Animal world wolves. Wolf in the wild

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 some 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. Stomach gray wolf retracted, muscular neck. Their limbs are long and robust, with relatively small paws. Each front paw has five toes and the hind paws have four. Females, as a rule, have a narrow muzzle and forehead, a thin neck, their legs are slightly shorter than those of males, and less massive shoulders. 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 wildlife wolves can breed starting 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 winter, packs often attack weak or wounded wolves, they can 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. V 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 one year of age are usually 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 because 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, 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 a 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 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 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 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 the European continent, in

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 the absence of fear of man and pronounced wolf instincts and high level 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 primarily 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.”

The development of nature in recent millennia is closely interconnected with the development of human society. Climate change and human intervention in nature entail global changes life of living beings. Therefore, the study of life in nature, solving problems of animal survival, and timely assistance to them is necessary.

Tyler Miller, in his program for universal environmental education, outlined a number of principles that you need to know in order to save the Earth.

Nature is not only more complex than we think, it is much more complex than we can imagine.

Everything in nature is interconnected and we all live in it together.

We are valuable species, however no more important than the others; All living beings, including humans, have their own significance.

Each living creature has the right to life simply because it is alive; the existence of this right does not depend on its usefulness to us.

It is unworthy for a person to be the cause of the extinction of species existing in nature.

What do people know about wolves? That they are fierce and dangerous, treacherous and treacherous. That they must be destroyed. This is how those who know nothing about wolves think about wolves. In fact, wolves very rarely attack people. Like all predators, they hunt for food and live their lives trying to stay away from people.

Theme of my research project"The Truth About Wolves." It was no coincidence that I became interested in the life of wolves. Love for the Ural nature often leads me and my grandfather, Alexander Viktorovich Safronov, to the forest. We walk, talk, watch the living world of the forest. I read a lot of stories, fairy tales and poems about wolves. In winter, I came across a number of articles in the newspaper “Karpinsky Rabochiy” about the extermination of wolves. In our region, wolves began to be found more often than before; cases of wolves entering the village of Kakvinskiye Pechi were recorded. And I began to wonder what kind of wolf he really is? Is a wolf really that dangerous to humans? How to maintain balance in nature? I received answers to my questions from my grandfather, but decided to study the life of wolves more deeply. Find out the history of the origin of the genus of wolves, their habits, hunting characteristics, mutual understanding in the pack. And the main question for me became: who is a wolf for a person, a friend or an enemy?

While working on the project, I contacted the city library, school information center, where he worked with reference books and the Internet. In my home library I found a number of stories about wolves. I learned interesting information about the habits of dogs from our school’s biology teacher, Nizamova Faina Nikolaevna. I learned about the peculiarities of the life of wolves in captivity from an employee of the Yekaterinburg Zoo. In the city museum, I was able to get a close look at a stuffed wolf, feel its fur, touch its teeth and feel its creepy gaze on me.

My grandfather has two dogs, husky breeds, Taiga and Dina. We often take them with us for walks in the forest. They are very similar to wolves. It was my dogs that helped me conduct several experiments for the project.

History of the wolf family.

WOLVES, which are also called canines and canines, exist for 40 million. years. The wolf evolved from carnivorous predators that lived 100 million years ago. As a species, Canis lupus emerged in Eurasia about 1 million years ago, and by the end of the Pleistocene it became the most widespread predator. Total for globe There are 35 species of canids. The genus wolf unites wolves, coyotes, jackals, wild and domestic dogs - the largest representatives of the wolf family. In addition, this family includes all foxes, arctic foxes, raccoon dog.

Once upon a time, wolves had no equal among large predators. They were so widespread and so clever in getting their food. But wolves interfered with man in his hunt, harassed sheep herds and were even considered cannibals - and man exterminated them for many years.

In fairy tales and legends taiga forest seemed a mysterious and dangerous place for unwary travelers. Most of these dangers are imaginary, but once upon a time people actually had reason to be afraid of wolves in the forest. Even 400 years ago in the northern regions there were many gray predators, the cold taiga forests were their home.

There is not much reliable evidence of wolves attacking humans, but they did pose a great threat to domestic animals, especially when natural prey disappeared. Therefore, wolves were mercilessly destroyed. For example, in the British Isles the last wolf was killed in 1770. True, there are still quite a few gray wolves left in Russia.

Like dogs, wolves are very intelligent and easy to train. In addition, each wolf has a special character: some are cautious, daring or self-confident; they behave freely and naturally in wolf society, while others are not seen or heard.

Wolves do not disdain domestic animals. It becomes clear why people have long waged a constant war with wolves. As a result, the wolf even had to be included in the Red Book! Now these magnificent animals are not found either in the British Isles, or in Western and Central Europe, or in Japan, or in most of the USA. Wolves have lived on Earth for more than a million years. They originated from carnivorous predators who lived 100 million years ago, and about 20 million years ago dogs originated from the wolf.

Perhaps, in the conditions of Canada or the northern United States, with an abundance of wild animals (deer, hares, rodents, etc.), wolves are not dangerous to domestic animals and humans, since nature provides complete nutrition for predators, and there is no need for them to risk attacking domestic animals or people. In Russia and other countries where there is less easy prey for wolves, hungry wolves tear up domestic animals and become dangerous to humans. About 30% of wolves living on middle lane Russia is potentially capable of attacking a person. This once again confirms the need to combat wolves in Russia.

Wolves' habitats.

The wolf is quite widespread. It is found on the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, Finland, almost throughout the entire territory of Russia, starting from a number of Arctic islands and the coast of the North Arctic Ocean to the southern borders of the country (excluding Crimea) and up to Pacific Ocean. In Asia, it inhabits the Korean Peninsula, partly China and the Hindustan Peninsula, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Arabian Peninsula. In North America, the wolf, once widespread throughout almost the entire continent, is now severely extirpated. The wolf is currently absent from Japan and the British Isles. It has been exterminated in France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, and throughout Central Europe.

The wolf is distinguished by great ecological plasticity. It lives in a wide variety of landscapes, but prefers open steppes, semi-deserts, tundra, forest-steppe, avoiding continuous forest areas. The reason for this is the abundance of food, primarily the presence of wild and domestic ungulates, as well as the conditions for hunting them, especially in times of famine. winter time, when the distribution and abundance of the predator is decisively influenced by the depth of the snow cover. The fact is that in the loose, deep snow in the forests the wolf sinks greatly and cannot catch up with the elk or deer. The situation changes only in the spring, during strong crusts that easily hold predators, but break under the weight of running ungulates. Wolf hunting in open spaces with little snow is incomparably more effective than in the taiga.

Characteristics of the common wolf.

All appearance The appearance of a wolf testifies to its power and excellent adaptability to tireless running, stalking and attacking its victims. By size seasoned wolf larger than a large shepherd. Body length is on average 105 - 160 cm, tail - 35 - 50 cm, shoulder height 80 - 85 cm and up to 100 cm. Weight is usually 32 - 50 kg. The literature mentions wolves that supposedly weighed more than 90 kg, but among the many hundreds of accurately weighed wolves from different parts of the world, there was not a single one heavier than 79 kg. The skull is massive, the zygomatic arches are widely spaced. The facial region is longer than the cerebral region. Adults and old animals have highly developed crests, especially the sagittal one. The frontal part of the skull is convex with large cavities.

The teeth are large and strong. The canines are powerful, slightly curved, and relatively short. The carnassial teeth are well defined. The cutting edge of the incisors has small additional projections. Teeth - 42. Of these, 4 are sharp, crooked 5-centimeter fangs - two on top and two on bottom. With them the wolf can bite through the thick skin of the victim.

The color and size of wolves are subject to strong individual and geographic variability. In Russia alone there are almost 8 - 9 subspecies of wolves, and there are even more of them in North America. The largest animals live in the Far North, small ones - in the south. The first ones are painted in very light colors, and in winter they turn almost completely white. Thick fur up to 8 centimeters long protects the wolf from frost. The layer of fur closest to the body is the undercoat, and the outer layer is formed by hard, long, black-tipped guard hairs. They repel water and the undercoat does not get wet. In such a fur-lined cloak, the wolf is not afraid of the weather.

In nature, wolves live up to a maximum of 15 - 20 years, but already at 10 - 12 years they show signs of old age. If necessary, the wolf reaches speeds of up to 55 - 60 km/h, is capable of traveling up to 60 - 80 km per night, and on average travels more than 20 km per day (in the forest zone). A calmly walking or running wolf amazes with its ease of movement. It seems to spread over the ground; without changing his gait, he covers long distances without a trace of fatigue. If there are a pair or a group of wolves, then they walk in single file, stepping strictly one after the other, and only at a turn or at a resting place where the animals disperse can their number be determined. The paw prints on the ground are very distinct, which makes them different from the incomparably more vague footprints of large dogs. The wolf has not only speed and tirelessness in movement, but also great strength. Without apparent difficulty he can drag a sheep in his teeth, carrying it in front of him or throwing it on his back.

