Gray wolf - Wikipedia. This article is about the wild subspecies of Canis lupus collectively known as the gray wolf. For the domesticated subspecies of Canis lupus, see Dog. For the wild dog, see Dingo. The gray wolf or grey wolf (Canis lupus. It is the largest extant member of its family, with males averaging 4. It is the only species of Canis to have a range encompassing both the Old and New Worlds. It feeds primarily on large ungulates, though it also eats smaller animals, livestock, carrion, and garbage. Non- rabid wolves have attacked and killed people, mainly children, but this is rare, as wolves are relatively few, live away from people, and have developed a fear of humans from hunters and shepherds. The Latinlupus is a Sabineloanword. The thirty- seven subspecies of Canis lupus are listed in Mammal Species of the World third edition that was published in 2. Ecological factors including habitat type, climate, prey specialization and predatory competition will greatly influence the wolf's genetic population structure and cranio- dental plasticity. ![]() Wolves went through a population bottleneck 2. YBP), which indicates that many wolf populations had gone extinct at a time that coincided with the Last Glacial Maximum and the expansion of modern humans worldwide with their technology for capturing large game. The domestic dog is the most widely abundant large carnivore and a descendant from one of those now- extinct wolf populations. Population structure. ![]() ![]() Scouting Badges and Pins Now you can work on scouting achievements such as merit badges, pins or belt loops during your visit to the International Wolf Center. Watch TV series online for free, Full streaming episodes in HD quality.
In 2. 01. 3, a genetic study found that the wolf population in Europe was divided along a north- south axis and formed five major clusters. Three clusters were identified occupying southern and central Europe in Italy, the Carpathians, and the Dinaric- Balkans. Another two clusters were identified occupying north- central Europe and the Ukrainian steppe. The Italian wolf consisted of an isolated population with low genetic diversity. Wolves from Croatia, Bulgaria, and Greece formed the Dinaric- Balkans cluster. Wolves from Finland, Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Russia formed the north- central Europe cluster with wolves from the Carpathians cluster a mixture of wolves from the north- central cluster and the Dinaric- Balkans cluster. The wolves from the Carpathians were more similar to the wolves from the Ukrainian Steppe than they were to wolves from north- central Europe. These clusters may have been the result of expansion from glacial refugia, an adaptation to local environments, and landscape fragmentation and the killing of wolves in some areas by humans. These six wolf ecotypes were named West Forest, Boreal Forest, Arctic, High Arctic, Baffin, and British Columbia. The studies found that precipitation and mean diurnal temperature range were the most influential variables. Gray wolf Y- chromosomes have also been found in Texan coyote haplotypes. At six months of age, the hybrids were closely monitored and were shown to display both physical and behavioral characteristics from both species. This gait can be maintained for hours at a rate of 8. On bare paths, a wolf can quickly achieve speeds of 5. The gray wolf has a running gait of 5. This force is sufficient to break open most bones. Especially long hairs are on the shoulders, and almost form a crest on the upper part of the neck. The hairs on the cheeks are elongated and form tufts. The ears are covered in short hairs, which strongly project from the fur. Short, elastic and closely adjacent hairs are present on the limbs from the elbows down to the calcaneal tendons. Wolf fur provides better insulation than dog fur, and does not collect ice when warm breath is condensed against it. Older wolves generally have more white hairs in the tip of the tail, along the nose and on the forehead. The winter fur is retained longest in lactating females, though with some hair loss around their nipples. Hair length of the guard hairs on the shoulders generally does not exceed 9. In the rare cases where other wolves are adopted, the adoptee is almost invariably an immature animal (1. In some cases, a lone wolf is adopted into a pack to replace a deceased breeder. Territory size depends largely on the amount of prey available and the age of the pack's pups, tending to increase in size in areas with low prey populations. The core of their territory is on average 3. Scent marking is used for territorial advertisement, and involves urination, defecation and ground scratching. Such markers can last for 2. Upon the death of one mated wolf, pairs are quickly re- established. Since males often predominate in any given wolf population, unpaired females are a rarity. Such gray wolves are termed . Some gray wolf packs may have multiple breeding females this way, as is the case in Yellowstone National Park. This might take place if the original parents die or are for some reason separated from them. This is further demonstrated by the fact that captive wolves have been known to breed as soon as they reach 9. Females are capable of producing pups every year, with one litter annually being the average. Unlike the coyote, the gray wolf never reaches reproductive senescence. The gestation period lasts 6. The milk canines erupt after one month. Pups first leave the den after 3 weeks. At 1. 