This material was given to yours truley sometime ago, by an unkwown author. And although some of the material is no longer as true as the day it was written, much of
the material is still true. That being the case, I decided to place it on my site for others to enjoy and learn from. ~~HowlingWolf~~
Possibly no animal has been so misunderstood, feared, hated, and perseucted throughout history as the wolf. The gray wolf, also called the timber wolf, it is the largest of about 41 wild species within the dog family, Canidae, of the order Carnivora. With the exception of the red wolf of southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana, all living wolves are considered a single species, Canis Lupus. The red wolf, Canis rufus, is similar to but smaller than the gray wolf and is intermediate in many characteristics between gray wolves and coyotes; indeed it has been suggested that the red wolf originated as a fertile cross between gray wolves and coyotes. Recognized subspecies of the gray wolf number 24 from New World and 8 from the Old World, but most contemporary taxonomists believe that this number is excessive.
The size of wolves varies with geographic locality. Adults range from about 127 to 164 cm ( 5 to 6.5 ft ) from nose to tip of tail, from 65 to 90 cm (26 to 36 in) high at the shoulders, and from 18 to 80 kg (40 to 175 lbs) in weight. The red wolf is at the lower end of this range, seldom exceeding 30kg (66 lbs) in weight. Coat colors vary from pure white, which is momst common in the far north, through mottled gray to brown or black. Grizzled gray is the most common color. The red wolf is most often a reddish tan, but other colors occur frequently, including grayish brown and nearly solid black. Wolves are distinguished from all breeds of dogs by characteristics of the skull, particularly the orbital angle, which is the angle formed between lines drawn across the top of the skull and the side of the skull at the eye socket. This angle is larger (53 deg. or more) in dogs, and smaller (45 deg. or less) in wolves.
Wolves can live in a variety of habitats, ranging from arctic tundra to forest and prairie, if suitable prey is present. They are absent from deserts and the hightest mountains. At one time the wolf occurred throughout most of the Notheren Hemisphere north of 20 deg. north latitude, or approximately from the Arctic to south central Mexico. Attempts to exterminate the animals have reduced this range considerably. In the Old World wolves still exist in the Soviet Union, China, Northern India, Eastern Europe, very small numbers in Western Europe and, Scandinavia. Most New World wolf populations are in Canada and Alaska, where they appear relatively stable. A small population exists in Mexico. Of the 48 contiguous states only Minnesota currently has a wolf population large enough to maintain itself. The U.S. government reports that a few wolves live on Isle Royale in Lake Superior and in Michigan, Montana, and Wisconsin; scattered wolves have been sighted elsewhere. Governement plans to reintroduce wolves into what was once their native habitat.
The basic social unit of wolf populations is the pack, which is usually consists of a mature male and female plus offspring one or more years of age. Pack size can reach as high as 36, but usually 2 to 8 individuals are present. Each pack ranges over its own area of land, or territory -- which may vary from 130 to 13,000 sq. km (50 to 5,000 sq. mi.) and will defend all or much of this area against intruders. Members from strong social bonds that promote internal cohesion. Order is maintained by a dominance hierarchy. The pack leader, usually a male, id referred to by behaviorists as the alpha male. The top-ranking (alpha) female usually is subordinate to the alpha male but dominant over all other pack members. When two wolves meet, each shows its relationship to the other by indicating dominance or submission through facial expression and posture. Additional modes of wolf communication are HOWLING and other vocalizations and scent marking. One function of howling is to communicate position or assemble the pack; advertisement or territory to neighbors is probably another. Scent marking involves deposition of urine or feces on conspicuous objects along travel routes, usually by dominant wolves. This behavior appears to function in territory maintenance and in intrapack communication. During the course of each year wolf packs alternate between a stationary phase from spring through summer and a nomadic phase in autumn and winter. Activities during the stationary phase involve caring for pups, and adults often travel and hunt alone. By autumn pups are capable of traveling extensively with the adults, so until the next whelping season the pack usually roams as a unit throughout its territory in search of prey. In tundra areas wolf packs follow herds of caribou in their annual mgrations.
Usually only the highest ranking male and female in a pack will breed. The bredding season can vary from January in low latitudes to April in high latitudes. Pups are born about 63 days after breeding; an average litter is 6 pups. By the third week the deciduous, or baby, teeth appear. The mother wolf stays close to her young for the first 2 months while other pack members bring food. Pups are weaned at about the fifth week. After several weeks at the den, pups are moved to their first ground nest of homesite. Movement to new homesites becomes more fequent as the pups mature. Pups grow rapidly and approaach adult size by autumn or early winter. Sexual maturity usually is attained at 2 years. In large packs, however, it is doubtful that many wolves breed at that age. Some wolves leave their packs to become lone wolves. Loners may start their own packs if a mate and a vacant area can be found. The major prey of wolves are large hoofed mammals, including deer, moose, elk, caribou, musk-oxen, and mountain sheep. Beaver is eaten when available. In summer a variety of smaller foods, such as small rodents and berries, supplement the diet. Animals killed are usually young, old, or otherwise weaker members of their populations because they are easiest to capture. Most pursuits of prey range in length from 100 m (110 yards) to 5 km (3.1 miles). Healthy wolves rarely, if ever, attack humans. Mortality factors affecting wolves include persecution by humans, killing by other wolves, diseases, parasites, starvation, and injuries by prey. Probably few wolves live more then 10 years in the wild.
Although the wolf is still cast as a blood-thirty villian in folklore and children's stories, the public's image of wolves finally is improving; interest in the preservation of wolves if growing. Several scientific studies have disclosed the wolf's role in natural ecosystems and have done away with some of the misconceptions that have surrounded this colorful and complex animal for centuries.