![]() Although the fear of wolves exists in many human societies, the majority of recorded attacks on people have been attributed to animals suffering from rabies. Wolves have a long history of interactions with humans, having been despised and hunted in most pastoral communities because of their attacks on livestock, while conversely being respected in some agrarian and hunter-gatherer societies. The global wild wolf population was estimated to be 300,000 in 2003 and is considered to be of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). ![]() ![]() Pathogens and parasites, notably the rabies virus, may infect wolves. Single wolves or mated pairs typically have higher success rates in hunting than do large packs. The wolf is mainly a carnivore and feeds on large wild hooved mammals as well as smaller animals, livestock, carrion, and garbage. Wolves are also territorial, and fights over territory are among the principal causes of mortality. Offspring may leave to form their own packs on the onset of sexual maturity and in response to competition for food within the pack. It travels in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair accompanied by their offspring. Of all members of the genus Canis, the wolf is most specialized for cooperative game hunting as demonstrated by its physical adaptations to tackling large prey, its more social nature, and its highly advanced expressive behaviour, including individual or group howling. The wolf's fur is usually mottled white, brown, gray, and black, although subspecies in the arctic region may be nearly all white. The wolf is nonetheless related closely enough to smaller Canis species, such as the coyote and the golden jackal, to produce fertile hybrids with them. The wolf is the largest extant member of the family Canidae, and is further distinguished from other Canis species by its less pointed ears and muzzle, as well as a shorter torso and a longer tail. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gray wolves, as popularly understood, only comprise naturally-occurring wild subspecies. The wolf ( Canis lupus pl.: wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. Though extremely unusual, it is possible for an adult wolf to retain its blue-colored irises.Īrctic Wolves have achieved life spans of over 18 years in captivity however, in the wild, the average life span is only 7 – 10 years.Global wolf range based on IUCN's 2018 assessment. The wolf pups stay with their mother for 2 years.Īt birth, wolf pups tend to have darker fur and their eyes have blue irises that will change to a yellow-gold or orange color when the pups are between 8 and 16 weeks old. Female Arctic wolves have a gestation period of about 63 days. It is generally thought that the lower number of pups compared to the average of 4 to 5 among Grey Wolves is due to the lack of prey in the Arctic. The mother gives birth to 2 or 3 pups in late May to early June, about a month later than Grey Wolves. Due to the Arctics permafrost soil and the difficulty it poses for digging dens, Arctic Wolves often use rock outcroppings, caves or even shallow depressions as dens instead. Normally, only the alpha male and female Arctic wolves breed, however, in large packs others may mate as well.
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