There are about seven distinct species of wolves, and another seventeen (or so) varieties of gray wolf, making a total of about 24 species that can be found throughout the world.

Wolf- a typical predator that gets food on its own active search and persecution of victims. Everywhere, the basis of wolves' diet is made up of ungulates: in the tundra - wild and domestic reindeer; in the forest zone - moose, roe deer, wild pigs, domestic sheep, cows, horses; near the steppe and desert - antelopes different types and sheep; in the mountains there are wild and domestic goats.

polar Wolf (Canis lupus tundrarum) is one of the rarest animals on our planet. The polar wolf's habitat is the Arctic. To harsh conditions arctic climate The wolf is well adapted. Its thick, warm, windproof coat helps it survive in extreme temperatures. The wolf has keen eyesight and an excellent sense of smell, which are indispensable in hunting the small living creatures that inhabit these harsh places. Meager supplies of biological food and difficulties in obtaining food lead to the fact that the wolf eats its prey entirely, leaving neither the skin nor bones of the caught animals after the meal. Having an average weight of 60 to 80 kg and a height of up to 80 centimeters, the polar wolf is able to survive without food for several weeks in the event of an unsuccessful hunt, but then can eat up to 10 kilograms of meat at one time. Polar wolves live in packs of up to 10 individuals and hunt polar hares, reindeer and other animals. In one litter of a she-wolf, approximately 3 to 5 cubs are born. The unique fur of the polar wolf has always attracted increased attention from hunters, which has brought the polar wolf to the brink of extinction. Due to global warming and the melting of polar ice, the number of polar wolves continues to decline due to sudden changes in the climate of its usual habitats. Currently, the polar wolf is listed in the Red Book, and hunting it is prohibited.

– a rare species included in the IUCN Red Book and the Red Book of the Russian Federation. In Russia it is endangered. Hunting is allowed in India, but only with licenses. Externally this animal has peculiar look– the features of a gray wolf, a fox and a jackal are mixed. Body length 76-103 cm, tail – 40-48 cm, weight – 14-21 kg. The red wolf has thick, long, reddish-red fur on its back and sides, and on its chest, belly, and the inside of its legs, which are cream-colored. The long fluffy tail is similar to a fox's, it is darker than the rest of the body, almost black at the end. The head shows a dark pattern around the eyes and on the nose. The red wolf is a predator; it feeds mainly on wild animals, but in the summer it also consumes plant foods, namely mountain rhubarb. This plant is always found in dens with puppies. It is believed that wolves feed them to small wolf cubs, regurgitating half-digested rhubarb inflorescences. Sometimes they eat carrion. Wolves hunt in packs of 15-20 individuals and act very harmoniously, which allows them to catch even a large animal, for example, a buffalo. Thanks to their endurance, they drive their prey to exhaustion, after which its fate is sealed. Red wolves are quite talkative animals. Wakeful animals almost constantly emit a quiet whine, apparently maintaining communication with other members of the pack. In India, red caps reproduce within six months. The duration of pregnancy in females is 60-68 days. The average litter size is 4-6 puppies. The wolf cubs are dark brown in color, blind, weighing 200-350 g. The pups leave the hole at 70-80 days, and at seven months they already participate in collective hunting. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-3 years. Life expectancy in captivity is about 16 years. In captivity this period is much shorter.

Marsupial wolf or thylacine, as it is otherwise known, is officially considered an extinct animal. According to official data, the last wild representative of this species was killed in 1930, and the last one kept in captivity in a private zoo died of old age in 1936. But there is still a possibility that the marsupial wolf still managed to survive in the wilderness of Tasmania (where it once thrived). But so far not a single animal has been caught or even photographed. But scientists do not lose hope. In 1999, scientists from the National Australian Museum, based in Sydney, issued a press statement announcing the start of an ambitious project to create a clone of the thylacine. The scientists intended to use the DNA of marsupial wolf pups that had been preserved in alcohol. DNA was extracted, but, alas, the samples turned out to be damaged and unsuitable for the experiment. The project was suspended. But in 2008, scientists managed to “revive” one of the marsupial wolf genes and “embed” it into a mouse embryo. So who is this marsupial wolf? The marsupial wolf (Tasmanian wolf or marsupial tiger) is a mammal, the only one in the thylacine family. Its first studies and descriptions date back to 1808. These descriptions were made by a certain Harris, he was an amateur naturalist. His work was published by the Linnean Society of London. The thylacine was one of the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world. The length of its body reached one and a half meters, and even more with its tail. Height at the withers is approximately sixty centimeters. The weight of the marsupial wolf was twenty to twenty-five kilograms. But the most amazing thing about his appearance was his mouth - elongated and elongated, it could open as much as 120 degrees. An interesting fact is known that when a wolf yawned, its jaws formed a straight line (well, almost a straight line).

