Gray wolf photo, description, habitat, reproduction. Wolves living in Russia Wild animals wolves

Common wolf (or gray wolf) is large beast of prey from the canine family. The body length of an adult wolf can reach 180 cm (including tail), and the height at the withers is 90 cm. The weight of a wolf ranges from 30 to 50 kg, some of the largest animals can weigh up to 80 kilograms. Female wolves are usually smaller than male wolves.

The wolf's muzzle is elongated, its teeth are sharp and strong. The paws are quite long, the claws are not very sharp, as they are worn down while running. The coat is usually light gray, sometimes with a black, white or reddish tint; there are wolves with completely black and completely white fur. As a wolf ages, its coat color can change greatly.

Spreading

Wolves live almost throughout the entire territory of Eurasia and North America. Animals are well adapted to life in different conditions. They feel good in the tundra, forest, steppe, taiga and mountains.

Currently, the number of wolves has greatly decreased, and in many regions these animals are endangered.

Lifestyle

Wolves are pack animals. Members of the pack are relatives and lone wolves who have joined them. A flock can be large or small. A small one can consist of three to six wolves, and a large one can number twenty to forty individuals.

Life in a flock has its own laws and orders; there is a strict hierarchy. Each pack has a leader - a strong wolf, to whom all the others obey. The leader leads the pack on the hunt and resolves all conflicts that arise between relatives. Weak wolves must unquestioningly obey the strong ones.

Wolves have a very developed sign language. Their tail position or posture speaks volumes. So, a raised tail means that this is the leader of the pack, and a tucked tail means that this wolf is the weakest in the pack.

Wolves are big fans of “choral singing.” Their howls are both important messages for their relatives and simply a pleasant pastime. With the help of howls, wolves can transmit to their relatives important information, being several kilometers apart from each other. For example, reporting the approach of game or a person.

Wolves love to howl just like that at dawn or at night. The leader is the first to speak, and the rest of the wolves begin to sing along with him.

In addition to howling, wolves can make other sounds - growl, howl, bark, yelp. All these sounds also have a certain meaning.

Wolves have a very sensitive sense of smell, they smell 100 times better than humans.

Nutrition

Wolves are predators. As a rule, they hunt sick or weak animals. That is why wolves are called orderlies.

A variety of animals can become game for wolves - moose, wild boar, rams, goats, deer, roe deer, beavers, bulls, hares, rabbits, badgers, squirrels, birds and others. But most often wolves hunt ungulates. They can also attack domestic animals. When food is scarce, wolves eat frogs, lizards and beetles.

Every day a wolf can eat about five kilograms of meat and drink a liter of water. Except meat food wolves readily eat fruits, berries, mushrooms, grass and leaves. Eating plant foods helps animals normalize digestion.

Wolves are very hardy animals; they can live without food for about two weeks.

Reproduction

Wolves create a family once for life. To breed, they dig new holes or occupy holes dug by other animals; they can also settle among rocks in small crevices.

A she-wolf's pregnancy lasts from 62 to 75 days. Wolf cubs are born in the spring. They are born defenseless - deaf, blind and toothless. The weight of newborn wolf cubs ranges from 300 g to 500 g. After about 9 days, their eyes open, and after two to three weeks their teeth begin to erupt. At three months of age, wolf cubs begin to emerge from the hole.

Adult wolves take grown-up wolf cubs with them to hunt.

Wolves are considered adult at approximately two years of age.

The lifespan of wolves in the wild ranges from 7 to 10 years.

Brief information about the wolf.

For some reason, the only dogs I like are shepherd dogs and Siberian huskies. Maybe because they resemble natural animals - wolves!

Let's take a quick look at interesting facts about these animals. Almost all photos are clickable up to 1920 px

Gray wolves are slender and have a powerful build with a large, deep-set chest and sloping back. The gray wolf's belly is retracted and its neck is muscular. Their limbs are long and robust, with relatively small paws. Each front paw has five toes and the hind paws have four. Females usually have narrow muzzle and forehead, thin neck, her legs are slightly shorter than those of males, and her shoulders are less massive. Wolves very strong for their size, with enough strength to turn over a horse or frozen elk carcasses.

In general, gray wolves are the largest of the animals included in the Canidae family, not counting some large breeds domestic dogs.

The length of an adult gray wolf is 105-160 cm, the height of the animal at the shoulder is 80-85 cm. The weight of the wolf varies in different geographical areas; On average, a European wolf can weigh 38.5 kg, a North American wolf can weigh 36 kg, and an Indian and Arabian wolf can weigh 25 kg. Female wolves typically weigh 5-10 kg less than males. Wolves weighing more than 54 kg are rare, but exceptionally large specimens have been recorded in Alaska, Canada, and the former Soviet Union.

Gray wolves can run at speeds of 56-64 km/h, and can run for more than 20 minutes without stopping, although not necessarily at that same speed. In cold climates, wolves may reduce blood flow to conserve body heat. The warmth of the lower paws is regulated independently of the rest of the body, and is maintained at a level just above where the paws come into contact with the ice and snow. The head of a gray wolf is large and heavy. The ears are relatively small and triangular. As a rule, their body configuration resembles that of German Shepherds and Laikas.

In general, gray wolves are the largest of the animals included in the Canidae family, apart from some large breeds domestic dogs.
In winter, gray wolves have a very dense and fluffy coat, with a short undercoat and long guard hairs. Most of the undercoat falls out in the spring and grows back in the fall. Winter wool is very resistant to cold; wolves in northern countries can remain calm in open areas at -40°, placing the muzzle between the hind legs and covering it with the tail. Wolf hair provides better insulation than dog hair and does not collect ice.