5 months of age, they are agile enough to flee from danger. Mother wolves do not leave the den for the first few weeks, relying on the fathers to provide food for them and their young. Pups begin to eat solid food at the age of 3. Pups have a fast growth rate during their first four months of life: during this period, a pup's weight can increase nearly 3. Actual fights to establish hierarchy usually occur at 5. This is in contrast to young foxes and coyotes, which may begin fighting even before the onset of play behavior. The gray wolf generally places its hind paws in the tracks made by the front paws. Because of this, it rarely manages to capture hidden hares or birds, though it can easily follow fresh tracks. Its auditory perception is acute enough to be able to hear up to a frequency of 2. Hz. Wolves typically locate their prey by scent, though they must usually be directly downwind of it. When a breeze carrying the prey's scent is located, the wolves stand alert, and point their eyes, ears and nose towards their target. In open areas, wolves may precede the hunt with group ceremonies involving standing nose- to- nose and wagging their tails. Once concluded, the wolves head towards their prey. Large prey, such as moose, elk, and muskoxen, usually stand their ground. Should this occur, the wolves hold back, as they require the stimulus of a running animal to proceed with an attack. This is the most critical stage of the hunt, as wolves may never catch up with prey running at top speed. Wolves usually give up chases after 1. With large prey, mature wolves usually avoid attacking frontally, instead focusing on the rear and sides of the animal. Large prey, such as moose, is killed by biting large chunks of flesh from the soft perineum area, causing massive blood loss. Such bites can cause wounds 1. With small, mouse- like prey, wolves leap in a high arc and immobilize it with their forepaws. Such instances are common in domestic animals, but rare in the wild. In the wild, surplus killing primarily occurs during late winter or spring, when snow is unusually deep (thus impeding the movements of prey). When food is scarce, this is done at the expense of other family members, especially non- pups. Once the breeding pair has finished eating, the rest of the family tears off pieces of the carcass and transport them to secluded areas where they can eat in peace. Wolves typically commence feeding by consuming the larger internal organs of their prey, such as the heart, liver, lungs and stomach lining. The kidneys and spleen are eaten once they are exposed, followed by the muscles. While less gregarious canids generally possess simple repertoires of visual signals, wolves have more varied signals that subtly inter grade in intensity. Passive submission usually occurs as a reaction to the approach of a dominant animal, and consists of the submissive wolf lying partly on its back and allowing the dominant wolf to sniff its anogenital area. Active submission occurs often as a form of greeting, and involves the submissive wolf approaching another in a low posture, and licking the other wolf's face. The mouthing of each other's muzzles is a friendly gesture, while clamping on the muzzle with bared teeth is a dominance display. In 2. 01. 4, a study compared the facial color pattern across 2. The results suggested that the facial color pattern of canid species is related to their gaze communication, and that especially gray wolves use the gaze signal in conspecific communication. Bottom to top: increasing fear (ears back); left to right: increasing aggression (snarl); top right: maximum of both. Expressive characteristics of visual featuresused during social interactions in wolves. Pups almost never howl, while yearling wolves produce howls ending in a series of dog- like yelps. The pitch usually remains constant or varies smoothly, and may change direction as many as four or five times. When pursuing prey, they emit a higher pitched howl, vibrating on two notes. When closing in on their prey, they emit a combination of a short bark and a howl. The two are however mutually intelligible, as North American wolves have been recorded to respond to European- style howls made by biologists. Wolves do not bark as loudly or continuously as dogs do, but bark a few times and retreat from perceived danger. Pups commonly growl when playing. One variation of the howl is accompanied by a high pitched whine, which precedes a lunging attack. The wolf has a large number of apocrine sweat glands on the face, lips, back, and between the toes. The odor produced by these glands varies according to the individual wolf's microflora and diet, giving each a distinct .
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