(Chrysocyon brachyurus) or guar, aguarachai gets its name from the long hair that adorns its shoulders and neck, reminiscent of a horse's mane. The habitat of the maned wolf is mainly savannas South America, but it can also be found in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and Northern Argentina, where it lives in the pampas and along the edges of swamps overgrown with tall grass. Lean and light, the maned wolf has red fur, an elongated muzzle and large ears, which makes it look vaguely like a very large fox. The body length of the maned wolf, from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, is approximately 160 cm, the height of the wolf at the shoulders reaches, on average, 75 cm, and the weight varies from 20 to 23 kilograms. Aguarachai is the tallest-legged of all known wolf species. The long legs help the maned wolf locate prey over the tall grasses that cover savannas and wetlands. The wolf hunts, as a rule, alone, and its prey is mainly small animals, such as agouti, pacu, various birds and reptiles. The wolf also eats fruits and other plant foods, carries poultry, and is capable of attacking sheep when gathering in flocks. Auarachai live in pairs, but rarely contact each other. Maned wolf cubs have a black coat color and are born in winter, 2-3 cubs per litter. Aguarachai or maned wolves are listed as endangered on the International Red List of Threatened Species. Currently, there is no immediate threat of extinction, but the maned wolf still remains a very rare animal.

(Canis lupus arctos), also called the Ellesmere wolf or Arctic wolf, lives in North America on a group of Arctic islands and in the northern part of Greenland. The Melville Island wolf is slightly smaller in size than the common wolf, and its length, from ears to tip of tail, varies from 90 to 180 cm. The wolf reaches a maximum height of 69-79 cm, with a weight of about 45 kg, although especially large , adult males can weigh about 80 kg. Melville fur island wolf usually light white or greyish. A wolf's ears are small in size, which helps it efficiently use heat in conditions low temperatures. For more successful hunting, Melville wolves unite in packs of 5-10 individuals. The main objects of hunting for the Melville Island wolf are reindeer and musk oxen, to which the wolf pack uses driven hunting tactics, attacking mainly weakened prey that cannot offer strong resistance. The wolf's food also includes arctic hares, lemmings and, occasionally, moose. Permafrost is a significant obstacle that makes it difficult for a wolf to set up and dig a den, so wolves use the natural landscape and place their homes in rock ledges, caves or small depressions. The Melville Island wolf gives birth to few cubs, 2-3 cubs per litter, which is largely due to harsh conditions life in the arctic climate.

Belongs to the class of mammals and the order of carnivores. The name Japanese wolf comes from two subspecies of the common wolf family (Canis lupus), which once lived on the islands of Japan. In the worldwide classification, the Japanese wolf belongs to the Hokkaido wolf (Canis lupus hattai). He is also known as Ezo, a wolf who lived on the island of Hokkaido. And the second subspecies is the Hondos wolf or Honshu wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax). Today, both species are considered extinct. By external dimensions Hokkaido was much larger than the Honshu wolf, and in parameters approaching the size common wolf. In 1889, this subspecies became extinct due to the increased settlement of the island for the construction of farms, during the Meiji restoration. The existing Meiji Government determined a reward for anyone who brought the head of a killed wolf, thereby organizing a campaign to exterminate them.

Lyre wolf found exclusively in South America

Newfoundland Wolf - Officially extinct in 1911

Newfoundland Wolf (Canis lupus beothucus) The Newfoundland wolf lived on an island near Newfoundland east coast Canada. The color was light with a dark stripe along the ridge. Dimensions were an average of 5.5 feet (from nose to tip of tail). Diet consisted of: Caribou (as reindeer are called in Canada), beavers, voles and other rodents. Hunting and fur trapping in the region led to the complete extinction of this species in 1911. The extinction was also influenced by factors such as a severe food shortage in 1900, which led to a sharp decline in the caribou population.

A wolf very similar to a fox. This species is endangered; for its fur, which has no analogues (the color of the fur can reach yellow), this animal is widely hunted.

Also known as the Mountain Wolf, Alaskan Wolf, or Canadian Forest Wolf. A direct relative of our timber wolf, but due to specific habitat conditions it has thicker fur and a whitish color that remains even in summer.