Hunting and feeding wolves

Wolves are created for hunting by nature itself. In winter, a wolf leaves a neat chain of footprints in the snow - he places his hind paw exactly behind his front paw. Thanks to this gait, he can run on any terrain and even in deep snow. The wolf's weapon is teeth. There are as many as 42 of them in his mouth. Four sharp, crooked 5-centimeter fangs stick out in front - two on top and two on bottom. With them the wolf can bite through the thick skin of the victim. And with predatory, or carnivorous, teeth - this is what the molars of all predators are called - an adult wolf even gnaws the femur of an elk. A hunter needs keen hearing, and wolves are lucky in this regard. When they hear a noise, they move their ears and determine where the sound comes from. The sound source may be several kilometers away. Wolves hunt almost silently, because they run on the very tips of their fingers. Just like horses and cats, a wolf's heel does not touch the ground. He has strong, muscular legs and a sweeping gait.

The wolf is 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 - elk, deer, roe deer, wild boars, domestic sheep, cows, horses; in the steppes and deserts - antelopes and domestic animals. Along with large animals, small animals play an important role in the diet of wolves - hares, gophers, mouse-like rodents, especially in their years mass reproduction. In the warm season, wolves catch many voles, lemmings and other animals and on this food they fatten up well for the winter and even get fat. 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. In areas where molting geese and ducks gather, wolves also often catch them with great dexterity. Predators often prey on domestic geese as well. The prey of wolves is sometimes foxes, raccoon dogs, corsac dogs, as well as domestic dogs, which the wolves specifically hunt, boldly abducting them on village streets, right from the yard and almost in front of the hunters’ eyes. Occasionally, hungry wolves dare to attack bears sleeping in a den.

Wolves can be called opportunists - they eat everything they can catch, and everyone who is weaker than them. Hungry wolves also eat carrion, tearing meat from bones like a vulture - an eerie picture that has contributed to the spread of ominous legends about them. If the wolf does not want to be content with only what gets in his way, he will always choose the largest animal so that the efforts made will bring as much food as possible. A lone wolf will be happy with a small deer or sheep, but a pack will be able to cope with a larger animal. Wolves can pursue prey, drive it into an ambush or a dead end, performing complex maneuvers, foresee the trajectory of the victim’s movement, etc. Wolves are excellent at navigating the terrain. Many flocks constantly, year after year, use the same areas of territory to drive prey into a dead end. Such dead ends can be tree debris, scatterings of stones, or a dead end in the literal sense of the word - a sheer cliff or a deep ravine in a ravine. Finding themselves in a dead end, ungulates begin to rush around, trying to escape from it. In rubble or piles of stones, they often break limbs and then become easy prey for wolves. In many cases, while several wolves are chasing the prey, others are waiting for it, not allowing it to get out of the dead end. For deer, ice on the ice becomes such a dead end in winter. mountain rivers, thin ice powdered with the first snow, snow blowing. Wolves often drive saigas into dry lakes, where in autumn and spring the bottom, softened by water, turns into difficult-to-pass mud, and the ungulates move with great difficulty.

So-called sludges become a kind of dead end for mountain animals (rams, goats, musk deer, red deer). These are hard-to-reach areas of rocks where ungulates wait out danger. Having driven the prey to the sludge, wolves can wait for days until the animal, tired of standing motionless, becomes their prey. In winter, wolves often drive out ungulates at present. The relative load on the track of wolves is 2 - 3 times less than that of most ungulates. Therefore, the victims of wolves, running away on the crust, get tired very quickly, falling into deep snow, and often injure their legs on the sharp edges of the frozen snow. Often, wolves drive their prey towards other members of the pack lurking in ambush. This is how they hunt saigas. Some wait, hiding in the dunes, while others slowly drive the antelopes towards them. When hunting goats and sheep, wolves can use constrictions in rocks. Some hide behind rocks, while others drive the ungulates towards an ambush. Prolonged active pursuit of prey is not typical for wolves. As a rule, this is a short jerk of several tens, less often - several hundred meters. Often they can move behind the herd without giving away their presence and waiting for the right moment for decisive action. Such passive pursuit can last for many days.

Wolves often lie in wait for prey at watering holes, crossings, resting or grazing areas. In these cases, several wolves silently creeping up and suddenly suddenly appearing cause panic among the ungulates, which makes it easier for predators to intercept and hold the randomly scattering animals. Newborns and young ungulates often become victims of wolves in places where they are concentrated. Among domestic ungulates, sheep and reindeer are the most likely to suffer from wolves. In sheep-raising areas, especially mountainous ones, the wolf is still the most common predator. But wolves often attack horses too. Having created panic in the herd with an unexpected appearance, they grab the victim by the muzzle and groin until the exhausted animal stops and becomes their prey. In addition to ungulates, many other animals can become prey for a wolf, especially in the summer, when parents feed the puppies, and the pack breaks up and predators live alone or in small groups. During this time, wolves eat insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and various mammals, on which they have also developed skillful hunting techniques. Hares are the most common victims of wolves.

Wolves inhabiting the coast of the Caspian Sea often go out onto the ice, where they look for seals in the hummocks. In the mountains they hunt marmots. Taking advantage of the uneven terrain, predators lie flat on the ground and wait for a long time until the marmots move far from the hole. Having identified the victim, they cut off its escape route with a short, swift throw, intercepting it on the way to cover. Sometimes wolves hide near holes, waiting for a long time for marmots to come to the surface. Like foxes, wolves can “mouse” while hunting for small rodents and insectivores. Having waited until, for example, a vole appears on the surface, the wolf jumps and crushes it with its paw and eats it.

A pack can easily drive and kill an elk weighing half a ton (and this despite the fact that one wolf weighs ten times less). This requires strength, determination and teamwork. At the same time, predators display amazing tirelessness, merciless persistence and sooner or later achieve their goal. Sometimes they drive the wapiti into the rocks, “to settle,” and, having surrounded them, wait for him, tired, to try to break through and run away. Finally, wolves skillfully drive roe deer and deer onto the slippery bare ice of taiga rivers or kill them in deep, loose snow or on crust. However, under other conditions, predators cannot catch up with a healthy deer and, after a short chase, stop hunting.

The wolf's main hunting tool is its nose, which detects the slightest smell of prey. Having sensed the smell, the whole flock turns their heads in the right direction and freezes in order to remember it well. Wolves wag their tails, as if anticipating a future feast, and their subsequent actions depend on the type of terrain. On open space there is nowhere to hide, and the wolves immediately attack; in the forest they sneak up from the leeward side, moving one after another and hoping to catch the victim by surprise. This style of hunting allows you to catch a moose or other solitary animal, although they will most likely sense the enemy and resist him. A large stag can take a fighting stance and drive away the wolves with blows of its hooves, who will have to retreat and search for weaker prey. If the prey starts to run away, the wolves will give chase, but will abandon it if they lose in speed - there is no point in them needlessly expending energy that will come in handy more than once.

Healthy and strong ungulates, according to by and large, there is nothing to be afraid of wolves, so the pack is always looking out for young, old or sick animals, which are easier to catch. This is clearly visible when wolf pack attacks the herd reindeer or musk oxen; wolves rush at young individuals, and the weakest of them become easy prey. Thus, a herd that is constantly attacked by wolves will be healthier than one that is well protected. Having attacked a herd, wolves try to create panic in it in order to drive away the future victim and easily overwhelm it. If the herd manages to regroup and the adult animals surround the kids with a wall of hard hooves and formidable horns, the wolves will leave, slurping lightly, but will still monitor from afar the movements of weak or sick individuals seen in the herd. Wolves are also prone to cannibalism. There are many known cases when they tore and ate weakened animals, wounded by hunters or seriously injured in an internecine fight during the rutting season. Unlike some other predatory animals, wolves often return to the half-eaten remains of their own prey, especially during the hungry season. They do not disdain the corpses of livestock, but sea ​​coasts- carcasses of seals and other sea animals thrown up by the waves. In the steppes and deserts, the usual food of wolves are all kinds of reptiles, beetles and locusts (during mass breeding years). Wolves, especially in the southern regions, also eat some plant foods - various berries, lily of the valley fruits, wild and garden fruits (carrion), even mushrooms. In the steppes, they often raid melon fields, watermelons and melons, satisfying not so much hunger as thirst, because they need regular, plentiful watering.