Their sense of smell is poorly developed compared to some breeds hunting dogs. Because of this, they rarely catch hidden hares and birds, although they can easily track prey using fresh tracks.

A pack of wolves consists of a male, female and cubs. As a rule, wolves rarely accept strangers into their pack and often kill them. However, during times of threat, for example during times of high numbers of artiodactyls, several flocks may unite for better defense. In areas with few wolves, the wolf is usually monogamous. Usually the pair remains for life until one of the wolves dies. However, after the death of one of the wolves, the couple quickly recovers with the help of the others. In the wild, wolves can breed from the age of two. Females can give birth to cubs once a year. Mating usually occurs at the end of winter. Gestation lasts 62-75 days and babies are usually born in summer period. The average litter consists of 5-6 cubs. Wolf cubs are born blind and deaf, and are covered in short, soft grayish-brown fur. At birth they weigh 300-500 grams. During the first month they feed on their mother's milk. After 3 weeks, the wolf cubs leave the den for the first time. At 1.5 months of age they are already able to flee from danger. They start eating solid food at 3-4 weeks of age. During the first four months of life, wolf cubs grow very quickly: during this time, the weight of the cub can increase almost 30 times.

Wolves are very territorial animals. They defend their territory from other packs by marking their territory with their scent, direct attacks and howling.

Wolves mainly feed on ungulates (sometimes 10-15 times larger than themselves). They hunt marmots, hares, badgers, foxes, ferrets, gophers, mice, hamsters, voles and other rodents, as well as insectivores. Wolves may also readily scavenge, especially during times of food shortage. They often eat waterfowl, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads and rarely large insects. During harsh winters, packs often attack weak or wounded wolves, and they may even eat the bodies of dead pack members.

Wolves are usually the dominant predator.
The body language of wolves consists of various expressions of the muzzle and tail position. An aggressive or defensive wolf is characterized by slow and deliberate movements, a high posture and raised hair; calm wolves have a calm posture, smooth hair, drooping ears and tail. Using howls, wolves gather a pack (usually before and after a hunt), transmit information, find each other during a storm or in unfamiliar territory, and communicate over long distances.

Although dogs and wolves are genetically very close, they generally do not voluntarily interbreed under natural conditions. But, nevertheless, they can produce viable offspring, and all subsequent generations will also be able to have offspring.

The gray wolf was once the most common mammal in the world living north of 15°N latitude. in North America and 12°N. in Eurasia. Wolves typically have difficulty adapting to humans and the changes that humans make, and are therefore often referred to as indicator species. Wolves do not seem to be able to adapt to the expansion of civilization as easily as coyotes, for example, did. Although gray wolves are not endangered, wolf populations remain threatened in some areas.

Because wolves travel long distances, they can play an important role in the spread of disease. Infectious diseases spread by wolves include brucellosis, tularemia, listeriosis and anthrax. Wolves can also suffer from rabies. But, as a rule, if a wolf shows the first symptoms of the disease, it leaves its pack, thus preventing the spread of the disease.

Damage caused by wolves to livestock has been one of the main reasons for wolf hunting, and this may represent serious problem to preserve the wolf population. Wolves, as a rule, are not dangerous to humans as long as there are few of them, they have sufficient food, they rarely encounter people and sometimes hunt. Cases of wolf attacks on humans are rare, but in the early 20th century such attacks occurred frequently.

Wolves are notoriously difficult to hunt due to their elusiveness, keen senses, and ability to quickly kill hunting dogs. When hunting wolves with dogs, greyhounds, hounds and fox terriers are usually used. The greyhounds chase and block the wolves until the heavier dogs arrive and do most of the fighting.

Wolf skins are used mainly for scarves and trimmings women's clothing, although they are also sometimes used in short cloaks, coats and rugs. Hunting wolves for their fur has little effect on their population size, since only the northern varieties of wolves (whose numbers are stable) are of commercial value. Hunting wolves for fur remains a lucrative source of income for many Native Americans.

Keeping wolves as pets is becoming increasingly popular. In the United States alone, according to various estimates, from 80,000 to 2 million wolves live in homes. Wolves can be less predictable and controllable than dogs. Wolf cubs under the age of one year are, as a rule, not aggressive towards strangers, although their aggression increases with age, especially during the mating season. Males can be more aggressive and more difficult to control than females. Wolves are difficult to keep in standard kennels, as they can quickly learn how to open valves simply by watching people do it.

Although wolves are trainable, they lack the flexibility of dogs. As a rule, they react to coercive methods differently than dogs, they become afraid, become irritable and resist. Even when a certain behavior has been repeated several times, the wolf may become bored and ignore subsequent commands. When training a wolf, mere praise is not enough. Unlike dogs, wolves tend to respond more to hand signals than to voice signals.

Under certain weather conditions wolves can hear sounds at a distance of 9 kilometers in the forest, and at 16 km. in open areas.

The Vikings wore wolf skins and drank wolf blood before battle, which they took with them, to raise their morale.

The earliest images of wolves were found in caves in southern Europe; they are more than 20,000 years old.
It is impossible to tame a wolf and make it a guard dog; it is afraid of strangers and will hide from them rather than bark.

The autoimmune disease lupus, or tuberculosis of the skin, literally means “red wolf” because in the eighteenth century doctors believed that the disease developed after a wolf bite.