There are six subspecies of wolves found in Russia:

Tundra wolf, Central Russian forest wolf, Siberian forest wolf, Steppe wolf, Caucasian wolf, Mongolian wolf.

Contrary to popular belief, it is this wolf that reaches its maximum size on the Eurasian continent, and not the tundra one. The coloring is classic, and not lightened, like the tundra. The body length of adult Central Russian forest wolves can exceed 160 cm, and the height at the shoulders can reach 1 meter. Of course, such dimensions can only apply to very large individuals. It is generally accepted that on average an adult male weighs 40 - 45 kg, a mature male (about 1 year and 8 months old) weighs about 35 kg, and a mature male (8 months old) weighs 25 kg. She-wolves weigh 15 - 20% less. Anyone who is familiar with old hunting literature, or who has been to “wolf” corners and talked with local residents, has probably read or heard about huge wolves. How much weight can wolves reach? For Central Russia V scientific works The maximum weight is indicated in the range of 69 - 80 kg. (Ognev, Zvorykin). And here are the results of weighing specific animals. For the Moscow region - a male weighing 76 kg, the largest of the 250 wolves caught by the wolf hunter V.M. Hartuleri, famous in the thirties and forties of the last century. For Altai - a male weighing 72 kg. The wolf, stuffed of which is in the Moscow State University zoo museum, weighed 80 kg (5 pounds). According to N.D. Sysoev, the head of the state hunting inspection of the Vladimir region, in the period from 1951 to 1963, 641 wolves were killed, of which 17 were especially large. Among these animals, the largest weight was: of males - 79 kg, caught in the Sobinsky district, from females - 62 kg. The footprint of the right front paw of this huge, almost eighty-kilogram animal had a length of 16 and a width of 10 cm. It must be said that wolves are also indicated for Ukraine large sizes- 92 kg from the Lugansk region and 96 kg from the Chernigov region, but the conditions for determining the mass of these animals are unknown. The Central Russian forest wolf lives throughout the forest and forest-steppe zone the European part of Russia, probably penetrates into Western Siberia. In the north, it is quite possible for it to enter the forest-tundra, however, in the same way as the tundra into the taiga.

It is also a large animal, not inferior in its average size to the previous subspecies. According to many scientists, it is still conditionally identified as a separate subspecies, since the taxonomy Siberian wolves still poorly developed. The predominant color is light gray, ocher tones are poorly visible or absent altogether. The fur, although not as tall and silky as that of the tundra wolf, is also thick and soft. Its habitat is largely considered to be Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Kamchatka, in addition to the tundra zone, as well as Transbaikalia.

In general, somewhat smaller than the forest one, with sparse and coarser hair. The color on the back is with a noticeable predominance of rusty-gray or even brown hair, and the sides are light gray. Its range includes the steppes of southern Russia, including the Cis-Caucasian, Caspian, Ural and Lower Volga regions. Poorly studied. A system of specific characteristics has not been developed. The number is low, especially in western parts range.

A medium-sized animal with coarse and short guard hair and rather poorly developed underfur. The color is noticeably darker than the subspecies described above due to the black guard hairs evenly distributed throughout the skin. The overall tone is dirty gray, dull. Within our country, the range is limited to the Main Caucasus Range and its wooded foothills.

The Mongolian wolf is the smallest in size compared to all the wolves that live in Russia. Average weight males of this species do not exceed 40 kg. The Mongolian wolf has a dull, dirty gray hue, coarse and coarse fur. This subspecies of wolves is common in the eastern and southwestern Transbaikalia and the Primorsky Territory.

Lifestyle of wolves. Migration of wolves in search of new territories

Lifestyle of wolves

Wolves are active mainly at night, but sometimes they can be found during the day. They make their presence known by a vocal howl, which is very different in character among adult males, she-wolves and young ones, and also depending on the situation. The fact is that with the help of various kinds of howls, wolves exchange information about the presence of prey, the appearance of other wolves in the territory of the pack, the appearance of people and other important events. Wolves also have fairly developed facial expressions - the expressions of their muzzle, posture and tail position can be very diverse, which reflects the emotional state of the animals and is of paramount importance for establishing contacts between individuals or, conversely, preventing collisions. Of the analyzers in wolves, the most developed is hearing, some weaker are vision and smell.
Well-developed higher nervous activity in wolves is combined with strength, agility, tirelessness, running speed and other physical characteristics that significantly increase the chances of this predator in the fight for survival. Without visible effort, he can carry a sheep in his teeth, holding it in front of him or throwing it behind his back. If necessary, the wolf reaches speeds of up to 55-60 kilometers per hour, capable of traveling up to 60-80 km. per night, and on average per day (in the forest zone) to cover over 20 km.