By hunting as a whole pack, wolves increase their chances of success. This “team approach” is manifested in the following. Two or three wolves lie in ambush, and the whole pack attacks the herd and drives it towards the hunters; they jump out of the “secret”, panic begins in the herd, the frightened deer shy away to the side; one wolf overtakes him, then another, the deer fights back with all his might, but in the end falls. The leader satisfies his hunger first, eating the best pieces and smearing himself with the blood of the victim; other wolves mill around at a distance, waiting for their turn and share; if there is any meat left, the wolves will bury it in the ground or simply leave it, while they wash themselves in the nearest stream, get some sleep and come back for more. If females feeding their brood are waiting for them in the den, the wolves will take them meat - raw in their teeth or semi-digested in their stomachs.

The wolf is known for its gluttony. Indeed, if he is hungry, he can eat up to 10 kg of meat. However, under normal conditions daily norm an adult animal is only about 2 KG, the rest of the meat he simply takes away and hides in reserve, eating it later, which is not always taken into account and contributes to exaggerated ideas about the gluttony of the wolf.

On the other hand, this animal has an amazing ability to starve without losing its vitality. In the Yamal tundra, a wounded wolf lay without changing place and without hunting, i.e., being hungry, for 17 days. He lost a lot of weight, but fully recovered from his wounds and ran as if he were healthy.

Wolf is a family man.

Wolves are social animals: they live in families. Any flock has its own “table of ranks,” and in it everyone has their own place. Strong and aggressive wolves rule, and those who need a firm hand obey them. A wolf pack - a group of animals related by kinship and mutual sympathy - is led by a wolf and a she-wolf. The rest of its members are their children (from tiny puppies to 2-3 year old teenagers). Usually there are 6 - 7, and sometimes 15 animals in a wolf family. The strongest wolf in the pack becomes the leader. His friend, a she-wolf, helps him rule. In order for others to obey, leaders must have strong character. All decisions concerning the life of the pack are made by this pair. In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves usually do not fight among themselves. However, clashes with strangers or lone wolves who trespass often occur. Each wolf pack hunts only in its own territory. The owners strictly guard and mark it, warning neighbors that they should stay away. Any uninvited guest will be punished. In large packs it often happens that one wolf is poisoned by all his relatives. Sometimes the outcast becomes completely unbearable, and he is forced to leave the pack.

Why is an unsociable person called a lone wolf? Because he resembles a wolf who left the pack and lives on his own. Over time, changes occur in the flock. Candidates for the role of leader remain in the pack and wait in the wings. Other wolves, having matured, leave to wander alone. But they can also create their own pack if they are lucky enough to meet a lone wolf. If the wolf and she-wolf want to rule the pack, they must subjugate all the other members of the pack to their will and force them to unquestioningly carry out their laws. The leader dominates the males of the pack, and his mate maintains order among the she-wolves. The leaders constantly remind their “subordinates” who is the boss of the pack: they growl at them, bite them, chase them and even knock them down, preferring to do this in front of the whole pack. One harsh one stare the leader or his mate is enough to make those he targets submit. Grinning ingratiatingly, the wolves fall to the ground, and then, if possible, sneak away. Sometimes they lie on their backs, as if to say: we know who is the most important here. The way a wolf holds its tail indicates its position in the pack. Among the leaders it is raised high, among the “subjects” it is lowered, and those at the lowest level in the wolf family have their tail between their legs. Members of the pack show love and respect to the leader in a welcoming ceremony. Crawling, with ears flattened and fur smoothed, they approach the leader or his mate, lick and carefully bite his face.

The rut occurs on average in February, puppies are born in April. In late spring, wolves change their habits. They no longer wander, but prowl in search of prey only near the lair, where they are going to have offspring. Usually the den is selected and arranged by a female who is pregnant with the leader’s child (most likely, this couple will not part for the rest of their lives). Usually there are 5-6 puppies in a wolf family. There have been cases when a lot of them are born - 10-13 and even up to 17. But such cases are rare and half of the brood in numerous families does not survive. Wolf cubs are born blind and helpless.

From this moment on, the she-wolf does not leave the den for three weeks; The father of the family brings the spoils. The rest of the pack remains nearby and also feeds the she-wolf and her litter until the cubs grow up. When the she-wolf begins to go hunting on her own, the pack looks after the babies. If the family is in any danger, the she-wolf carries her cubs one by one in her mouth to another, more secluded place.

The eyes of wolf cubs open on the 9-12th day. At the end of the second week they usually begin to respond to sounds, and after three weeks they emerge from the nest for the first time and begin to taste meat around the same time. Wolf cubs are born completely helpless. The mother helps them toilet by licking under the tail. Puppies are not able to rise to their feet at this time and move around crawling. They are constantly in physical contact with their mother or with each other. Puppies sleep most of the time.

Sharp changes in their behavior occur at the beginning of the third week. By this time, they already see and hear, get to their feet and begin to walk, even trying to play with each other, hitting each other with their paws and biting. Wolf cubs begin active play at the age of just under a month, when they jump forward and backward, fall on their front paws and bite each other on the face. Although the she-wolf is a caring mother, she does not show aggression towards people who are close to her children. There are known cases when hunters took the entire brood from the den, put the helpless puppies in a bag and carried them away, while the she-wolf watched restlessly at a distance and then accompanied the hunters for several kilometers to the village without making any attempts to attack. In the first days, the she-wolf is constantly with the puppies. She is fed by a wolf. He brings food in his stomach and regurgitates it to the female. Gradually, the she-wolf leaves the puppies alone, often going away for a long time in search of food.

According to the observations of researchers, the female can leave the wolf cubs for 6.5 - 68 hours, that is, she can be absent for almost three days. The duration of the female's absence greatly depends on the abundance of food in the vicinity of the den. The more accessible it is, the less time the she-wolf leaves her puppies. Usually, when the female leaves the den, the cubs are left alone, huddling together to keep warm. The wolf is rarely in the den with them. But if the puppies crawl towards their father, he does not drive them away, warming them with the warmth of his body. Wolves make dens in sheltered, well-protected places. They can be overhangs in rocks, deep cracks, niches, gullies in ravines. Wolves often use the burrows of other animals as dens: foxes, arctic foxes, badgers, and marmots. Wolves expand other people's burrows and very rarely dig their own, choosing for this SOFT, usually sandy soil, as well as family days, where wolf cubs spend the first months of life, meet two requirements:

The presence of shelters from dense vegetation;

A good overview of the area to detect danger.

In contrast, there are a number of cases where wolf cubs were found in completely unexpected places: in old stacks of straw left in the field; in stacks of firewood and snow shields near the road; in a grain field 300 m from the village; in a hemp field 10 miles from the estate. It is characteristic that wolves never hunt close to their home, but at a distance of 7-10 km and further, which, of course, also contributes to the safety of the broods. After the wolf cubs grow up, the animals stop using a permanent den, but settle down to rest in different but reliable places.

It is difficult to approach a wolf's lair without being noticed. As a rule, animals detect a person and manage to take cover before the person detects them. Growing wolf cubs can frolic in a completely open, clearly visible place, but such a playground is necessarily adjacent to either dense thickets, or a pile of stones and labyrinths of passages in rocks and ravines. In these shelters, wolf cubs, and even adult wolves, instantly “dissolve” without betraying their presence in any way.

Territory of wolves, home.

The size of a family's territory depends greatly on the landscape and varies widely. The largest family plots are in open landscapes of tundra, steppe or semi-desert, where they reach 1000 - 1250 km2. In the forest zone they are smaller - 200 - 250 km2. Wolves mark their territory with urine, feces, or by leaving scratches on paths, fallen trees, etc. standing stumps. When wolf droppings dry out, they become white and in an open place it is visible at a great distance. It seems that wolves sometimes specifically choose the most visible places to leave droppings. Once in Altai, the droppings of a large wolf were discovered on the seat of a mower, which rose about one and a half meters above the ground. The mower itself stood for many days in the middle of a spacious clearing, very visible from the road, along which wolves regularly walked, gathering in places where deer roared.

Wandering over such a vast territory, the pack, naturally, will not be able to retain exclusive rights to it, but timber wolves, whose possessions are smaller, tend to see in them only their land. The wolf marks its territory with its own scent.

Where there are many wolves, the concentration of marks is especially high on the periphery of the family territory, that is, along its borders, due to the overlapping marks of wolves inhabiting neighboring areas. There are many marks in the centers of flock activity within family areas, where droppings, urine spots and scrapes are often found. Such centers of activity of the pack are permanent trails, dens and family days. They can be several kilometers away from the boundaries of the territory. The concentration of traces of wolves in the centers of their activity gives the territory a characteristic appearance. Numerous traces of wolves' activity on the family plot, their uneven distribution, probably serve as landmarks for pack members who go many kilometers in search of food and return again to the center of the family territory.

