Wolf - description, habitat, lifestyle

The wolf is a typical representative of predatory mammals. Many are familiar with him from literature, and some have met live. But meeting with him does not bode well. The animal is not only widespread in nature, but also a frequent character in stories, films, both artistic and animated. It’s enough, for example, to recall Jack London and his story “White Wolves”. About the cartoon "Well, wait a minute" is no longer worth talking about. He is familiar to everyone since childhood.

The name of the animal in different nations sounds differently, but is characterized by pronounced consonance. In Bulgaria, for example, this predator is called “Vulk”, and in Ukraine “Vovk”. In Serbian, the name sounds like “Vuk”.

general description

For the most part, representatives of the wolf kingdom are medium or large. The largest species is considered to be related to gray and polar wolves. An adult at the withers can reach 85 cm. If you do not take into account the tail, then the body will be 1.5-1.6 meters in length. There is a rule that is deduced by Bergman. According to it, the size of the predator will be the larger, the more severe the environment in which it lives.

The mass of Siberian wolves can reach 90 kg. Such massiveness can impress anyone. The smallest sizes are wolves of Arabia. For example, the mass of females rarely exceeds 10 kg. No matter what species the wolf belongs to, the female is always smaller than the male.

By external signs, wolves have a pronounced resemblance to large dogs. The body is characterized by the presence of a pronounced muscle relief. As for the maned wolves, they have an external resemblance to foxes. The tail is quite pronounced in thickness and length. Wolves are characterized by massive head. The ears are pointed, set high, and the muzzle is elongated. The shape of the skull of a maned wolf is similar to a fox.

There are 42 teeth in the mouth of the predator. Fangs are very large and massive. With the help of teeth, a wolf not only tears prey into pieces, but also grinds bones. When the wolf grabs his prey, he holds it tightly with its fangs. Red wolves contain a dental formula in which molars are present in smaller numbers.

The wolf cubs, which were just born, have blue eyes. Three months later, an orange or golden yellow hue is already present in the iris. But the blue color of the eyes of individual representatives remains for life.

The body of the animal is covered with thick fur. The undercoat is two-layer in nature. Wool has a low thermal conductivity. This feature determines the circumstance in which wolves are able to survive in the most severe conditions.

The color of the animal is notable for its considerable variability. In it you can find almost all shades. There are absolutely white wolves. The nature has disposed so not casually. This allows the wolves to carry out a good disguise, merging with the surrounding landscape. Different shades indicate that each animal is characterized by its own individuality.

The predator has well developed sense of touch. Suffice it to say that he can smell the prey, which is located at a distance of 3 km from him. More than a million different shades of smell are available for its smell.This circumstance renders the animal a good service during the rutting season. A predator is able to mark territory.

It simply affects the voice range of the wolf. It is hard to say what he cannot portray in his voice. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon. But it is not so. By these actions they warn their relatives about their location, thereby driving away strangers. But a lone wolf howls very rarely, because it is afraid to attract trouble. Typically, this is observed in animals in the pack.

In animals, facial expressions are well developed. By showing teeth, they thereby express their various emotions. Some elements of behavior have a certain resemblance to a dog. If the animal raises its ears and tail, this indicates that for some reason it is alert.

On average, a wolf can live from 8 to 16 years. If in captivity an animal creates favorable conditions, then life can last up to 20 years.

Habitat

It so happened that the prevalence of wolves take second place after humans. They are common in many countries, including Russia. On the territory of our country, you can find 6 species of wolves, including the red and polar wolf.

The predator has adapted to existence on the territory of various natural zones. It can be found even in the tundra and desert. The habitat of wolves is characterized by pronounced territoriality. They are characterized by the presence of signs of a social orientation. They form groups (flocks), which include up to 40 individuals. Each flock has its own territory. Each group has its own leader, or rather a pair consisting of a male and a female. A strict hierarchy is respected among the pack. But during the rut period, one can observe the collapse of the flock, since the wolves form a pair at this time.

Wolves themselves do not dig holes. They prefer to occupy someone else’s home, for example, the badger’s hole.

Wolf nutrition

The wolf is an animal that is distinguished by endurance and speed. In pursuit of prey, he, without getting tired, is able to overcome considerable distances. The diet is predominantly animal food. If the prey is insignificant in size, then hunting alone is quite possible. But to cope, for example, with a reindeer alone, a wolf can not do it. Here, of course, the help of the whole flock will be required. In most cases, the wolf attacks the prey if it is young or sick.

It uses both small animals (hare, ground squirrel, beaver, other species) and large representatives (deer, saiga, bison). If for some reason the main food is unavailable, the wolf can use small amphibians (frog). In the warm season, mushrooms and berries may be present in the animal's diet.

In some cases, the wolf can even attack a bear that is in hibernation or is weakened by a disease or wound. If successful, the animal can absorb up to 14 kg of meat at a time. If the polar wolf is very hungry, it can swallow the whole hare along with the bones.

Wolves have one feature. They return to the corpse of the animal in order to eat all that is left of it. In addition, stocks of meat are made for future use.

Steppe wolves can quench their thirst by raiding watermelon and melon fields.

Some types of wolves

I must say that there are a fairly large number of species of wolves. Separately, it is necessary to dwell only on some species.