In the tundra, as well as in the mountains, wolves carry out seasonal migrations behind herds of wild and domestic ungulates. Sometimes there is a noticeable increase in the number of wolves in a certain area as a result of a sharp deterioration in living conditions in neighboring areas. Migration of wolves in search of new territories In a wolf pack there is a strict hierarchical ladder, which is determined by a very complex set of relationships in the pack, the age of its members and feats in hunting. The least respected are young wolves, who occupy the lowest places in the hierarchy; they are the ones who often fight off the pack, showing pride and impatience with oppression from their older brothers. Such wolves migrate from the territory occupied by the pack over quite long distances in search of the same tribesmen or smaller packs with weaker leaders and available lone wolves. Lone wolves move carefully, avoiding encounters with humans, but not necessarily at night. Along the way, the wolf stops to hunt, often for livestock. When meeting lonely brothers, they flock into small flocks and continue their journey in search of free territories and rich hunting grounds. In this case, a pack of migrating wolves can consist of up to three or five individuals. When united in a pack, wolves often attack shepherds and enter small villages, but only when they have no luck in the hunt for a long time. A meeting between migrating wolves and a pack of fellow tribesmen can result in trouble for a weaker enemy. Thus, going through difficulties and trials, wolves explore new territories, sometimes running hundreds of kilometers.

Wolf hunting. How wolves divide territory

Wolf Hunt

Wolves belong to the canine family and are very similar to dogs and appearance and habits. Well-developed muscles and fairly long legs allow them to run quite quickly. Wolves used to be very numerous in the Northern Hemisphere, but they have been exterminated in many countries. Wolves live in packs according to the laws of hierarchy (one wolf dominates the others) and communicate using a whole range of sounds of different tones.
How do wolves hunt? They move in search of prey along the same routes, more than 160 kilometers long. Sometimes it takes them several weeks to cover all the trails. Wolves are predators, so they eat meat. They attack other animals that they meet along the way. Wolves hunt deer, elk and other large ungulates. In Canada and Alaska, wolves follow on the heels of caribou herds, attacking young animals and weak, sick animals. In the north, wolves hunt musk oxen. And if they see a herd of livestock left unattended, they will immediately attack it. Wolves also hunt hares and other rodents, but only if there is no easier prey nearby. Hungry animals, having lost hope, will feast on fresh meat and are content with wild berries.

How wolves divide territory

Owning a huge territory, a pack of polar wolves, for example, will, of course, not be able to maintain exclusive rights to it, but wolves living in the forest, whose possessions are much smaller, are forced to clearly recognize the border of their territory. Wolves mark their possessions with the smell of their own body, raising their paws like domestic dogs. They do this especially carefully on the border with the territory of another flock. So that the neighbors understand who they are dealing with and are afraid to violate the border. Smells play an even greater role in communication between wolves than sounds. If one pack of wolves, for example, in the process of hunting intersects with another, then a bloody showdown with the victims is inevitable, which is why the wolves howl, warning others about their location. The alpha male usually begins to howl, his howl is picked up by others. When chasing prey, wolves howl, making shorter sounds, notifying their fellows where they are. All wolf packs nearby respond to the howl of one of the packs, and an unimaginable forest cacophony immediately begins. However, it often happens that one of the flocks does not reasonably pick up someone else’s howl, it is numerically too small, and therefore it needs to hide or retreat as quickly as possible for the same reasons. It should be noted that a lone wolf will never howl

Life in wolf's clothing

Have you ever wondered where this expression came from? For some reason, it is generally accepted that life in a wolf’s skin means, first of all, the risk of running into a hunter at any moment, whose first intention will be to take this very skin from you. It may well be that life in wolf skin is not at all a fear of dying at the hands of a hunter, but a fear of dying alone? In ancient times, it was believed that wolves embodied in their essence all the evil that lives in the forests. In all children's fairy tales, undoubtedly, the wolf appears in the image of a negative hero, but if you think carefully, it was we who created such an image of the wolf. Maybe, in fact, wolves are completely different? One day, having come across a television program about domesticated wild animals, I was able to imagine real image wolf, not inspired by false ideas. Like a faithful dog, huge Gray wolf, while playing, licked the hands of his owner, the man who had long ago picked him up as a wolf cub in the forest, cured him and, in fact, given him a new life. Why did the wolf, such a terrible and lonely animal, sincerely thank his savior and educator? Perhaps because he found a true friend among people and is now not afraid to die alone.