A lone wolf moves carefully, avoiding territories occupied by other packs and not disturbing their peace: a meeting with numerically superior opponents may be the last adventure of his life. Never touching its own, the flock will mercilessly deal with the stranger. In search of prey, wolves wander into farms, where they find themselves close to humans and risk losing their lives. In autumn and winter, a flock prowls around certain territory; in the forest, where there is plenty of game, these limits are small - no more than 100 square meters. KM, and where it is necessary to look for prey, the area of ​​“their” lands increases ten times or more. Polar wolves, hunting reindeer, follow their herds throughout the tundra from year to year; It happens that a herd of deer has its own wolf pack. Zoologists once tracked the movements of one pack in Alaska: in a month and a half, wolves covered 1,100 km across an expanse of 13 thousand square meters. km!

Communication of wolves.

Wolves do not always hunt, growl and be ferocious. The first thing a wolf will do when its stomach is full is curl up in a ball and take a good nap. When he wakes up, he will frolic with pleasure. If he wants to play, he will invite his relatives to join him. Crouching low on his front paws to the ground, he will approach them and, wagging his tail, say: “Well, please!” No answer? Then, in order to attract attention, he will begin to jump from side to side, just like a dog.

Well developed higher nervous activity In wolves, it is combined with strength, agility, running speed and other physical characteristics that greatly increase the chances of this predator in the struggle for existence.

A wolf's facial expressions are much more expressive than those of a domestic dog. It is complemented by the setting of the ears and the coloring of the muzzle, a “mask” that obediently follows the changes in the facial muscles. When a wolf is frightened, its head seems to “shrink” in size: the ears are pressed back and pulled back, the muzzle is elongated, the corners of the mouth are narrowed and pulled back. A depressed facial expression is accompanied by avoidance of direct gaze. On the contrary, a wolf that is confident in itself has a larger and more rounded head, ears raised and directed forward, and the corners of its mouth protruding. The confident expression of the “face” is emphasized by round eyes directed at the partner. The aggression of a wolf, ready or preparing to attack, is expressed by a bared muzzle, showing teeth in an open mouth, and raised hair on the muzzle. The deep parallel folds of skin behind the nose above the upper jaw give particular expressiveness to the “face”. The upturned tip of the nose creates the extreme expression of an animal ready to attack. The positioning of the ears in this case greatly depends on how much fear is mixed with aggressiveness. An expression of aggressiveness mixed with fear is accompanied by to varying degrees pressing the ears to the head.

Lack of fear, aggressiveness and self-confidence are expressed by erect or even forward-pointing ears. The tail is a good indicator of the wolf's feelings and intentions. Animals lift it at different angles, swing it with different amplitudes and frequencies, clearly demonstrating it or hiding it between their legs. A confident or aggressive wolf holds its tail high, and sometimes even above the level of its back. When threatening, wolves often raise their tail almost vertically, tensely holding it almost motionless and raising their hair. On the contrary, wolves express a depressed mood and a feeling of fear with their tail hanging low, in extreme manifestations of fear hiding it between their legs. They express friendly feelings with free sweeping movements of the tail from side to side, raising it at different angles relative to the line of the back.

The tail, noticeable from a great distance, probably serves as a means of remote contact between animals. When greeting each other, wolves wag their tails and rear parts of their bodies, and low-ranking animals do this especially expressively in relation to high-ranking ones. Demonstrating their high hierarchical rank, wolves can bite their partner. However, these actions are exclusively ritual in nature and are not accompanied by injury to the subordinate individual. Most often, a high-ranking wolf bites a low-ranking one in the face. Less often - by the withers, as if pressing him to the ground. Characterizing the poses of wolves in general, it can be noted that in high-ranking animals, when interacting with partners in the pack, the poses are more open, the head and tail are raised high, the animals stand straight on their feet. Low-ranking animals tend to shrink in size, lower their heads, tuck their tails, and fall on relaxed paws.

Low-ranking animals, demonstrating their submission to higher-ranking ones, can tip over to the ground in front of them, lying on their sides or even on their backs and exposing their chest and stomach to their partner. High-ranking animals often demonstrate a side stance, rising on high legs, in a confident pose above the lying partner. By blocking the actions of a partner, especially their aggressive intentions, wolves regularly demonstrate a lateral stance. The side stand is probably at its highest to a greater extent expresses the confidence of a dominant animal over a subordinate. It lacks elements of aggressiveness, such as a grin and deep folds behind the nose.

Under natural conditions, wolves usually howl in the late evening hours, less often at night and early in the morning. However, under artificial conditions, their sound activity can greatly shift, which depends on the general activity regime of the animals, determined by the specific daily dynamics of stimuli that stimulate consolidation motivation. In artificial conditions, the behavior of wolves is largely focused on humans. Contacts with him usually have a certain rhythm. For example, in the vivarium where we observed wolves, they howled most often around lunchtime, when people serving the animals usually passed by the enclosure. The wolves knew them well and reacted positively to them, as they regularly received random food from them. By the way, a lone wolf never howls.

The wolf family (pack) has developed as a close, stable and optimal community for the struggle for existence, connected by blood, for the following reasons:

In a pack family, feeding and raising offspring is easier;

It is easier and less risky to obtain food in a family, since mutual assistance in obtaining and sharing of what is obtained or found is ensured;

The family secures and protects a certain feeding area, where “strangers” are not allowed.

Varieties of wolf howls and other signals.

There are so many unsolved mysteries of howling wolves that it forces scientists to come to the following conclusion: howling is the most mysterious and at the same time the most attractive phenomenon in wolf biology. At present, not only is there no consensus on the function of this sound reaction, but the very formulation of the question is being questioned. Thus, in its diversity, paradoxically, wolf language, especially howling, is similar to the language of people.

The basis of the wolf language consists of the following elements of sound signaling:

The most important is the howl with its indescribable varieties and shades. Moreover, it is possible that howls are emitted by wolves not only in the frequency range heard by humans, but also in other ranges accessible to wolves;

Snorting and loud barking;

Growling, chattering teeth, squealing, whining, barking;

In addition to sound signaling, wolves transmit and receive information through traces of vital activity, smells and visually. These could be:

Urinary points;

Traces of movement (footprints, remains of fur on bushes and trees, etc.);

Scratches on the ground or in the snow, traces of fallen wolves on the ground or snow, carrion, etc.;

Nest (place of hatching and initial raising of wolf cubs);

A den in the broad sense of the term is a system of nests and daytime roosts, usually within the feeding area of ​​a given family;

Smells of wolves; they are not only individual, but often elusive to humans, although they are perfectly captured and distinguished by a wolf;

Direct contacts of animals for educational, aggressive and other purposes.

Purpose of sound signals, howling.

Wolves attach very specific meanings to howling: threat, melancholy, despair, sadness, a signal of caught or found prey, calls, affectionate intonations towards wolf cubs, etc.

The she-wolf, returning to the den, gently whines and gently calls the scattered wolf cubs; in the den she briefly and quietly responds with a howl to the howl of the returning mother. A she-wolf or a seasoned one, having heard an inept howl, suspecting the eternal enemy - a person, with a sharp snort or growl with chattering teeth, interrupts the inappropriate response howl of the pereyarks or the yelp of the arrived ones, and if they do not obey instantly, then they will punish the disobedient ones. When the wolf cubs grow up, the alarm signals serve as a command to the grown wolf cubs: “Everyone, hide and hide.” IN last days During pregnancy and in the first days after whelping, the she-wolf lies “firmly,” silently. During the rut, a lone she-wolf howls invitingly, waiting for the male, but, having heard his answer, she does not answer and does not meet him halfway. The wolf’s ability to determine the direction to the source of the howl is such that it accurately determines it the first time and, as if on cue, goes to it.

On a daily basis, wolves most often howl at dusk and dawn. It is most likely to hear howling within 1-2 hours after sunset or before dawn. At this time, group howling is especially possible. Howling at night is not uncommon. During the day, the wolves rest, their howls are extremely rare, and if necessary, roll calls or signals to lost prey are carried out quietly with a short howl or yelp.

Single and group howl.

A single howl serves to communicate between members of a pack family, determine the location of singles, warn about the occupancy of the territory, establish contacts between animals of different sexes during the rutting period, express the state of an individual, call wolf cubs and care for them from their parents, signal prey, alarm, etc.

The group howl serves to unite the pack family and express its condition. Perhaps the group howl of a friendly, numerous and powerful pack family serves as proof of the strong occupation of a given feeding area.

Types of wolves.

Polar wolf. Among wild canids, the wolf is the largest animal: large light polar wolves can weigh up to 80 kg. HE has adapted well to life in the north. From harsh climatic conditions polar wolves a warm white “fur coat” warms, thanks to which the wolf is almost invisible in the snow.

