Whines: Usually emitted for anxiety, inquiry, curiosity and
intimacy, such as when playing with pups.

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Communication - Olfactory
 Smell is one of the wolf’s most acute senses, and plays a
critical role in communication.
 The apocrine sweat glands (face, lips, back and between the
toes) of a Gray Wolf produce unique scents based on the the
diet of the wolf. Each wolf has a distinct “odor fingerprint”
 Apocrine and Eccrine sweat glands on the feet allow wolves
to deposit their scents by scratching at the ground.
 The preuptual glands around the genetalia present scents
that mark hormonal condition and social position.
 Wolves mark with urine more frequently in areas of intrustion
to their territory, unfamiliar areas, or where the scent of other
wolves or canids is present.

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Habitat
 Gray Wolves are environmental generalists, and can survive and
thrive in a variety of environments, including deserts, grasslands,
forests, and arctic tundras.
 In cold climates, the wolf reduced the blood flood near the skin to
reduce heat loss, and the pads of it’s feet are kept just above the
freezing point.
 Gray wolves prefer cover to rest under during cold, damp and windy
weather.
 Den construction makes use of natual cover, such as rocks, cliff
overhangs and natural holes covered with thick vegetation.
 Some dens are simply appropriated from smaller animals, then
widened. Only rarely will a wolf mother dig it’s own den.
 Dens are no more than 500m from a water source.
 The scent of urine and carrion usually attracts scavenger birds
such as magpies and ravens.

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Diet
 North American Gray wolves prefer animals such as deer,
moose, elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, bison, muskox and
caribou.
 Cases of wolves surviving on livestock and garbage are
relatively rare in America, but common in Europe due to
population density and lack of habitat.
 Wolves typically will survive on large prey animals, but are not
fussy eaters. They will eat many other animals including
marmots, badgers, foxes, ground squrrels, water fowl, and even
reptiles.
 Cannibalism is uncommon but not unheard of. In harsh
conditions, weak pack members may be killed and eaten.
 Wolves do supplement their diet with fruit and vegetable matter
such as berries, nightshade and pears.

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Enemies and Competitors
 Gray Wolves typically dominate in areas where other canids occur.
 Killings of competitor canids, specifically coyotes in North America, are
common. Wolves will kill coyotes attempting to feed on their prey
carcasses, and will attack coyote dens, digging out and killing their pups,
but rarely eating them.
 Coyotes will chase wolves if they outnumber the wolves.
 Gray Wolves are the most important predator of raccoon dogs, killing large
numbers of them during spring and summer months.
 Brown bears typically dominate wolf packs over carcasses, while wolves
are usually successful at defending their dens from the bears.
 Black bears are not as common of encounter for wolves, but are
sometimes hunted and killed by wolves, and often lose rights to a carcass.
 Wolves and cougars do not typically interact due to hunting in different
ranges and elevations. When interactions occurs (such as cold forcing
prey to lower elevations), wolves usually dominate and steal kills from
cougars.

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Range and Conservation
 Gray Wolves were once one of the world’s most widely distributed animals, living throughout the Northern
hemisphere above the 15°N Latitude.
 Human persecution has reduced the normal range to about one-third, due to predation and fear of attacks.
 The species is now extinct in western Europe, Mexico and much of the United States. Populations occur
mostly in remote wilderness areas, particularly in Canada, the northern US, and Alaska, but also eastern
Europe and Asia.
 Despite concern for livestock and potential for attacks (low), legal protections, changes in land use and the
shift of the human populace to cities has allowed for stabilization of the wolf population.

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FIN
QUESTIONS?

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References
 No Author Found (2015), Gray Wolf, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf

Wolves WSW

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