Wolf- this is, first of all, the highest symbol of freedom in the animal world, a symbol of independence (while the so-called king of beasts - the lion - is trained in the circus).
Wolf- This is also a symbol of fearlessness. In any fight, the wolf fights until victory or death.
Wolf does not pick up carrion, which means it is a symbol of purity.
Wolf lives as a family, cares only for his wolf wife, and the wolf father himself raises his wolf children. Among wolves there is no such vice as adultery.
Wolf- this is also a symbol of high morality and devotion to family (which cannot be said about males of other animals).
Wolf - a symbol of justice and ambition. Under normal conditions, the wolf will not allow, for its part, to offend the weaker.

27 comments on the article Wolf Breeds

The common wolf (or gray wolf) is a large predatory animal 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 wear off 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 throughout almost 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 boars, 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.

Life expectancy of wolves wildlife ranges from 7 to 10 years.

brief information about the wolf.

Appearance: A well-built body with a broad chest rests on tall, muscular legs with tightly clenched toes. The forehead-shaped and at the same time graceful head of a wolf with medium-sized ears and a long pincer is decorated with dark stripes around almost pure white cheeks and light spots above the eyes. The short tail hangs almost straight.
The fur is thick and long (up to 8 cm); the undercoat is formed by hard, long black guard hairs at the ends, which repel water, which is why the wolf's undercoat does not get wet. The hair of animals from the middle and southern regions is coarse, while those from the northern regions are quite fluffy and soft.
Wolves moult twice a year. Spring molting in the north begins in the second half of April and lasts until June. Thinning of winter fur begins from the nape and sides, while at the same time the hair on the rump falls off. Gradually, the hair change spreads to the ridge and back of the body. Autumn molting in the north covers the period from late August to late October, sometimes until mid-November.

Lifespan: Wolves can live 12-16 years; many of them die of hunger, others die from a variety of diseases to which they are susceptible in the same way as dogs.

Eating behavior: On average, wolves eat 4.5 kg of meat per day, and in case of successful harvest they can eat up to 9 kg. A wolf requires at least 1.5 kg of food per day, and about 2.3 kg for successful reproduction. Ideas about the extreme gluttony of the wolf are exaggerated and are explained by the fact that predators, having caught one or another large animal and having had enough, take away the remaining meat and hide it, so that it seems that the prey was eaten at one time. Wolves are hardy animals and can go without food for two weeks or more.

Behavior

In most cases, the wolf confines itself to a den; much less often (mainly in open areas - steppe, tundra, etc.) it settles in burrows, adapting old burrows of marmots, foxes, badgers, and arctic foxes. For a den, he usually uses natural shelters - depressions under the roots of an inverted tree, among a windbreak, a rock cleft or the slope of a ravine, etc. The den is located in the most remote place, difficult for humans to reach - in an overgrown ravine, on a mane among a vast swamp or in a dense small forests on its outskirts, etc. If there is a lack of convenient places, especially in the steppe regions, but sometimes even in the forest zone, the den is made in the remains of hay or straw. The den is used with great consistency from year to year, and only the complete extermination of the brood leads to the disappearance of wolves from a given point for a number of years. A permanent den serves only for the period of raising young ones, and during the rest of the year, wolves lead a more or less wandering life. However, in middle lane migrations do not leave the boundaries of the hunting area and only in the tundra and steppes are of a wider nature.
The wolf has a well-developed sense of smell and hearing, which helps it easily find prey. In the wind, he picks up the scent of even the smallest animal located 1-2 kilometers away. Having heard a noise, the wolf moves its ears and determines where the sound comes from.
Wolves can be found in different time days, but they are most active at night and at dusk. Most often, wolves move at a walk or trot, less often at a gallop, and in some cases, at a short distance, they move to a quarry. The chain of traces is distinguished by its straightness, and each individual print has a clear outline.
A pack of wolves moves in single file, exactly like a trail, and only at turns and stopping places can you find out the number of animals. Thanks to its strong muscular paws, the wolf can trot for a long time at a speed of 9 km/h, and in pursuit of deer and elk it accelerates to 60 km/h.
Wolves have a well-developed sign language (facial expressions, position and movements of the tail, head, ears, body, etc.), which unites the pack and helps it act together. A welcoming ceremony is also obligatory in the pack, when the members of the pack express their respect to the leader - they approach him crawling with their ears flattened and their fur smoothed, licking and carefully biting his face.