Tundra wolf. Large beast. The body length of males, apparently, can exceed 150 cm. These wolves are characterized by very long, thick and soft hair of a light color. Scientist V.G. Geptner provides the following data on the maximum mass of tundra wolves, obtained as a result of measurements and weighing of the largest specimens out of 500 animals shot in the tundra in Taimyr, Yamal and in the area of ​​the Kanin Peninsula. The largest weights were: an old male caught in Taimyr - 52 kg, a male from the tundra east of the Kanin Peninsula - 48.8 kg and a male from Yamal - 46.7 kg. In Russia, the range of the tundra wolf occupies the tundra and forest-tundra zone of the European part and Siberia, as well as Kamchatka.

Central Russian forest 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 young 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. 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. 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 KRUSHIKH. Among these animals, the largest weight was: of males - 79 kg, caught in the Sobinsky region, from females - 62 kg. The footprint of the right front paw of this huge, almost eighty-kilogram animal had a length of 16 cm and a width of 10 cm. 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 zones of the European part of Russia, and 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.

Siberian forest wolf. 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 of Siberian wolves is 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 Eastern Siberia, Far East and Kamchatka, except for the tundra zone, as well as Transbaikalia.

Steppenwolf. 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.

Caucasian wolf. 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.

Mongolian wolf. The smallest of the wolves living in Russia. The normal weight of adult males rarely exceeds 40 kg. The color of the fur is dull, dirty gray with an admixture of ocher colors. The fur is hard and rough. The range of this subspecies is limited to the eastern and southwestern Transbaikalia and the Primorsky Territory.

The species MANED WOLF is listed in the International Red Book

THE MANED WOLF has an unusual original look. He looks like common fox, but only on extremely long, slender legs. Thanks to the elongated muzzle and elongated neck, its body appears short. The disproportion of the physique is emphasized by large erect ears and a short tail. This is also evidenced by its dimensions: body length is approximately 125 cm, tail is about 30 cm, shoulder height is up to 75 cm, weight is 20-23 kg. The color of the long, rather soft coat is also original: in general it is yellowish-red, but the legs and underside are much darker, almost black, while the tail is very light, towards the end white. The fur on the upper side of the neck and withers has the appearance of a standing mane. The maned wolf is common in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Northern Argentina. Here it is found in the pampas and along the edges of swamps covered with tall grass. In these conditions, long legs are very necessary for aguaracha; they help to look at prey over the tall grass. The animal hunts mainly small animals: agouti, pacu, as well as BIRDS, reptiles, insects; eats fruits and other plant foods; sometimes carries poultry and very rarely, in a group, attacks sheep. Cubs are born in winter. There are only 2-3 of them, almost black in color, with a white tip of the tail. The maned wolf is the largest representative of canids in South America. Outwardly, the maned wolf looks more like a fox with long legs. Unlike other wolves, maned wolves hunt alone.

The RED WOLF species is listed in the Red Book of Russia

The RED WOLF species is listed in the International Red Book

The red WOLF is a fairly large animal with a body length of 76-103 cm and a tail of 28-48 cm, and a weight of 14-21 kg. Its appearance combines the characteristics of a wolf, fox and jackal. This impression is contributed by the thick long hair, long fluffy tail, relatively narrow muzzle, big ears. The general color tone is reddish, varying greatly in individual individuals and in different parts range. This variability, combined with a wide distribution, led to the description of a number of local forms, which at one time were considered independent species, but in fact are subspecies. The red wolf is well distinguished from other genera of the canine family by its reduced number of molars (2 of them in each half of the jaw) and a large number nipples (6-7 pairs). red wolf small quantity found in the mountains Far East, Western Sayan, Central Asia.

The main part of the range is in the mountain-forest regions of Central and South Asia, including Indochina, the Malacca Peninsula, the islands of Sumatra and Java. Almost everywhere, the red wolf lives mainly in the mountains, rising to the alpine zone. In the southern part of its range it gravitates towards forests. It often makes seasonal migrations, sometimes appearing in landscapes that are not typical for it - forest-steppe, steppe and even deserts. the red wolf is a typical KHSTSNIK. He hunts mainly during the day, tirelessly pursuing his victims. Outside the breeding season, it lives in flocks, sometimes numbering dozens of individuals. Obviously, such groups unite a number of families or animals of several generations. They feed mainly on various wild ungulates. It is also known that these predators regularly eat plant foods in the summer. The biology of reproduction has not been sufficiently studied. Red wolves are strict monogamists; their males participate in protecting and raising the young. In zoos, animals mate in January - February; puppies in April (after a 62-64-day pregnancy), bringing 5-9 cubs. In India, young people are found within all year round, but more often in January - February. Newborn puppies are covered with short, dark brown fur. Their teeth erupt on the 14th day. At six months of age, puppies reach adult weight. Their shelters are usually rock crevices, caves and niches in the slopes, since red wolves almost never dig holes.

WOLF AND DOG

The German shepherd and husky in appearance still resemble their wild ancestors - wolves.

Dogs are domesticated wolves. German Shepherds are a breed obtained by crossing a dog and a wolf, which was carried out three centuries ago, and therefore appearance These dogs are very similar to the appearance of a wolf.

Whose traces?

"If you follow a wolf's trail, you will recognize a wolf's life"

Proverb of Russian hunters

The trail of an adult wolf resembles that of a very large and heavy dog. The wolf's paw print is very compact, and not "spread-out" like most dogs, with clearly imprinted finger pads and claws. The wolf's middle fingers are significantly extended forward. Between your middle and side fingers you can place an imaginary match across the print. A seasoned male has a wider paw, a she-wolf has a more “slender” footprint.” Only occasionally on loose sand, liquid mud, etc. do the wolves’ toes spread out, which is understandable. Most dogs’ toes are always, as they say, “fan-shaped.” The exception is, perhaps, good working hounds. Their trail can be confused with the trail of a young wolf. The trail of a very large working husky sometimes looks like the trail of a very young male wolf.

It is often written that if you connect a dog’s paw prints with segments, you will get a broken line, but the wolf walks strictly “on the ribbon”, the prints are located on the same straight line. Alas, there are exceptions among wolves. For example, if the snow still allows walking, “trotting,” but is already deep enough, then the wolf also begins to spread its paws.

How to avoid confusing the tracks of a wolf and a dog in nature? Firstly, it is important to understand that a normal dog alone will not run far into the forest, and a wolf, in turn, will not hover under a person’s feet. This means that if you come across a trace of a person, and nearby there is a trace of either a small wolf or a dog; if these are traces of the same freshness, and the person is most likely a hunter, since, for example, on wide skis and without poles, then most likely the trace belongs to a hunting dog.

Secondly, the footprint of an adult Central Russian wolf is always much larger than the footprint of a dog that can be found in the forest. The trail of a wolf is sharper, more specific, and is more acutely perceived by the eye. It’s as if you immediately feel that an animal has passed through, and not a dog. I quite often come across wolf paw prints 13-15 cm long. Such footprints belong to completely unremarkable animals weighing hardly more than 50-60 kg.

Where to look wolf trail? It is best along forest paths, and not at all in impassable thickets. When the snow is quite deep, you should especially carefully examine boar paths, old ski tracks, old and new ruts from tractors, cars, more or less cleared roads to logging sites.

The language of a wolf is fundamentally different, rather even opposite, to the language of another member of the canine family - the domestic dog:

Of the sound signals, an adult wolf most often uses a howl and extremely rarely barks or barks;

A dog, on the contrary, most often barks, and howls, which are quite monotonous, only in some situations.

The life systems of wolves and dogs are diametrically opposed:

Domestic dogs, having gone wild, gather in large packs of 20 or more individuals and are polygamous. The hyena-like dogs of Africa, which can be tamed, behave in the same way;

Wolves never gather in large packs, but live only in monogamous families or, if necessary, alone;

Taming a wolf, even one raised in a human home, is very difficult and unstable, and the behavior of such a “domestic” wolf often becomes unpredictable and even dangerous.

Wolf symbol

The wolf is, first of all, the highest symbol of freedom in the animal world, a symbol of independence. (Whereas the so-called king of animals - the lion - is trained in the circus.)

The wolf is also a symbol of fearlessness. In any fight, the wolf fights until victory or death.

The wolf lives as a family, cares only for his wolf wife, and the wolf father himself raises his wolf children.

The wolf is also a symbol of high morality and devotion to family. (The same cannot be said about males of other animals)

The wolf is a symbol of justice and ambition. Under normal conditions, the wolf will not allow, for its part, to offend the weaker.

What about different nations does the wolf mean as a symbol? For most peoples, the wolf means earth, evil, devouring passion and rage. Wolves and ravens are often close friends of the primitive gods of the dead.