Wolves distinguish about 200 million shades of smell, people only 5 million. The wolf family is able to smell the smell of other animals at a distance of 1.5 kilometers.

Wolf puppies always have blue eyes at birth. They turn yellow only at eight months.

The gestation period of a she-wolf is about 65 days. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, and weigh only half a kilogram.

Wolves were once the most common land predators, the only places where they did not live were deserts and tropical forests.

Enormous pressure is created by the teeth in the cleft palate, approximately 300 kilograms per square centimeter (compared to 150 kg/cm^2 in a dog).

The North American gray wolf population in 1600 was 2 million. Today there are no more than 65 thousand of them left in North America.

A hungry wolf can eat 10 kilograms of meat in one sitting, which is like a man eating a hundred hamburgers in one sitting.

A wolf pack can consist of two or three individuals, or maybe ten times more
Wolves are descended from ancient animals called "Mesocyon", which lived about 35 million years ago. It was a small animal, similar to a dog, with short legs and a long body. Perhaps they, like wolves, lived in packs.

Wolves can swim up to 13 kilometers, using small membranes between their toes to help them move in the water.

Between 1883 and 1918, only one American state Montana killed more than 80 thousand wolves.

Adolf Hitler (whose name means "leading wolf") was fascinated by wolves and sometimes demanded to be called "Mr. Wolf" or "Conductor Wolf" as a pseudonym. "Wolf's Gulch" (Wolfsschlucht), "Wolf's Lair" (Wolfschanze) and "Werewolf" (Wehrwolf) were Hitler's code names for various military headquarters.

In the 1600s, Ireland was called the "Wolfland" because there were so many wolves there at the time. Wolf hunting was the most popular sport among the nobility, who used wolfhounds to locate the wolf and kill it.

Biologists have found that wolves will react to people imitating wolf howl. It would be strange if it were different...

In 1927, a French policeman was convicted of shooting a boy he thought was a werewolf. That same year, the last wild wolf was killed in France.

When Europeans arrived in North America, the wolf became the most popular animal hunting game of all time. American history. These animals were on the verge of extinction at the beginning of the 20th century. The US federal government even adopted a program to eradicate wolves in the western states in 1915.

Dire wolves (“canis dirus”) are one of the representatives of prehistoric wolves that lived in North America about two million years ago. They hunted mainly for prey of such size as mammoths.

Wolves can run at a speed of 32 km/h for a minute or two, and in moments of danger or persecution - up to 56 km/h. It has been observed that throughout the day they run at a “trot” (approximately 8 km/h) and can travel at this speed throughout the day.

The smallest representatives of wolves live in the Middle East, where they reach a mass of no more than 30 kilograms. The largest wolf individuals live in Canada, Alaska, and Russia, where they gain weight up to 80 kilograms.

Wolves use howls to communicate with disunited members of their group to rally before a hunt, or to warn rival packs to stay away from them. Lone wolves howl to attract mates or simply because they are alone. In fact, the wolf howl lasts no more than 5 seconds, just because of the echo it seems that the sound is longer.

The reflective layer in a wolf's eyes is called "tapetum lucidum" (Latin for "bright tapestry"), it glows in the dark and also contributes to the animal's night vision.

Where wolves live, there are often ravens (sometimes called "wolf birds"). Crows often follow packs of wolves to finish off the remains of the hunt, and also use wolves as protection.

According to Pliny the Elder, a first-century Greek scholar, the wolf of tongues rubs the gums of puppies to relieve pain when they emerge. He also believed that wolf dung could be used to treat stomach colic and cataracts.

The Aztecs used wolf liver in the treatment of melancholy as an ingredient in medicine. In addition, they pricked the dying person's chest with a sharpened wolf bone in an attempt to delay the date of death.

In the Middle Ages, Europeans used wolf liver powders to relieve pain during childbirth.

The Greeks believed that if someone ate the meat of a wolf, which kills lambs, then he would suffer high risk become a vampire.

The Cherokee Indians did not hunt wolves because they believed that the brothers of those killed would take revenge on them. In addition, the weapon that was used to kill the wolf was considered “damaged.”

The British King Edgard introduced a special annual tax of 300 skins for Wales, as a result of which the Welsh wolf population was quickly destroyed.

In 1500, the last wild wolf was killed in England, in 1700 in Ireland, and in 1772 on Danish soil.

Germany became the first country to place the wolf population under control in 1934. environmental laws. Under the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche (b. 1844-d. 1900) and Oswald Spengler (b. 1880-d. 1936), society became convinced that natural predators mattered much more than their after-kill value. By the way, in Germany all wild wolves were exterminated by the middle of the nineteenth century.

Unlike other animals, wolves have a number of distinctive facial movements that they use to communicate and maintain relationships within the pack.

IN Japanese the word wolf is characterized as “great god.”
Between 6,000 and 7,000 wolf pelts are still traded worldwide each year. They are supplied mainly from outside

Russia, Mongolia and China, and are most often used for sewing coats.

In India, simple traps are still used to catch wolves. These traps are pits camouflaged with branches and leaves. The wolves fall into the pit on sharp stakes, and the people finish them off from above with stones.

Wolves were the first animals to be listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

John Milton's famous poem "Lycidas" takes its name from the Greek "wolf cub" lykideus.

In the world of Harry Potter there was a werewolf Remus Lupine, whose name is directly related to Latin word"lupus", but the surname most likely came from Remus, the founder of Rome, who was fed by wolves.

The last wolf in Yellowstone Park was killed in 1926. In 1995, people managed to restore the wolf population, and ten years later, approximately 136 wolves roam the park in 13 packs.

