Grey Wolf ( Canis lupus )
Grey Wolf - Grey Wolf information - Grey Wolf facts, pictures, photos
Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus) belongs to the class of mammals, in the order Carnivora. It belongs to predators and has common ancestors with dogs. They live in different habitats – temperate forests, mountains, tundra, taiga, and grasslands; in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Wolves have narrow chests, powerful backs and legs contributing to their proficiency for efficient locomotion. Their paws adapt easily to any terrain, especially snow. The front paws are large than hind ones and have a fifth digit. Their height varies from 0.6 to 0.9 meters at the shoulder and they weigh from 25 to 65 kg. However, a wolf sometimes seems more massive that it really is due to its bulky coat which is made of two layers. Moreover, it has distinct winter and summer pelages that alternate in spring and autumn. Coloration varies from grey to grey-brown, all the way through the canine spectrum of white, red, brown, and black. Sometimes, all the population is one-coloured, mostly white or black.
Wolf leaves its pack just when it reaches sexual maternity and then makes its own pack. There is usually just one litter (of dominant female) in the pack between January and April. Gestation period take 60 to 63 days and pups are born deaf and blind. There are usually 4 to 6 pups in one litter and they stay in den for 8 weeks.
The pack is strongly hierarchically organized. It cooperatively hunts any large herbivores in their range, whereas lone wolves are limited to consuming smaller animals due to their relative inability to catch anything larger.
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