Hunting behavior: Wolves are very highly developed predators. They have great physical strength, endurance and agility. When wolves hunt in packs, they distribute responsibilities among themselves: part of the pack drives the prey, while the other sits in ambush. The hunting methods of wolves are extremely varied and depend both on the conditions of the area, the type of prey, and on the experience of a particular individual or pack. Thus, in winter, wolves often drive ungulates onto crust or frozen ponds, where it is easier for them to catch up and overpower even strong prey. Some packs drive their prey into natural dead ends: tree debris, scattered stones, ravines, etc. Like foxes, wolves can “mouse” while hunting for small rodents and insectivores. Feature The feeding behavior of wolves, like many other predators, is food storage. It has long been known that a wolf never hunts near its nest; this is precisely what can explain the observation of young roe deer and wolf cubs playing together in the same clearing.
Depending on the results of the hunt, the night journey is 25-40 km, but if necessary it can be much longer. As indicated, in the central zone of the country, even in autumn-winter period migrations and go beyond the permanent hunting area of ​​a given pair or family. In the tundra and in the Asian steppes and deserts, wolf migrations cover much larger areas and often take on the character of long-distance migrations following herds of reindeer, roe deer, etc. In the mountains, regular seasonal movements of wolves are observed from one vegetation zone to another. For example, in the Caucasus, wolves in the summer and autumn stay mainly in the alpine and subalpine zones, and in the winter they migrate down to the fir and beech forests, where there is less snow and the main wintering grounds of ungulates are concentrated. In addition to regular seasonal movements, there are known cases of sudden appearance of large numbers of wolves in some areas.

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 family Canidae, 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 of 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 the summer. 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) have 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 a distance of 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, he is afraid strangers and will hide from them, and not 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, more than 80 thousand wolves were killed in the US state of Montana alone.

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 hunted in 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 from 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 peck leftovers from 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 they were at high risk of becoming 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 conservation laws in 1934. 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 mid-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.”

Wolf, or gray wolf, or common wolf - carnivorous mammal canine family. Together with the coyote and the jackal, it forms a small genus of wolves. In addition, as shown by the results of DNA sequence studies and genetic drift, it is the direct ancestor of the domestic dog, which is usually considered a subspecies of the wolf. The wolf is the largest animal in its family: its body length (without tail) can reach 160 cm, tail up to 52 cm, height at the withers up to 90 cm; body weight up to 86 kg. The wolf was once much more widespread in Eurasia and North America. In our time, its range and the total number of animals have noticeably decreased, mainly as a result of human activity: changes in natural landscapes, urbanization and mass extermination. In many regions of the world, the wolf is on the verge of complete extinction, although in the north of the continents its population still remains stable. Despite the fact that the wolf population continues to decline, it is still hunted in many places as a potential danger to humans and livestock, or for entertainment. As one of the key predators, wolves play a very important role in the balance of ecosystems in biomes such as temperate forests, taiga, tundra, mountain systems and steppes. In total, there are approximately 32 subspecies of wolves, differing in size and shades of fur. In the territory Russian Federation The most common species are common and tundra wolves. The Slavic word wolf goes back to Proto-Indo-European vocabulary.

Appearance The size and overall weight of wolves are subject to strong geographic variability; it was noticed that they change proportionally depending on the surrounding climate and in full accordance with Bergmann's rule (the colder the climate, the larger the animal). In general, the height of animals at the withers ranges from 60-95 cm, length 105-160 cm, and weight 32-62 kg, which makes the common wolf one of the largest mammals in the family. Newly grown (one-year-old) wolves weigh between 20-30 kg, mature wolves (2-3 years old) - 35-45 kg. A wolf matures at the age of 2.5-3 years, reaching a weight of 50 kilograms or more. In Siberia and Alaska, large seasoned wolves can weigh more than 77 kg. A large animal was recorded in 1939 in Alaska: its weight was about 80 kg. An 86-kilogram wolf was killed in Ukraine in the Poltava region. It is believed that in Siberia the weight of individual specimens can exceed 92 kg. The smallest subspecies should be considered the Arabian wolf, the females of which mature age can weigh only 10 kg. Within the same population, males are always larger than females by about 20%, and with a more forehead. In general appearance, the wolf resembles a large, pointy-eared dog. Legs are high and strong; the paw is larger and more elongated than a dog's, the length of the footprint is about 9 - 12 cm, the width is 7 cm, the middle two toes are more forward, the toes are not spread out and the print is more prominent than that of a dog. The track of a wolf's tracks is smoother and forms an almost even line, while for dogs it is a winding line. The head is broad-browed, the muzzle is relatively wide, strongly elongated and framed on the sides by “whiskers”. The massive muzzle of the wolf distinguishes it well from the jackal and coyote, in which it is narrower and sharper. In addition, it is very expressive: scientists distinguish more than 10 facial expressions: anger, anger, humility, affection, fun, alertness, threat, calmness, fear. The skull is large, massive, high. The nasal opening is wide, especially noticeably widening downwards. Maximum length of the skull of males 268-285, females 251-268, condylobasal length of the skull, males 250-262, females 230-247, zygomatic width of males 147-160, females 136-159, interorbital width of males 84 - 90, females 78 - 85 , length of the upper row of teeth in males is 108-116, in females 100-112 mm.