Currently there are about 50 thousand wolves in Canada and Alaska, 6500 in the USA. On European continent, V

Italy - less than 300, Spain about 2000, Norway and Sweden - less than 80. There are about 700 wolves in Poland, and 70 thousand in Russia.

Wolves never miss a chance to eat. Often, living in the harshest corners of the planet, wolves often eat their wounded or sick relatives. In addition, hunters should pick up a wolf caught in a trap as soon as possible, since there is a very high risk that other wolves will discover it and eat it.

Some wolves can reach a weight of 100 kg. The size of wolves increases exponentially with distance from the equator. Tropical wolves are often the same size as ordinary dogs, but wolves of the far north on average exceed a weight of 60 kg.

In 2008, Stanford University researchers discovered that mutations associated with black fur are found only in dogs, making black wolves the offspring of hybrids. Most often, such wolves are found in North America.

In areas where wolves were hunted to extinction, coyotes flourished. Recent research has shown that 22% of all coyotes in North America are descendants of wolves. Such animals are usually larger than ordinary coyotes, but smaller than wolves, and are also extremely cunning. They combine a lack of fear of humans and pronounced wolf instincts and a high level of aggression.

Although wolves are not the main carriers of rabies, they can easily catch it from raccoons and foxes. Unlike other animals, which become lethargic and disoriented when infected, wolves instantly become enraged. Most attacks on people are caused by rabies. And the desire of wolves to bite the neck or head often leads to the fact that the rabies virus enters the human brain much earlier than medical assistance is provided

America's wolves are less likely to attack people than their other counterparts. Historical records show more than 3,000 people were killed by wolves in France between 1580-1830. The wolves of India and Russia are not far behind them. In contrast, in the United States and Canada, there are extremely few officially confirmed wolf attacks.

Despite their close relationship, wolves perceive dogs mainly as prey. In Russia, at one time, stray dogs served as the main source of food for wolves.

The plague that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages caused tension between humans and wolves. In those days, corpses were destroyed much more quickly by wolves, and not by fire or burial underground. Such "burial" methods instilled a taste for human blood in entire generations of wolves. It was probably from then on that wolves included human meat in their “menu.”

Throughout history, humans have associated the wolf with a dangerous predator. And the stories of hunters also contributed to the creation of such an image. According to them, these are very smart and cunning animals. But in reality, things are not quite like that. There are very few known cases of this animal attacking a person for no apparent reason. As a rule, they choose places to live away from people, and they hunt for a living.

General characteristics of the wolf

In the genus of wolves, it is customary to distinguish several species, among which the gray wolf takes pride of place due to its most impressive characteristics- weight and height. The gray wolf stands apart from the coyote and jackal because of its unusual DNA gene sequence, which is strong evidence to consider it the direct ancestor of domestic dogs.

Gray predators are accustomed to living in a strictly defined reality. A couple of centuries ago, the situation was such that these animals lived in large numbers in Eurasia and North America. However, over the past decades, people have hunted them, which led to a decrease in their population. Moreover, this was also influenced by active human activity. In addition to the fact that cities were being built, as well as enterprises whose activities inevitably affected the surrounding landscape, wolf hunting became a popular entertainment.

In our country, the main representatives of this genus are the common wolf and the tundra wolf. Considering its size, we can say that it is the largest animal of the canine family.

• the body of a wolf from crown to tail can be up to 160 cm long;
• weight can reach 62 kg;
• height at the withers can be approximately 90 cm.

Wolves are distinguished not only by their beauty appearance, but also intelligence. Today, it is customary to distinguish approximately 32 subspecies of wolves, which have a variety of sizes and fur colors. Wolves are entrusted with the function of orderlies, as they help maintain the balance of ecosystems. These animals can be found in a wide variety of natural areas- forests and steppes, tundra and taiga, mountain systems.

However, today a very sad picture is emerging: the number of wolves everywhere has become extremely low, and in some places it is the animal is on the verge of complete extinction. But man is not too concerned about this, and he continues to ruthlessly hunt these animals.

Appearance of a wolf

The appearance of a wolf is formed under the influence climatic conditions the territory in which he lives. Therefore, in those places where low temperatures prevail most of the time, these animals will have the most impressive sizes. If we consider one population, then the males in it will certainly have larger sizes, unlike the females, and at the same time have a more forehead.

When you first meet this animal, you can easily mistake it for a large, pointy-eared dog. But if you look closely, you can see he has characteristic features predator:

• tall and strong legs,
• large paws with two middle toes extended forward.

Thanks to this paw structure, these animals can develop very high speed, jump high and move silently. You can distinguish them by the following:

• it has a length of 15 cm and a width of 7 cm;
• A distinctive feature is two fingers that clearly protrude forward.

Head

All wolves have a wide muzzle, which is elongated and has whiskers on both sides, and a broad-browed head. Wolves experience different emotions, so they can show joy, fear, anxiety and calmness. All of them are clearly visible on his face. This feature did not go unnoticed by scientists, who were able to identify a group of facial expressions:

These animals have a large, massive skull, which explains its broad forehead. The nasal opening is wide and begins to decrease at the bottom. In males, the skull has a length of 268–285 mm, in females it is 251–268 mm. Cranial bone in males has a width in the cheek area of ​​147–160 mm, and in females – 136–159 mm. The eye sockets of males are 84–90 mm wide, while those of females are 78–85 mm wide. The upper row of teeth in males is about 108–116 cm long, and in females it is 100–112 mm long.