Among the Aztecs, the howling wolf is the god of dance;

In Celtic mythology, the wolf swallows the Heavenly Father (the sun), after which night falls;

Among the Chinese, it symbolizes gluttony and greed;

In the Greco-Roman tradition, the wolf is sacred to Mars (Ares) as the personification of rage, as well as to Apollo and Silvanus. The she-wolf, according to legend, who suckled Romulus and Remus, is often depicted in Roman art. The wolf also symbolizes valor;

Among the Jews, the wolf personifies bloodthirstiness, cruelty, and a haunting spirit;

Among the Indians, Ashvins save the quails of the day from the wolf of the night. The wolf is the mount of witches and warlocks; its appearance is taken by a werewolf.

Studying the habits and reflexes of wolves using domestic dogs as an example.

In the first chapter, I described scientists' research on the life of wolves. Using this information as a basis, I conducted a series of experiments with my dogs Dina and Taiga. By breed they are huskies, and they are also relatives, mother and daughter. Dina is a very caring mother. When she gave birth to puppies, she forbade us to even approach and look at them. (There were four puppies. We gave away three good people, and kept little Taiga for themselves)

Just like wolves, my dogs express their feelings in a unique way. When my grandfather and I come to the dacha where Dina and Taiga live, they are happy. Joy is expressed by wagging the tail, jumping and cheerful barking. The dogs also know very well that I am the master and, as if before a master, they fall on their backs, showing their respect.

When grandfather comes into the house to prepare food for our dogs, they begin to whine and lick their lips in anticipation. At this time, they begin to salivate profusely. When the dogs were eating, I would go to their bowl. They, not taking into account the fact that I was the owner, bared their teeth, began to growl and bark harshly, almost attacking me.

When the dogs eat, they start having fun. They run around the garden, marking their territory near the fence. They run, squeal, bite each other.

If dogs stick out their tongues, their breathing becomes heavy, which means they are tired or thirsty.

My dogs are very emotional. I can easily tell when they are having fun, they can even smile.

When grandpa drives them into the cage, they tuck their tails between their legs and, almost pressing their bellies to the ground, crawl into the booth. So they don’t want to be in the house behind the doors.

On walks in the forest, dogs show themselves as real hunters. Dina and Taiga are very attentive dogs. They don’t just run through the forest, but explore the entire territory: sniffing the ground, trees, listening to sounds. They have very sensitive hearing. When they hear something, their ears stand up, hiding, they turn their ears in the direction where the sound is coming from. When they see a squirrel, a chipmunk and someone else in the forest, they begin to bark loudly and tell us about their discovery. My grandfather and I praise them and believe that they are real hunters, only their prey can only jump through the trees and run through the forest.

Based on my observations, I compiled a dictionary of dog language. Dina and Taiga, as it turned out, do not like to be photographed, they constantly jump on the camera and bark, so I chose suitable photographs from the Internet.

Conclusion.

The main question of my research project was: who is the wolf - enemy or friend?

I also found two answers to my question. The wolf is both enemy and friend.

An enemy because a wolf, during a period of lack of natural food or due to difficulties in obtaining it, can attack herds of sheep, kill livestock and even dogs. I learned that wolves are afraid of adults and attack children. The wolf causes harm to livestock farming and hunting. In autumn and winter, the wolf becomes much more dangerous than in other seasons, often attacking both large and small livestock. They're getting closer to settlements, and in small towns they hunt for dogs, which they love very much and which in some places constitute their only prey.

But science has proven that predators in the life of nature are not only useful, but simply necessary, as orderlies and breeders who improve the tribe of non-predatory animals, because predators destroy primarily the sick and weak, poorly adapted, carrying various vices and defects. Therefore, in many countries the law now protects against excessive extermination of predators. But old traditions and prejudices against wild animals are still alive among people. The fate of wolves is especially tragic - almost everywhere they are killed - without pity, without remorse and with a naive awareness of the usefulness of this harmful deed. In nature, in natural habitats, the wolf plays the role of an orderly. The wolf in nature takes almost exclusively sick or crippled animals and thereby cleanses the population.

The wolf in the zoo is a sad animal, he is deprived of freedom. His hunting skills are not realized at all. They look after him, feed him, and clean his cage. The wolf in the zoo is a prisoner.

As a result of my research, I found out that the wolf is a strong, brave and intelligent animal.

It is completely in vain that children are presented with a wolf in such a stupid form in fairy tales.

One of the most mysterious and amazing animals on the planet is the wolf. The ferocious predator demonstrates masterful skills during the hunt, and loyalty and care in the pack. People still cannot unravel the mystery of this beautiful animal. Next, we invite you to read more exciting and interesting facts about wolves.

1.Defining weather conditions, wolves can hear sound signals, which sound at a distance of 9 kilometers.

2. Wolf blood, which the Vikings drank before battle, raised morale.

3.The first images of wolves were found in caves that are 20,000 years old.

4. Wolves are able to distinguish more than 200 million odors.

5. Wolf cubs are always born with blue eyes.

6.A she-wolf bears cubs for about 65 days.

7. Wolf cubs are always born blind and deaf.

8.Wolves are terrestrial predators.

9.In ancient times, wolves lived only in deserts and tropical forests.

10. A pack of wolves can include either 2-3 individuals or 10 times more.

11. In one sitting, a wolf who is very hungry can eat about 10 kg of meat.

12.Wolves can swim and they can swim 13 km.

13.The smallest representatives of the wolf family live in the Middle East.

14.Wolves communicate by howling.

15.Crows usually live where wolves live.

16.The Aztecs used wolf liver to treat melancholy.

17.Residents European countries A special powder was created based on wolf liver, which could be used to relieve labor pain.

18.Wolves are the first animals to be protected as endangered species.

19.Wolves prefer to eat their relatives who are caught in a trap. Therefore, it is better for hunters to quickly pick up the wolf from the trap.

20. Representatives of wolves can weigh 100 kg.

21. A hybrid of a wolf and a dog is a dog of the Wolfdog breed. Moreover, the wolf was crossed with a German shepherd.

22.Although wolves are not considered carriers of rabies, they can catch it from foxes and raccoons.

23.American wolves attack people less often.

24.Wolves eat their prey alive because they do not have anatomical weapons that can quickly kill the prey.

25.Wolves treat dogs only as their own prey.

26. Previously, Ireland was called the “Land of Wolves” because there were many wolf packs there.

27.The wolf's eyes are endowed with a reflective layer that can glow at night.

28.Wolves react more to movements than to sounds.

29.Black wolves appeared during the mating process of domestic dogs and gray wolves.

30.A mortal fight between wolves begins when several packs meet in the same territory.

31.When biting with their teeth, wolves create pressure of up to 450 kg/cm.

32.Wolves are mysterious animals that were revered by the Arabs, Romans and Indians.

33. These animals cannot be trained, even in captivity.

34.Wolves are devoted life partners to their soulmate.

35.Wolves change partners only if their partner dies.

36.Usually small wolf cubs are raised by females.

37.If the female falls asleep, the male wolf protects her.

38. In every pack of wolves there is a dominant pair, from which all other wolves follow their example.

39.Wolves are lovers of freedom.

40.Wolves become afraid when they see fabric blowing in the wind.

41.The claws of wolves can be worn down by touching the ground.

42.Wolves are very tenacious and hardy animals.

43.The activity of a wolf that does not receive food remains active for 10 days.

44. Wolf cubs weigh 500 grams at birth.

45. In Greece there was a belief that whoever eats a wolf becomes a vampire.

46.Germany is considered the first country to take up the protection of wolf packs.

47.Wolves have many facial movements.

48. The Japanese language ascribes the meaning “great god” to the word “wolf.”

49.Wolves try to attract lonely females by howling.

50.The sense of smell and hearing of wolves is simply excellent.

51.Wolves will weigh less in those representatives who live closer to the Equator.

52.Wolves are able to run without stopping for 20 minutes.

53. In winter, wolf fur is very resistant to frost.

54.Wolves can reproduce after reaching the age of 2 years.

55. Newborn wolf cubs leave the den within 3 weeks after birth.

56.On average, a she-wolf gives birth to 5-6 babies.

57.Usually, wolf cubs are born in the summer.

58. Wolf cubs can increase in size up to 30 times in the first 4 months after birth.

59.B mating season wolves are more aggressive.

60. A wolf’s sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human’s.

61.Wolves are color blind.

62. A wolf who was kicked out of the pack or left it himself is called a loner.

63.Wolves have lived on Earth for more than 100 million years.

64.Every wolf has different character: some are self-confident and daring, others are cautious.

65.Each pack of wolves hunts only in its own territory.

66.The tail of the pack leader wolves rises very high.

67. Showing tenderness to each other, wolves rub their muzzles and lick their lips.

68.Wolves move most of all in the spring.