The structure of a wolf's teeth is an important characteristic that determines the lifestyle of this predator. The upper jaw has 6 incisors, 2 canines, 8 premolars and 4 molars. The lower jaw contains 2 more molars. The fourth upper premolars and the first lower molars constitute carnivorous teeth that perform main role when cutting game. The fangs with which the predator holds and drags the prey also play an important role. A wolf's teeth can withstand a load of more than 10 megapascals and are both its main weapon and means of defense. Their loss is disastrous for the wolf and leads to hunger and loss of capacity. The tail is quite long, thick and, unlike a dog's, is always lowered; hunters call it “log”. The tail is the expressive “language” of the wolf. By its position and movement one can judge the mood of the wolf, if he is calm or afraid, his position in the pack. Wolves' fur is thick, quite long and consists of two layers, which is why sometimes the animal looks larger than it actually is. The first layer of wool consists of hard guard hairs that repel water and dirt. The second layer, called the undercoat, contains waterproof down that keeps the animal warm. In late spring or early summer, fluff peels off from the body in clumps (molting), while animals rub against stones or tree branches to facilitate this process. There are significant differences in coloration between wolf subspecies, often according to environment. Forest wolves are gray-brown. Tundra - light, almost white. Desert ones are grayish-reddish. In the highlands of Central Asia, wolves are bright ocher in color. In addition, there are pure white, red or almost black individuals. In wolf cubs, the color is uniform, dark and lightens with age, and the blue iris of the eyes usually becomes golden yellow or orange after 8-16 weeks of life. In rare cases, wolves have blue eyes for their entire lives. Within the same population, coat color can also vary among individuals or have mixed shades. The differences relate only to the outer layer of the coat - the undercoat is always gray. It is often believed that the color of the coat is intended to blend the animal with its environment, that is, it acts as camouflage; however, this is not entirely true: some scientists point out that mixed colors enhance the individuality of a particular individual. Wolf tracks are distinguishable from dog tracks by several features: the side fingers (index and little fingers) are set back more than the middle fingers (middle and ring fingers); if you draw a straight line from the tip of the little finger to the tip of the index finger, then the back ends of the middle fingers will only slightly go beyond this line, whereas the dog will have about a third of the length of the pads of the middle fingers behind the line. Also, the wolf keeps its paw “in a ball”, so the print is more prominent, and therefore the wolf’s footprint is somewhat smaller than the footprint of a dog of the same size. In addition, the track of a wolf's tracks is much straighter than the track of a dog's tracks, which serves as a reliable " identification mark" Track seasoned wolf has a length of 9.5 - 10.5 cm, a width of 6-7 cm; the she-wolf is 8.5-9.5 cm and 5-6 cm.

Habitat In historical times, among terrestrial mammals the wolf's range occupied the second largest area after the human range, covering most of the Northern Hemisphere; has now decreased greatly. In Europe, the wolf is preserved in Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, the Balkans, and the Baltic states. In Asia, it inhabits Korea, partly China and the Hindustan Peninsula, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the north Arabian Peninsula; extinct in Japan. In North America it is found from Alaska to Mexico. In Russia it is absent only on some islands (Sakhalin, Kuril Islands). The wolf lives in a wide variety of landscapes, but prefers steppes, semi-deserts, tundra, forest-steppe, avoiding dense forest areas. In the mountains, distributed from the foot to the region alpine meadows, sticking to open, slightly rough areas. Can settle close to human habitation. In the taiga zone it spread after humans, as the taiga was cut down. The wolf is a fairly territorial creature. Breeding pairs, and often flocks, live sedentary in certain areas, the boundaries of which are indicated by odorous marks. The diameter of the area occupied by the flock in winter is usually 30-60 kilometers. In spring and summer, when the flock breaks up, the territory occupied by it is divided into several fragments. The best of them is captured and held by the main pair, the rest of the wolves switch to a semi-vagrant lifestyle. In open steppes and tundra, wolves often wander after moving herds of livestock or domestic reindeer. Dens are built for breeding; Usually they are served by natural shelters - crevices in rocks, thickets of bushes, etc. Sometimes wolves occupy the holes of badgers, marmots, arctic foxes and other animals, less often they dig them themselves. The female is most attached to the den while raising offspring; the male does not use it. The young are bred in sheltered places: in the forest belt - mainly in dense bushes, on manes among swampy swamps; in the steppes - along ravines overgrown with bushes, gullies and dry reed beds near lakes; in the tundra - on the hills. It is characteristic that wolves never hunt close to their home, but at a distance of 7-10 km and further. After the wolf cubs grow up, the animals stop using a permanent den, but settle down to rest in different but reliable places. Small wolf cubs are brownish in color, very similar to ordinary puppies.