It’s not for nothing that they say that the wolf’s teeth feed him. This animal clearly confirms this expression in life. Thanks to them A wolf can not only defend himself from enemies, but also to get food for themselves. There are several types of teeth on the upper jaw, as well as on the lower jaw:

• incisors;
• fangs;
• premolars;
• molars.

Fangs are very important for a wolf, which help it capture and hold game and defend itself from attack. Thanks to molars and premolars the animal can cut up and chew food. It is not difficult for wolf teeth to cope with a load of more than 10 MPa. Therefore, for a wolf, teeth are a necessity, without which he simply cannot survive in the wild.

Tail

These animals have a long and thick tail, which is always in a lowered state. The way he moves allows you to understand the mood of the wolf. This is very important for any hunter, since you can choose from a pack of wolves who are afraid or worried by their tail.

Fur

Special significance for these animals it has fur, which is two-layered and has low thermal conductivity. It has a thick and long coat, so wolves give the impression of larger and more massive animals. Traditionally the first layer of wool is formed by outer hairs, which provides the wolf with protection from dirt and water, and also makes it easier to endure seasonal weather fluctuations. It also has an undercoat, which is usually understood as the bottom, second layer of hair. It's essentially waterproof down that keeps you warm. All wolves molt, and this happens in late spring or early summer.

Color

In these animals, the first layer of fur can have a different shade, which is formed under the influence of their habitat. Traditional wolf color - gray-brown, tundra wolves are almost completely white in color, desert wolves are completely red, predators living in the highlands of central Asia traditionally have a bright ocher color. There are also predators of other colors - white, pure white, red and black. What all wolves have in common is that they always have the same undercoat color - gray.

Coat color is very important for the timber wolf, as it is used as camouflage. Moreover, for each specific species it becomes especially important, since it makes its appearance individual.

Also wolves differ in vocal frequencies, which can have a fairly wide range. Voice is necessary to inform each other about the location of an animal or a person. At the same time, they can make a wide variety of sounds:

• yapping;
• growl;
• grunt;
• whimpering;
• howling.

After receiving information from another wolf, the predator throws back its head and howls in a vibrating low voice that eventually rises to the highest notes.

Wolves that are members of a pack always live together and often take part in choral howls. The first party remains with the leader, who begins to howl at dusk or dawn. After this, it is the turn of the rest of the pack. Desire to participate choral singing related to the expression certain emotions, similarly, wolves demonstrate that they belong to their community.

The pack can only launch an attack if it hears the war cry of the leader: it is more reminiscent of the growl of a dog when it rushes at a person.

It is not so easy for wolves to provide themselves with food. Therefore, in search of food, they have to go long distances from their habitat. Their structural features allow them to withstand many kilometers of travel.: narrow, streamlined chest, strong legs and sloping back. Typically, predators can travel 10 kilometers per hour. But if they are being chased, they can move at speeds of up to 65 km/h, while jumping to a height of 5 m.

The structure of the wolf's paws deserves special attention. Thanks to him, they perfectly adapt to any living conditions. The paws differ in that have webbing between their toes. They allow you to redistribute the load, so in the forest these predators move faster than all other animals. Thanks to this structural feature of their paws, they can balance their weight while moving.

A wolf's paws contain special blood vessels that provide protection against hypothermia. The predator succeeds very easily maintain balance even on slippery surfaces, which is helped by blunt claws and bristly fur on the paws. Other distinctive external sign is the presence of scent glands between the toes. It is thanks to them that the wolf's tracks retain a characteristic smell. These animals need them to navigate the terrain and inform the rest of the pack about their location.

Spread of the wolf

For all the time that this predator has lived on earth, its distribution area has changed significantly. Today it is mainly found in the territories northern hemisphere. In North America these predators can be found in the territory from Alaska to Mexico, in Japan there is no longer a single representative of these animals left, which is explained high level urbanization. The common wolf is most represented in Europe and Asia - primarily in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Spain, the Balkans and Scandinavian countries.

These predators feel best in forest-steppe and steppe zones, as well as tundra and semi-desert. Less preferred habitats for wolves are densely wooded areas. Basically, he is used to settling in more open or less rugged areas.

These predators are accustomed to living near human settlements. If the taiga is cut down, this animal also begins to increase the area of ​​its possessions in the taiga zone.

Wolf packs are not prone to frequent movements and usually live for long periods of time on certain territory. The area occupied by these animals, usually has an area of ​​30-60 m in diameter. Predators living in the tundra and steppe behave somewhat differently: they are nomadic animals and regularly change their camp depending on the movement of the herd.

With the coming mating season groups of pairs begin to stand out in the flock. The one that is the strongest takes the best place, and all other members of the flock are forced to look for food in other places during this period.

Wolves require certain conditions to breed offspring. To do this, they have to make a lair that looks like a secluded place. Most often it is found in crevices in rocks or in thickets of dense bushes. Sometimes she-wolves also make their home in the burrows of other animals– arctic foxes, badgers or marmots. The male is not inclined to constantly be near the she-wolf, since he needs to get food.

To do this, it can move long distances from the den - 7–10 kilometers. Newborns wolf cubs differ little from puppies, their brown color also adds to their similarity. When the little animals grow up and master the skills of surviving in the wild, the she-wolf takes them out of the den, and after that they begin to live an independent nomadic life.

Conclusion

Wolves are one of the dangerous predators, about which each of us has heard since childhood. But, unfortunately, over the past decades, hostility towards this animal has reached such proportions that in some places its population has approached critical levels. These animals still retain representation on the territory of the Eurasian continent.

