gray wolves

Wolves


	The gray wolf has the shoulder height of 26 to 32 inches. On average, they are about 4 feet tall from (head to toe). Their body length may vary from 5 to 6 feet long from (nose to tail). Their color may range from gray, tan, brown, black and white. The approximate weight of a full grown wolf is 80 to 120 pounds. In captivity a gray wolf can live to be 8 to 12 years old.

The gray wolf is most common in areas with abundant prey. The species seems to prefer remote regions, yet its habitat is not restricted to forests and mountains, gray wolves do perfectly well in arid areas. These wild canines were once well distributed through the northern hemisphere, however, agriculture development and pursuit by man reduced the population of the gray wolf. Nowadays, the gray wolf is most likely to be seen in remote areas of Canada and Alaska. gray wolves also occur in Minnesota, Idaho, Michigan, Washington, DC, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, and some of other states. Generally, the population size in these areas differs greatly.


	Wolves are social animals. They lives in groups that are some times as large as 40 or as small as 3 to 4 members. The average is about 10 individuals. The number usually depends on the type of hunting available; in regions where there are plenty of large herbivores, pack are larger in numbers. The average number of wolves in a pack is 15 to 20.

The Gray Wolf mainly preys on large hoofed mammals (known as ungulates) such as deer, elk, moose, caribou, bison, big horn sheep and musk oxen. They also eat smaller pray such as snow shoe hare, beaver, rabbits, opossum and rodents. Although some wolves occasionally prey on live stock, wild prey are by far their preferred food source. The Gray Wolf have several different methods of hunting, depending on the size of their prey. For little tidbits such as mice, an individual wolf will listen for the squeaking and rustling under the leaves and then pounce with her paws, when she pinpoints the direction of the sound. They will also eat birds, especially when the birds are molting their feathers and can not fly well. Individual wolves will also chase hares of follow beaver trails to try to catch the animal away from the water. When hunting deer, pack members frequently all participate in the locating and stalking of prey. After that, anywhere from one to all of the wolves will engage in the chase. Larger prey animals, such as moose caribou and elk don’t always run when they encounter a pack of wolves. If the prey animals stand its ground, the wolves will often approach cautiously of abandon their pursuit after a few moments. When a prey animal does get free, the pack of wolves will chase them. Most healthy ungulates are fast enough to out run a pack of wolves. In fact fewer than one out of them attempts to chase. If the chosen prey is injured, weak or old, however the wolves can usually catch up with them and attack. Contrary too many popular account, wolves rarely, if ever, engage in “mastering” or biting the tendons on the back of the leg. The practice is simply too dangerous for the wolf because the risk of getting kicked in the face by the animals sharp hoof is too great. Wolves tend to concentrate on the neck, shoulders and the sides instead.

      Gray wolf body language tells animals and people what their moods are, here are some of them.
        Anger-An angry wolf's ears are erect, and its fur bristle. The lips may curl up or pull back, and the incision are displayed. The wolf may also arch its back, lash out or snarl.
         Fear-A frightened wolf tries to make itself look small and therefore less conspicuous. The ears flatten down against the head and the tail may be tucked between the legs, as with a submissive wolf. There may also be whimpering or barking of fear, and the wolf may arch its back.
       Relaxation-A relaxed wolf's tail points straight down and the wolf may rest sphinx-like or on its side. The wolf may also wag its tail. The further down the tail droops, the more relaxed the wolf is.
       Happiness-As dogs do, a wolf may wag its tail if it is in a joyful mood. The tongue may hang out of its mouth too,
        Playfulness-A playful wolf holds its towel high and wags it. The wolf may frolic and dance around, or bow down by placing the front of the body down to the ground, while holding the rear high, sometimes wagged. This is reminiscent of the playful manner demonstrated by the domestic dog.