Lifestyle and nutrition The wolf is a typical predator that obtains food by actively searching for and pursuing victims. The basis of wolves' diet is ungulates: in the tundra - reindeer; in the forest zone - elk, deer, roe deer, wild boars; in the steppes and deserts - antelopes. Wolves also attack domestic animals (sheep, cows, horses), including dogs. They also catch, especially solitary wolves, smaller prey: hares, gophers, mouse-like rodents. In summer, wolves do not miss the opportunity to eat a clutch of eggs, chicks sitting on the nests or feeding on the ground of grouse, waterfowl and other birds. Domestic geese are also often caught. Foxes, raccoon dogs, and corsac dogs sometimes become prey for wolves; Occasionally, hungry wolves attack bears sleeping in a den. There are many known cases when they tore and ate weakened animals, wounded by hunters or seriously injured in a fight during the rutting season. Unlike many other predators, wolves often return to the uneaten remains of their prey, especially during the hungry season. They do not disdain the corpses of livestock, and on the sea coasts - the carcasses of seals and other sea animals washed ashore. During periods of starvation, wolves eat reptiles, frogs and even large insects (beetles, locusts). Wolves, especially in the southern regions, also eat plant foods - various berries, wild and garden fruits, even mushrooms. In the steppes, they often raid melon fields, watermelons and melons, satisfying not so much hunger as thirst, since they need regular, plentiful watering.

They are active mainly at night. Wolves often make their presence known with a loud howl, which differs greatly among mature males, female wolves and young animals. Of the external senses, the wolf has the best developed hearing, a little worse - the sense of smell; vision is much weaker. Well-developed higher nervous activity in wolves is combined with strength, agility, speed and other physical characteristics that increase the chances of this predator in the struggle for existence. If necessary, the wolf reaches speeds of up to 55-60 km/h and is capable of traveling up to 60-80 km per night. And it accelerates to a gallop in a few seconds, covering 4 meters, after which it rushes at full speed. When attacking a herd, wolves often kill several animals, tearing out their throats or ripping open their bellies. Wolves keep uneaten meat in reserve. There have been cases of wolf attacks on humans. Mentally, the wolf is highly developed. This is expressed in the ability to navigate the environment and avoid danger, as well as in hunting methods. There are known cases when a pack of wolves was divided, and one part remained in ambush, while the other caught prey. In a pack chasing an elk or deer, often some wolves run on the heels of the victim, while others run across them or cowardly slowly and, having rested, replace the leading ones until they starve the victim out. Cases of almost human intelligence in wolves have also been observed. For example, there was a case when hunters in a helicopter drove wolves into a grove. At first they could not be found, but then, when the hunters got off the helicopter and entered the grove on foot, it turned out that the wolves stood on their hind legs and pressed themselves against the tree trunks, clasping them with their front paws, so it was extremely difficult to notice them from the helicopter.

Social behavior and reproduction Wolves are monogamous, meaning there is one female for every male. In addition, it is typical for wolves family image life: they live in flocks of 3 to 40 individuals - family groups, consisting of a pair of leaders - an alpha male and an alpha female, their relatives, as well as alien lone wolves. Pairs are formed for an indefinitely long period - until one of the partners dies. Within the pack there is a strictly defined hierarchy, at the top of which is the dominant pair, followed by adult family members, lone wolves and, at the end, the pups of the last litter. As a rule, instinct forces predators to look for a partner and breeding territory outside their pack. The dispersion of animals that have reached sexual maturity occurs all year round, and puppies from the same litter usually do not mate together. Sexual maturity occurs in the third or fourth year of life.