There are enough representatives of these predators in our country, mainly the gray wolf and tundra wolf. These animals have special characteristics, which make it easy to distinguish them. It is especially worth mentioning that these are digitally walking creatures, which allows them to move in the forest faster than all other animals.

The wolf is a slender, proportionally built, powerful animal. He has a strong body with a sloping back - high withers and a lower, but strong and wide croup. The chest is large, deeply descended, the stomach is tucked, the neck is powerful and muscular. The legs are high and strong, the paws are relatively small, the toes are tightly clenched (“in a ball”).

The head is large, heavy with strong jaws, long but not sharp muzzle and wide forehead. The eyes are set quite wide and small. The brow ridges are strongly developed, so the eyes seem to sit deep and seem to be slightly squinted and even slightly slanted. The ears are relatively small, triangular in shape with a sharp apex, directed forward and set wide apart - because of this, the wolf's head looks especially “foreheaded”. Usually the animal carries it slightly lowered - not higher than the level of the back and looks somewhat stooped, with high withers. Only a wary wolf raises its head high.

The tail is quite large, fluffy, descending to the hock. It seems to be broken at the base and hangs straight down for a standing and calmly walking animal. Only when jumping quickly does the wolf slightly lift it and carry it “as it takes off,” but not above the level of its back. In a living animal, the tail has little movement and seems very heavy (in hunting language it is very aptly called “log”). In a certain mental state (joyful excitement, affection), the wolf wags its tail, although not quite like a dog. In fear, he puts his tail between his legs like a dog. The claws are black. The eye is yellow. Nipples 5 pairs.

Winter fur is very thick and fluffy with fine underfur and a long, rather coarse spine. The tail is very densely covered with long hair; at the root they are much shorter than along the rest of the length. In the south, the fur is rarer and coarser, in the middle zone it is thick and lush, but rather coarse, in the north it is longer, thicker, more luxurious and softer.

The longest hair is located along the back, mainly in the front and on the neck. At the withers there is usually an area especially long hair, along the top of the neck, elongated hair forms a kind of mane. The front of the head, including the forehead, is dressed short hair, on the rest they are longer. On the cheeks, the hair is elongated and forms “fringes” - small sideburns. The legs up to the elbows and slightly above the heel joint are covered with short and elastic, tightly lying hair. The ears are covered with short hair and protrude strongly from the fur. Summer fur in all latitudes is much rarer and shorter than winter, coarse and hard.

The color is single-phase, of the same type in different parts of the country and varies relatively little geographically. Individual variability is quite large, but concerns particularities, and the general tone of color and distribution of colors are constant. There is a seasonal difference in color, but it is not sharp and varies in different parts of the range. In some areas, due to fading, the winter color changes somewhat (sometimes significantly) (lightens). Among our wolves there are melanists, albinos and chromists, but they are very rare. Sometimes their appearance may depend on hybridization with a domestic dog. The wolf of southeastern North America has a two-phase coloration - normal and black.

There are no gender differences in color. The color of an adult Central Russian wolf in summer fur consists of a mixture of ocher and rusty-ocher tones with light gray. Throughout the skin, especially on the upper back, there is some admixture of black, depending on the black ends of the guard hairs. The muzzle is pale buffy-gray to approximately eye level, the circumference of the lips and the lower parts of the cheeks are white. The space between the eyes, forehead, crown, back of the head and the area under the eyes and between the eyes and ears are gray, with only a slight reddish tinge. There are small ocher-rusty fields (rings) around the eyes. The backs of the ears are rusty-ocher with an admixture of black-brown, their inner parts are covered with dirty white hair. The chin and throat are pure white. The neck is buffy, somewhat shaded with black (dark ends of the hair) along the upper side.

Along the ridge, dark (black) long guard hairs create a well-defined black pattern in the form of a stripe, especially bright and wide in the front of the back. Enough large number hair with black tips is also present on the shoulder blades, partly along the top of the chest and sides in the back of the body. A dark coating in the form of a pronounced “saddle cloth”, however, does not form. The color of the sides of the body and the outer parts of the paws is pale, dirty-buffy, the inner sides of the paws are white. The belly and groin area are white with an ocher tinge. On the front side of the front legs there is usually a sharply defined and clearly visible longitudinal stripe.

The color of the tail matches the color of the sides of the body - light dirty buffy. Along the dorsal side, especially in the main third of it, there is a strong admixture of dark (black, black-brown) hair, the tip of the tail is often black. Hair length in the middle part of the back is 60-70 mm.

Winter fur generally retains the same basic tones and the same arrangement of differently colored areas. However, the general coloring, due to the fact that the light underfur protrudes more, is generally lighter, the admixture of black stands out brighter against this background, something like a small saddle is indicated, the ocher tones appear weaker and the smoky gray is more developed. If in some individuals the buffy tone is clear and developed quite intensively, then in others it is weak, and the animal looks very light and gray. The height of the guard hairs of the withers usually does not exceed 90 mm, but can reach 110-130.

Age-related variability in the nature of the fur and color in the first year is well expressed. The cubs in the first outfit are dressed in thick, short (20-30 mm in the middle of the back), very soft “puffy” fur of a dark brown or grayish-brown color. This coloring is fairly evenly distributed throughout the body. The eye circumference and inner surface of the body are slightly lighter, the muzzle and lips, on the contrary, are darker. On the belly the hair is dirty gray with brownish, on the chest between the front legs there is a lighter field. The color of the tail, covered with short hair, matches the color of the body. There is never a white tip on the tail. The claws are light.