69.Wolves are very attached to their own children.

70.In patriarchal times, wolves were compared to grooms who stole brides.

71.Wolf hunting was considered the most popular hobby of noble people.

72.Wolves are able to react to a person who imitates a howl.

73.When a wolf feels anxious, it raises its head up.

74.Wolves breed only in winter.

75.The leaders of a wolf pack must constantly confirm their status.

76.Wolves are much smarter than dogs because their brains are larger.

77.Wolves are not the least bit afraid of humans.

78.Wolf howls can sound in different ranges.

79.Even though wolves are carnivorous animals, they also eat carrots and watermelons.

80. Arctic wolves do not rush at deer until the moment they have hope in their hearts of swallowing a mouse.

81. Newborn wolf cubs early become interested in the world around them.

82.It’s not for nothing that wolves are considered “the orderlies of the forest”; they clear the territory of sick and dead animals.

83.Even when death occurs, wolves will try to save their neighbor.

84.Wolves were the heroes of films and legends.

85.Wolves are able to sense their prey at a distance of 1.5 km.

86.Black wolves have greater resistance to infectious diseases.

87. She-wolves weigh about 5-10 kg less than males.

88. Wolf cubs that are 1.5 months old can already run away from danger.

89.Due to food shortages, wolves feed on carrion.

90.Wolves can kill foxes, but they will not eat them.

91. Red wolves reproduce well in captivity.

92.The gray wolf has a large and heavy head.

93. Most of the wolf's undercoat falls out in the spring and grows back in the fall.

94. Coyote wolves live in the same den for several years.

95. Coyote wolves have a lifespan of 10 years.

96. Respect for the leader of the wolf pack is shown by special facial movements of these animals.

97.Wolves live in pairs in the den.

98.When the teeth of a newborn wolf cub begin to erupt, the mother rubs its gums with her tongue.

99. In the process of hunting other animals, wolves use the method of reeling.

100. It will not work to keep a wolf in a nursery, because he is for short time can learn to open a lock.

Much has been said and written about the extermination of wolves (read more about this). However, what kind of forest predator is this wolf that needs to be exterminated so zealously? Today we invite you to talk not about hunting wolves, but about the wolves themselves, about the wolf species and its characteristics. Perhaps, after reading our publication, hunters will be able to better understand this predator, understand its habits and draw the necessary conclusions...

Wolves habitat

The wolf is an extremely flexible species that has adapted to life in various geographical landscapes. It is this high ecological plasticity that mainly explains the huge size of the habitat occupied by the wolf. And, even in those places where wolves seemed to be completely exterminated at one time, these predators reappear over time.

The population density of wolves in different parts of its vast range is uneven. It is common, and in some places even numerous, in areas with developed livestock farming, in steppes and forest-steppes, in semi-deserts, in the tundra and in forests, but avoids continuous forest areas. Within the taiga zone, wolves are rare, and they populate it only after humans. In the mountains, the predator is widespread from the foot alpine meadows, sticking to more open, slightly rugged areas, avoids gorges.

Types of wolves

Inhabiting various landscape zones, wolves are distinguished by pronounced geographic variability, which to date, due to large individual variability, has not been sufficiently studied. But, today, experts conditionally divide all wolves into the following species:

• Common timber wolf, inhabits the whole forest zone, forest-steppe and steppe of the European part. Its size is average. The weight of males reaches 40-50 kilograms, and females - 30-40 kilograms. The fur is coarse, dark-colored.
• Tundra wolf- inhabits the tundra and forest-tundra zone, its size is average, the weight of males reaches 40-50 kilograms, females - 30-40 kilograms, the fur is fluffy, long, the color is light with a soft reddish tint.
• Steppenwolf- lives in the steppe, the size of the animal is small, the fur is coarse, short, the color is fluffy, gray with an ocher tint.
• Tibetan wolf– lives in the Pamirs, the size of the animal is average, the fur is long, light-colored.

Wolves living in Transbaikalia and Transcaucasia are classified as a special subspecies, but the reality of these species is still considered by science to be a dubious fact.

Dimensions and weight of the wolf

Until recently, the zoological and hunting literature provided very little factual data on the size and weight of wolves living in various geographical areas our country. As a result, for a long time it was believed that the most large wolves are tundra wolves, the weight of which can reach 60-70 kilograms, and in some cases more than 80 kilograms. In fact, as the results of specialist research show, the weight of the largest males of this species rarely exceeds 50 kilograms.

Of the 400 Tibetan wolves weighed, only one weighed more than 52 kilograms.

There is also a misconception about the size of this forest predator, the weight of which, as we said above, was often overestimated. In fact, the weight of the largest male timber wolves very rarely exceeds 50 kilograms. However, wolves grow quite quickly. Having a weight of only 300-500 grams at birth, by the age of 6 months they reach a weight of 15-17 kilograms, and by 1.5-2 years their size and weight are only slightly different from the size and weight of adult wolves .

Wolf body structure

The appearance of the wolf is so well known that there is no need to dwell on its description in detail. Of the numerous breeds of domestic dogs, the main ancestor of which was the wolf, only the East Siberian Shepherd has some similarity with it, but the wolf also differs from it in its powerful, somewhat raised front, powerful head with short, wide-set thick-skinned ears, strong neck, low-slung ribs, sloping back, always lowered, and, as a rule, not rising above the back, inactive tail.

The wolf's skull, unlike the dog's, is more massive and has a high, well-developed crest. Large fangs, slightly curved back, have sharp cutting tips. Powerful dental apparatus and strong muscles ensure the wolf's success in hunting large animals, when attacking which it inflicts deep wounds, sometimes tearing out large pieces of meat from a victim who has not yet surrendered. It is no coincidence that they say that wolves kill livestock.

The wolf's stomach is quite spacious, and its gluttony is simply amazing.

A brood of 7-8 hungry wolves eats the carcass of an adult horse in one night, from which only offal, bones, skin and head remain.

Endurance

Being extremely gluttonous, the wolf is at the same time capable of enduring prolonged hunger strikes, and not eating for several days, without losing the ability to fast movement. The wolf is a strong and tireless predator. It’s not for nothing that they say that the wolf’s legs feed him. During one night, if necessary, he can make journeys of 60-70 or more kilometers. The wolf is forced to make such transitions by hunger or human persecution. Typically, a wolf’s night journeys rarely exceed 20-30 kilometers. It can cover short distances with high speed– up to 60 kilometers per hour. However, some hunters claim that during the first 4 minutes, wolves are capable of running up to 80-85 kilometers per hour if pursued, then their speed drops sharply.

Swimming ability

Wolves swim well. It can be difficult to catch up with a wolf in a rowing boat if it is not tired from a long stay in the water.

Developed sense organs

The predator's senses are well developed - hearing, vision, smell. It is difficult to say which of these sense organs is of paramount importance in the life of a wolf. In combination with observation and fine adaptation, all these senses provide this predator with the opportunity to exist in various geographical conditions.

Wolf hearing

Wolves have no enemies except humans. Even this large predator, like a bear, does not attack a wolf. But there are known cases, although rare, of wolf attacks on bears.

The acuity of a predator's senses manifests itself at the moment of alertness of the animal - in danger, searching for its relatives, in search of food, and in other cases. Subtle hearing and observation, to a much greater extent than vision and smell, help the wolf to determine at a considerable distance the voices of magpies and the location of carrion. Late in the evening or at night, a wolf, leaving its daytime resting place, unmistakably goes to the corpse of a dead animal, which the birds visited during the day. Subtle hearing helps the wolf to detect suspicious sounds and avoid danger. Even during sleep, the predator's hearing is in a state of alertness, although not so subtle. There are times when a wolf, having eaten plenty after a long hunger strike, loses vigilance during the day, falls asleep soundly, and even in calm weather does not hear the hunter approaching him with a gun shot.

Wolf vision

The wolf is farsighted, and visual acuity, like a number of other nocturnal animals, also manifests itself at night. The predator notices minor disturbances on the surface of the snow caused by setting a trap (read more about), even if these disturbances are slightly smoothed over by powder or drifting snow. Being alert, he notices the slightest movement even in the forest. It is enough, for example, for a hunter standing motionless on a number in a camouflage robe to make a slight turn of his head or move his hand, as the wolf, who was walking calmly and not noticing anything until that moment, suddenly rushes to the side or back. Good eyesight and observation ability allow the wolf to distinguish a moving group of hunters at a great distance.

Wolf Sense

A wolf's sense of smell is as well developed as its vision. Even with weak oncoming air movement, it picks up even the slightest odors. There is every reason to believe that the wolf’s sense of smell is more subtle than that of dogs, and the so-called upper sense predominates or is more often used, but if necessary, the wolf also uses the lower sense of smell.