1. Red Wolf. It is a fairly large predator. In his appearance, in addition to wolf external data, the features of a jackal and a fox were reflected. The mass of the animal can reach 21 kg, and growth - up to 1.1 meters. Compared to other wolves, the tail of this species is fluffier and more voluminous. The end of the tail is always dark. The color of the red wolf is dominated by red shades. The species includes 10 subspecies, has the smallest number of teeth in comparison with other representatives. It has a fairly wide geographical distribution in nature, most often it can be found in the Himalayas.Some territories are not numerous in this representative. This is due to the fact that its population decreased sharply, and therefore it was taken under protection.
2. The wolf is maned. He is a unique representative of this family. On the nape, there is wool, the length of which can reach 13 cm. The presence of wool determines the formation of a real mane. The weight of the animal can reach 23 kg. The body length of a maned wolf can be 1.3 meters. The elongated muzzle introduces obvious imbalances in the structure of the body. The color is reddish-yellow, but a dark strip runs along the spine along its entire length. This species lives exclusively on the plain territory. The body has extremely long limbs. In food uses various rodents, amphibians, insects, armadillos. Of plants, they prefer to eat nightshade. In this way, they get rid of nematodes.
3. Eastern wolf. Until now, this species has not taken a specific place in the classification. Some consider it a hybrid of the gray wolf, while others consider it as an independent unit. With a growth of 89 cm, the mass reaches 30 kg. This applies to males. Females have somewhat more modest sizes. In the color of the fur there are tan shades. Dark hair is located on the back. Mostly they are characterized by animal food.
4. Common Wolf (gray). He is one of the largest predators of this family. The individual grows to 86 cm. Individual specimens grow to 90 cm. Body weight is notable for considerable variability, but usually does not exceed 60 kg. The tail of a predator can grow to more than half a meter. Color is characterized by variability and depends on the habitat. In the forests you can usually find representatives with a gray-brown color, and in the tundra - white wolves. But the undercoat is always gray. For food such wolves usually use ungulates. This includes deer, elk, wild boar, and other representatives of the fauna. Smaller animals, like a hare, also go to food. Do not mind such a wolf feast on and rodents. There are frequent cases when gray wolves attack pets. When the time comes for harvest, predators occupy the fields on which gourds grow. With watermelon and melon they quench their thirst. In our country, gray wolves are ubiquitous.
5. A red look. Previously, it was considered an independent nosological unit. But with the advent of the possibility of DNA analysis, it was found that such wolves are hybrids of the gray wolf and coyote. The weight of a seasoned wolf can reach 41 kg. In length, representatives of this species can grow up to 1 meta 30 centimeters. The body has a more harmonious character than other types of wolves. Very long legs are present. The diet consists mainly of rodents and small animals. Such wolves rarely attack a large beast. A minor role in the diet is played by mushrooms and berries. Can eat carrion. In the last century, this species was completely exterminated. Only in captivity remained 14 copies. All activities aimed at restoring the population are carried out.
6. Wolf tundra. This subspecies is the least studied. In appearance, there is a great resemblance to the polar wolf, but representatives of this subspecies differ in more modest sizes. Body weight can reach 49 kg. Mostly individuals with a gray-white color are found, although pure white wolves are also found. The animal has very large teeth. This subspecies is distributed practically throughout the tundra.
7. Wolf steppe. Such animals are small in size. This subspecies has been little studied in comparison with other analogues. It lives in the Kazakh steppes and in the southern territories of our country.
8. Eurasian Wolf. In appearance, it is similar to North American subspecies, but differs in more dense and shorter fur. A mature male can reach a weight of 73 kg with a height of 76 cm.Monophonic color is mainly characteristic and includes the most various shades. In his diet he uses mainly large prey and medium-sized animals. Under certain circumstances, it can use small rodents for food.
9. The polar wolf. Has a close relationship with the European wolf. The length of individual representatives can reach 1.5 meters, and the mass reaches 85 kg. The body is covered with light fur, which is quite dense in structure. This subspecies has a good adaptation to living in extreme conditions. It occurs throughout the Arctic. The duration of his life can reach up to 17 years.

Breeding

Sexual maturity in animals occurs in the second year of life (females). As for the males, the ability to fertilize them appears only by 3 years. Mating games include various courtship. This happens mutually. In the struggle for a new pair, males engage in fierce battles. Wolves leave the pack to mate. The female bears the fetus within 65 days. The number of puppies in the litter may be different, but always has an odd character. Usually the female brings 3-13 cubs. A newborn wolf cub is born completely blind. He begins to see only towards the end of the second week.

Those puppies that are weaker than the rest are rejected by the female herself. This is done so that the remaining cubs get more milk. Puppies use meat belching of their parents in the diet. It includes incompletely digested meat. A little matured, the wolf cubs begin to feed on the prey brought by the wolves. All members of the pack take part in feeding the puppies. Closer to autumn, the wolf cubs themselves already take part in the hunt.

Natural enemies

It is easy to guess that man is the main enemy of wolves. People at all times mercilessly shot them. In addition, traps are commonly placed on them. Naturally, this negatively affects the population.

Recently, the fashion has gone for home keeping wolves. The training of a wolf is easy, but it will only execute commands if it is interesting to him. Anyone who decides to have a wolf in their home should always remember that this is an extremely unsafe event. A wolf is not a dog and must be treated with extreme caution. Particular care must be taken if there are children in the house.

Video: Wolf (Canis lupus)