This juvenile outfit soon begins to change and at the end of summer the wolf cub, which has not yet reached the size of adults (at least twice as small), has light grayish-ocher dirty-colored, coarse and sparse fur. The reddish tones are not developed, there are no or few black awns. This coloring is distributed fairly evenly over the body and light or, conversely, dark fields do not stand out. The claws turn black.

From this second outfit, the hair of which grows strongly by autumn, the young (“profitable”) wolf passes into the first winter outfit. It corresponds to the winter fur of adult animals, but is distinguished by a more uniform grayish-dirty-ochre color with less development of black and red. The coloration of wolves by the second year (“pereyarkov”), both in summer and especially in winter, does not differ from the coloration of older animals.

The wolf's skull is characterized by massiveness and overall large dimensions. This is the most large form families. The facial parts, due to the strong development of the teeth, are relatively long and massive, the brain part of the skull is relatively small and slightly swollen, much shorter than the facial part, the brain cavity is relatively small. The nasal bones are long - their posterior ends reach the level of the eye sockets. In front, each bone is cut in an arcuate manner so that no common protrusion is formed along the line of contact of both bones in front. Along the entire length of the line of contact of the nasal bones with each other there is a longitudinal depression (groove).

The premaxilla give a large projection upward and posteriorly, but it does not reach the frontal bones. The posterior edges of the nasal and maxillary bones lie approximately at the same level. The zygomatic arches are massive and widely spaced, especially in the posterior part. The supraorbital processes are large and massive and protrude strongly to the sides. The front part of the front is quite high, in the middle and posterior parts of the nasal bones the profile is somewhat concave, the forehead rises steeply and is highest in the region of the supraorbital processes.

The frontal area is wide, slightly concave in the middle and convex at the edges. Behind the supraorbital protrusions the skull is compressed. The sagittal ridge is well defined; in front it bifurcates, limiting the frontal area from the sides and passing into the edge of the posterior part of the supraorbital projections. The occipital crest is strongly developed and hangs over the occipital region of the skull. The auditory bones of the drum are moderate in size, thick-walled, their anterior-internal parts are not directed towards each other, but diverge to the sides; in this part along them on the main occipital bone there are small elongated ridges or swellings.

The dentition is very powerful, the carnassial teeth are massive, the fangs are strong - relatively low, but with a wide base.

The age-related variability of the skull is very large and goes mainly in the direction of development of the ridges, a relative increase in the facial part, an increase in the convexity of the frontal region and increased postorbital compression of the braincase.

The skull of a wolf cub, which still has milk teeth, is characterized by the following signs: the facial part of the skull is very short and much shorter than the brain; the width of the skull in the area of ​​the carnassial teeth is large; the zygomatic arches are set very narrowly and weak; the cerebral part of the skull is relatively large and swollen; no ridges; the contour of the brain region is rounded (there is no protrusion in the upper part of the back of the head); there is no narrowing behind the eye sockets; supraorbital processes are not expressed; the frontal region rises slightly, and there is no ledge in this part of the skull; auditory tympani relatively large and more rounded; the coronoid processes of the lower jaw are sharply bent back; the angular processes are small.

The skull of a young wolf immediately after the change of teeth (in the first autumn of life) has the appearance of the skull of an adult animal, but differs from it in the following features: the nasal region is somewhat shorter, the width of the skull in the area of ​​​​the carnassial teeth is somewhat larger, the zygomatic width is smaller, the brain section of the skull is relatively slightly longer , there are no ridges and only in the occipital region the posterior part of the sagittal ridge is indicated, the supraorbital processes are small, short and weakly pointed, the narrowing behind the supraorbital processes is smaller, the auditory bones of the tympanum are relatively larger.

The skull of a very old animal, compared with the skull of an adult, is characterized by a relatively even more elongated facial part, massive, very widely spaced zygomatic arches, high, very strongly developed ridges, a wider forehead and a greater distance between the ends of the supraorbital processes, and a sharp compression of the braincase behind the supraorbital processes.

Sex differences in the skull are expressed only in slightly smaller average sizes of female skulls. Age-related changes their skulls are expressed in the same way as those of males.

The intestinal length of adult Central Russian wolves (2 specimens) is 460-575 cm, arriving at the age of about 7-8 months. 390-420 cm (3 copies); the ratio to body length for the former is 4.13 and 4.62, for the latter 3.64 and 3.86. The relative weight of the heart (Hessian index) varies from 7.32 to 13.07, and in young people it is apparently less than in old ones. The length of the intestine (without the cecum) and the corresponding index of two adult males from the Far North (tundra of the Arkhangelsk region, Taimyr) are 698 cm and 1: 5.3 and 490 cm and 1: 4.0. Their heart weight is 800 g and 16.4% (?) and 437 g and 9.34%. The diploid number of chromosomes is 78, the main number is 80.

The size of wolves is subject to geographic variability. The body length of an adult wolf varies between 105 and 160 cm, the tail length is between 29 and 50 cm (usually from 40 to 50), the length of the hind foot is about 220-250 mm, and the ear height is about 110-190 mm. Shoulder height 80-85 cm, possibly up to 100 cm.

The weight of adult Central Russian wolves usually ranges between 32 and 50 kg. Females are usually not as massive as males, and are slightly smaller in size and significantly smaller in weight than males. Average weight females make up about 80-85% of the average weight of males.

