Wolf Packs
Wolves have a highly organized social structure. They live and hunt together as packs, which enables them to hunt and defend their territory effectively. Some packs can be as many as 30 wolves, but then some wolves will break away to form their own breeding packs.
AB Photographie/Shutterstock.com
Alan Jeffery/Shutterstock.com
Wolf packs do not have a clear leader.
What popular misconception is there about wolf packs?
Wolves Howling
Wolves have 4 main sounds that they use to communicate in different ways – howling, barking, whimpering, and growling. A wolf uses howls to call to each other over great distances; a wolf’s howl can be heard for up to 10 miles away on open terrain.
ortlemma/Shutterstock.com
Allison Coffin/Shutterstock.com
There can be a variety of reasons why a wolf howls.
Why do wolves howl?
Interacting In The Pack
Wolves living in a pack have strong emotional bonds with each other. The pack also makes it easier to raise pups, hunt, and defend their territory. They have to communicate with each other in the pack and do this with growls, howls, and body language.
Pat-s pictures/Shutterstock.com
Pat-s pictures/Shutterstock.com
Dogs can also be seen doing this.
How do wolves greet each other?
Wolf Cubs
A wolf has a gestation period of 63 days, with the cubs being born pretty much helpless. They can waddle around by about 2 weeks and leave the den for the first time by three weeks. All the members of the pack help to take care of the cubs.
Art Babych/Shutterstock.com
Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock.com
Wolf cubs are born helpless, but with their important senses.
Which of the following is not true about newborn wolf cubs?
How Fast Are Wolves
Wolves are not usually known for their speed, but rather their endurance. They can run great distances at a speed of about 5 miles per hour. They are, however, faster than a human so it will not help to try and outrun a wolf!
Sergijimenez/Shutterstock.com
Warren Metcalf/Shutterstock.com
A wolf can run 19mph faster than the average human.
How fast can the fastest wolf, the Arctic wolf, run?
Wolves in Mythology
Wolves feature in the mythology of various nations. There is, for instance, Fenrir, the son of the god Loki and a giantess, Angerboda in Norse mythology. Odin also had two wolves as loyal companions. We all also know stories like Little Red Ridinghood and the Three Little Pigs, that feature a wolf prominently.
De Jongh Photography/Shutterstock.com
Cris Foto/Shutterstock.com
These twin babies found Rome.
Which 2 children were raised by wolves in Roman mythology?
Wolves in Conservation
Wolves have a key role in ecosystems and are what is called a keystone species. They keep the populations of deer and elk in check, which in turn have a positive influence on plant species. The carcasses of their prey also help scavengers.
MedstockPhotos/Shutterstock.com
Lorcel/Shutterstock.com
Very big park partially in Wyoming.
Which park reintroduced wolves after there were no more wolves in the park?
Wolf Cub Food
When wolf cubs are born, they weigh only about one pound but grow very quickly. At first, they only drink mother’s milk, feeding about 4 – 5 times per day. They will open their eyes at about 12 to 15 days and start to move on to other food as well.
outdoorsman/Shutterstock.com
COULANGES/Shutterstock.com
Wolf cubs licks an adult’s mouth to get it to regurgitate meat.
What does wolf cubs eat from about two weeks old?
Famous Wolves in Books
A werewolf is found in many folklore stories of European countries. Traditionally a werewolf would be a human that turns into a wolf. In the Harry Potter stories, there are two werewolf characters, with very different views on the role of werewolves.
Wachiwit/Shutterstock.com
Tania Volosianko/Shutterstock.com
This was one of Harry’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.
Which of these Harry potter characters have wolf connections?
Prehistoric Wolves
Pleistocene wolves were once found all over the northern hemisphere. They died out about 7,500 years ago. These wolves were quite similar to modern wolves but had a broader and shorter palate.
Aunt Spray/Shutterstock.com
Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock.com
These wolves featured in Game Of Thrones.
What prehistoric wolf lived in the Late Pleistocene epoch?
Symbiotic relationships
Very few mammals have symbiotic relationships with other animals. The wolf is an exception, as it tolerates another animal to get part of the kill. It is theorized that in some cases, the majority of the kill is harvested not by the wolf.
iStock.com/BlueBarronPhoto
Raven eating carrion/Shutterstock.com
These birds are sometimes called “wolfbirds”.
Which animal does the wolf have a symbiotic relationship with?
Wolf Distribution
There are more than 30 subspecies of Canis lupus recognized, occurring throughout most of the world. Although wolves are considered the ancestors of domestic dogs, wolves, and man does not have a good relationship in the wild.
davidhoffmann photography/Shutterstock.com
givaga/Shutterstock.com
The continent where camels and pyramids are found together.
On which continent was a new species of wolf recently discovered?
Wolves and People
Wolves have learned to fear people, as hunters will scare them off and even shoot them. Nevertheless, it is possible to come into close quarters with a wolf when hiking or mountain climbing. It is very important to follow the correct procedure, as a wolf can be very dangerous.
schaef71/Shutterstock.com
David Dirga/Shutterstock.com
If a predator has doubts, he will not attack a big animal.
During an encounter with a wolf, what should you do?
The Benefits Of Living In A Pack
A wolf pack can be considered to be a perfect team. They do everything together. They even care for each other and will nurture relationships within the pack.
Luke23/Shutterstock.com
Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock.com
Although only one female will breed, everyone in the pack helps with the pups.
Which of the following is not a benefit of living in a pack?
The Teeth of Wolves
Wolves have massive molars and very powerful jaws. They can easily bite through the femur of a moose, in six to eight bites! This is stronger than most breeds of dogs.
Dennis Jacobsen/Shutterstock.com
Daniel Korzeniewski/Shutterstock.com
A Wolf’s bite force is about the same as that of an Akita.
What is the bite force of a wolf?
Wolves Eating
A wolf’s favorite prey is large animals like deer, elk, and moose. They catch these animals as a pack and will feed together. If the animal is too large to eat at a single sitting, they will return again later to finish it off. Wolves can go for as long as two weeks between meals if the prey is scarce.
Geoffrey Kuchera/Shutterstock.com
AB Photographie/Shutterstock.com
Wolves can eat a little over 20lbs at one sitting.
How much meat can a wolf eat at one meal?
Wolf Life Expectancy
Wolf pups are born into the pack and are cared for by everyone. Wolves reach maturity at about 2 years when they are ready to mate. Because of their relatively dangerous lifestyle as hunters, some will die quite young, while others can live up to 14 years in the wild.
miroslav chytil/Shutterstock.com
Holly S Cannon/Shutterstock.com
The active wolf does not, on average, live 10 years or more.
How old does a wolf get in the wild on average?
The Composition of the Wolf Pack
Wolves live together in groups called packs. These packs work together to hunt and raise the pups. Wolves are extremely social animals and a strict hierarchy is followed in the pack.
AB Photographie/Shutterstock.com
Jim Cumming/Shutterstock.com
Wolves in a pack are usually all family.
What does a wolf pack consist of?
Big Wolves
Wolves are on average about 80 – 100 pounds, which is bigger than the average dog. They are about 30 inches tall (measured at the shoulder). They are also longer than the average dog.
Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock.com
Jim Cumming/Shutterstock.com
These wolves are native to Canada.
Which type of wolf is the biggest?
A Wolf’s Senses
A wolf, like other wild animals, relies heavily on its senses for survival. Their senses are all highly developed. They can hear and smell things that we humans can only see on electronic sensors.
Nature’s Charm/Shutterstock.com
FCG/Shutterstock.com
