Wolf
Pictures

Wolf dogs are strong, highly intelligent, and independent creatures.

Grey wolf from the Wapiti Lake Pack getting ready to cross the road in Yellowstone National Park.

As the name suggests, Coastal Wolves are found along the coast and travel between islands via the water.

The Eastern Timber Wolf numbers are currently low, but they inhabit forests in Canada and North America.

This white and black wolf still has stable numbers in some areas of North America, though it remains under federal protection.

The Great Plains Wolf was declared extinct many years ago, but there are claims that some still roam the Great Lakes region.

With very few left in the wild, the Mexican Grey Wolf is protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Wolves are apex predators, meaning they're at the top of the food chain.

Fox vs Wolf

A wolf snarling over its prey to protect it from competitors. Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate.

There has been some debate as to whether the red wolf is a hybrid of wolf and coyote, a subspecies of the gray wolf or its own distinct species. This has sometimes led to the red wolf being left off of the endangered species list.

An adult wolf needs to eat about 5-7 pounds of meat every day to maintain a healthy weight. Typically, a pack will kill a single large mammal and survive off the meat for several days before moving on to the next opportunity. The average wolf eats the equivalent of 15 deer across an entire year.

An Iberian wolf lying on rocks on a snowy mountain. Modern day dogs are descendants of wolves that were domesticated.

Wolves live and hunt in packs. They are known to roam large distances – as much as 20km in a single day.

A Grey Wolf at Colchester Zoo, UK.

A male Eurasian Wolf in his summer coat.

A Grey Wolf at Colchester Zoo

A Mackenzie Valley Wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis) in Madrid Zoo

Eastern Timber Wolf in the zoo of Stadt Haag, Austria.

A Grey Wolf at Colchester Zoo