Information about the weight of wolves available in literature, especially old, hunting and popular literature, can be exaggerated. This is explained by the fact that they are mostly based on determining the weight of especially large animals “by eye”. IN lately in some areas, mainly middle zone European part of the Union, accurate data on weighing quite large series of animals appeared. These figures make us cautious about many old data on the average weight of wolves from different parts of the range.

However, in some places there are sometimes huge wolves. Such animals, however, are very rare. For Central Russia in the general form the maximum weight of a wolf is 69-79 kg.

Some more accurate cases carried out recently are as follows. For the Saratov region a wolf weighing 62.4 kg is indicated, for the forest belt of the European part of the country 69 kg, for the Moscow region a male weighing 76 kg is known - this is the largest of the 250 animals killed by the famous wolf hunter V. M. Hartuleri. For Ukraine, an animal weighing 92 (Lugansk region) and 96 kg (Chernigov region) is indicated; for Altai - a male weighing 72 kg. In the Zoological Museum of Moscow University there is a stuffed Central Russian wolf, weighing about 80 kg.

Since ancient times people have revered and feared Wolf, they called him the elder brother, they scared children with him, they made up legends and retellings about him. The wolf genus itself is quite extensive, including coyotes and jackals, but it is wolves became the direct and closest ancestors of the domestic dog.

Wolf is a fairly large predator from the mammal family, which used to be found almost everywhere in Russia and the CIS. But due to a number of problems caused by technological progress, the habitat of these animals has narrowed significantly in recent decades.

The name itself " wolf"comes from the ancient Slavic language, has ancient Indo-European roots and literally means " drag" or "drag."

It turns out that the Wolf family is quite extensive - there are about 32 different subspecies of wolves, but only six main ones are found on the territory of Russia - tundra, Central Russian forest, Mongolian, Caucasian, Siberian and steppe.

What do wolves eat

Basic Wolf's diet are ungulates depending on their habitat. It could be reindeer, horses, roe deer, pigs, moose, goats, both wild and domesticated.

In desert regions, Wolves hunt antelope and sheep. Due to the expansion of human activity and the introduction of man into natural environment In the habitat of wolves, predator attacks on livestock farms occur.

But wolf population constantly decreasing due to lack of food and constant hunting for them. During difficult periods, Wolves can feed on frogs, lizards and even large insects. They sometimes eat berries, mushrooms and fruits, and to quench their thirst they can plunder a watermelon or melon planting.

Where does the Wolf live?

Wolves prefer wooded areas and choose flat or mountainous areas with sparse vegetation and a temperate climate for housing.

Pack of Wolves usually occupies an area of ​​30 to 60 km and prefers a sedentary way of existence. But in the spring-summer period, this area is divided into fragments in accordance with the hierarchy of the pack: the best goes to the strongest Wolves.

Wolves can also be found in the north in the taiga and tundra near human settlements.

Wolves are smart and they understand that where there is a person, you can always profit from something. And although they do harm agriculture, but, on the other hand, they also regulate the balance of the ecosystem, controlling the number of animals and acting as forest orderlies.

Are Wolves Dangerous to Humans?

Scientists have come to the conclusion that the Wolf will not attack a person just like that, since he has an instinct of self-preservation. But sometimes there are sad cases of attacks by animals suffering from rabies. Or if there is a severe shortage of food.

Wolves breeding

Mating season for wolves lasts from January to April. Wolves are monogamous and lead a family lifestyle; a couple stays together until one of the partners dies.

Before the onset of estrus, the she-wolf does not accept the sexual advances of the male. Brutal fights for the attention of females, often with fatal consequences, are absolutely normal among Wolves.

She-wolves reach sexual maturity in the second year of life, and Wolves - at 3 years.

Wolves have only 1 estrus per year, so that the cubs are born in the warm spring, when there is enough food around.

Wolf couple First, he takes care of a safe shelter for future offspring. These can be either various secluded places, or other people’s burrows of badgers or arctic foxes; they rarely dig their own burrows.

Only the She-Wolf uses the lair; she is also involved in raising small wolf cubs, which at first resemble the puppies of an ordinary dog. Usually, the She-Wolf gives birth to from 3 to 13 wolf cubs, and the whole pack helps to feed them.

But despite close care from parents and other Wolves, in the first year of life only 20-40% of wolf cubs survive. This is due to disease, lack of food and competition within the family, when stronger puppies receive more food, and weaker ones gradually die.

Wolves have a rather interesting voice, which has much greater capabilities than other animals. Wolves don't just howl They are also believed to be able to grumble, whine, squeal, yelp, bark and growl. Moreover, they are fully aware of these sounds and understand the information voiced by their fellow tribesmen. This helps to find out where prey is hiding, where to go hunting, and even report the appearance of people. And the collective howl of a wolf is a distinctive feature of active social life.

By the way, The wolves can hear fellow tribesman and transmit messages from a distance of about 8 kilometers.

The Wolf has a very highly developed sense of smell, he distinguishes odors 100 times better than a person, so scent plays one of the main roles in the wolf family.

Wolves are strong and hardy animals that can cover a distance of up to 80 km, and if necessary develop speed 60 km/h, which is one of the important conditions for survival.

In nature Wolves survive up to 15 years, but already at 10-12 years old they show signs of old age.

The wolf also symbolizes devotion and loyalty in the family; it is associated with many heroes folk tales and epics of the ancient cultures of the peoples of the North, where he personifies strength and courage. But sometimes he is perceived as an evil and negative character who is greedy and greedy, and sometimes serves dark forces.