Pack organization

Observation and excellent adaptability not only save the wolf from mortal danger, but also ensure his success in hunting domestic and wild animals in the most seemingly inappropriate conditions. And, when hunting in a pack, wolves show amazing organization...

Number of wolves in a wolf pack

The wolf, unlike the dog, whose family it belongs to, lives in families. The male, together with the female, takes part in raising the offspring. And, we can consider a wolf pack - a wolf family, which includes the seasoned - the parent couple, the arrived - the young of this year, and the surviving pereyarks - the young of the last year. Occasionally, a flock may contain single individuals from earlier generations. Taking into account the death for various reasons, especially among the arrived ones, family flocks by the beginning of their formation in autumn-winter period, rarely there are more than 10-12 individuals.

Wolves breeding

The current opinion about large concentrations of wolves during the so-called wolf weddings - during the rutting season - is erroneous. The first appearance of formed wolf packs of families, which becomes more noticeable with the onset of winter, is mistaken by eyewitnesses for wolf weddings.

The duration of the rut of one pair is from 5 to 10 days. Pregnancy lasts 62-63 days. Pupping in the north occurs at the end of May - beginning of June, in the middle zone and in Siberia a month earlier. At the end of April - at the beginning of May, and in the south and in March. The number of young in a litter is from 2 to 12, and the number of litters with the indicated extreme values ​​is usually insignificant. In some areas, litters of wolves with 11-12 cubs were not recorded at all. Young she-wolves usually have 2-5 cubs, while old ones have 5-8, and rarely more.

Wolf's Lair

In open, forested or sparsely forested places - such as the tundra, steppe, forest-steppe and others, wolves make a den or nest in holes, and they rarely dig them themselves, more often using ready-made arctic foxes, foxes, badgers, tarbagans, expanding and deepening them when necessity. In the forest, wolves make their lairs under dead wood, in the hollows of old fallen trees, under piles of brushwood, in old dilapidated dugouts, near tree trunks with low branches, etc., in the mountains - in depressions and crevices of rocks, under stones and etc. The places chosen by wolves for making a den meet the following requirements in almost all cases:

• Relatively wilderness areas are areas rarely or not at all visited by humans, although they may be in close proximity to human habitations and populated areas.
• The relative secrecy of the approach.
• Proximity to water - stream, lake, swamp. When the nearest body of water dries out in the summer, she-wolves move their brood to a secluded place.

The limited number of places that meet such requirements forces wolves to set up their dens every year in the same places, and, as a rule, 1-3 kilometers from last year. There are cases when one she-wolf gives birth in the same hole for 2-3 years in a row. This happens when the wolf cubs were not taken, and the hole and natural environment in the area of ​​the den were not disturbed economic activity person or natural disaster- fire, flood. Cases of annual use of the same burrows by wolves in the tundra are especially often observed, where, due to freezing of the soil, the number of places in which the construction of such burrows is possible is very limited.

The appearance of offspring

Wolf cubs are born blind, with their ear openings closed, and usually gain sight at 10-11 days, and their ears open somewhat earlier. The lactation period lasts 5-6 weeks. At the end of this period, the seasoned ones begin to feed the wolf cubs chewed, semi-digested meat, regurgitating it from the stomach. The first days after whelping, the she-wolf does not leave the den; the male brings her food. After transferring the wolf cubs to meat food The she-wolf also takes part in food procurement. Later, the seasoned ones begin to bring into the den, first pieces of meat, and then bruised and half-dead animals and birds, which the wolf cubs learn to strangle. In the area of ​​the den, in the immediate vicinity of the nest, they catch lizards, frogs, small mammals, destroy bird nests, destroy chicks.

Some help in the diet of young wolves are berries - strawberries, blueberries, stone fruits and fruits - wild pears and apples. There are cases when seasoned wolves During the period of ripening of berries, they temporarily transfer their brood to areas with an abundance of the latter.

With the transition to meat food, at about 1.5 months, wolf cubs begin to regularly visit the watering place. Soon, well-trodden paths appear from the nest to the watering hole. Everywhere on the banks of the reservoir that serves as a watering place, traces of the presence of young wolves become noticeable.

At first, when the cubs still feed only on belches and stay directly near the nest, the mature ones stock up on food for future use. 200-300 meters from the nest, having regurgitated several pieces of meat from the stomach, they cover them with earth, and the filling is done not with their paws, but with their nose, just like dogs sometimes do. The discovery of such reserves of burps serves as a sure sign for wolf cub hunters that a nest with wolf cubs is nearby. About .

Up to 5-5.5 months of age, young ones lead sedentary image life, being in the area of ​​the den and eating food obtained and brought by the parents. Seasoned ones, as a rule, do not attack livestock grazing near the den, going for prey 6-10 kilometers and further. This is a rule developed by wolves in age-old struggle for existence is sometimes disrupted by pereyarki visiting their familiar places.

At 2.5-3 months of age, wolf cubs reach the size of an average mongrel and weigh 8-10 kilograms. Since that time, seasoned ones are no longer able to fully satisfy the increased appetite of their numerous gluttonous offspring.

Being hungry, wolf cubs, in the absence of their parents, begin to howl in the morning and evening dawns, and sometimes at night. Seasoned ones, returning from prey, respond to the howl of the brood, and sometimes, approaching the den, they are the first to speak. In the latter case, the brood responds and often in full force runs out to meet the parents, moving 400-500 or more meters away from the den.

In some cases, when the den is located in remote places far from human habitation, mature ones change the days of their mature offspring, bringing them closer to their hunting grounds. But, even in this case, young ones, up to almost 6 months of age, do not take part in the hunts of seasoned animals for wild and domestic animals. Only by the age of 6 months do the young generally complete the development and consolidation of all the physical and other age-related qualities necessary for the predator to transition to an independent lifestyle, which in the first months of life proceeds under the guidance of their parents.

What do people know about wolves? That they are fierce and dangerous, treacherous and treacherous. That they must be destroyed. This is how those who know nothing about wolves think about wolves. In fact, wolves very rarely attack people. Like all predators, they hunt to feed themselves and live their lives, trying to stay away from people. I invite you to lift the veil of secrecy and plunge into mysterious world– the world of the Wolf.

Wolves have lived on Earth for more than a million years. They originated from carnivorous predators who lived 100 million years ago, and about 20 million years ago dogs originated from the wolf.

The genus of wolves (Lupus) unites wolves, coyotes, jackals, wild and domestic dogs - the largest representatives of the wolf family. In addition, all foxes, arctic foxes, raccoon dogs and maned wolves belong to this family. Like dogs, wolves are very intelligent and easy to train. In addition, each wolf has a special character: some are cautious, daring or self-confident; they behave freely and naturally in wolf society, while others are not seen or heard.

Wolves live in mountains, forests and plains Northern Hemisphere. Like all living beings, they, as biologists say, occupy their own ecological niche in the wild. In the territories of their habitat wolves are the largest group of predators that hunt large mammals.

Is the wolf big? “Big” is not a very suitable description for a wolf. Typically, a male wolf weighs about 50 kilograms, a female wolf weighs 5 kilograms less. Their height at the withers is about 75 centimeters, and the length from the nose to the tip of the tail reaches 1.5 - 2 meters.

Wolves are social animals: they live in families. Any flock has its own “table of ranks,” and in it everyone has their own place. Strong and aggressive wolves rule, and those who need a firm hand obey them. A wolf pack - a group of animals connected by kinship and mutual sympathy - is led by a wolf and a she-wolf. The rest of its members are their offspring (from tiny puppies to 2-3 year old teenagers). Usually in a wolf family there are 6 - 7, and sometimes 15 animals. The strongest wolf in the pack becomes the leader. His friend, a she-wolf, helps him rule. Leaders must have strong character in order for others to obey. All decisions concerning the life of the pack are made by this pair. In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves usually do not fight among themselves. However, clashes with strangers or lone wolves who trespass often occur.

Each wolf pack hunts only in its own territory. The owners strictly guard and mark it, warning neighbors that they should stay away. Any uninvited guest will be punished.

In large packs it often happens that one wolf is poisoned by all his relatives. Sometimes the outcast becomes completely unbearable, and he is forced to leave the pack. Why is an unsociable person called a lone wolf? Because he resembles a wolf who left the pack and lives on his own. Over time, changes occur in the flock. Candidates for the role of leader remain in the pack and wait in the wings. Other wolves, having matured, leave to wander alone. But they can also create their own pack if they are lucky enough to meet a lone wolf. If the wolf and she-wolf want to rule the pack, they must subjugate all the other members of the pack to their will and force them to unquestioningly carry out their laws.

The leader dominates the males of the pack, and his mate maintains order among the she-wolves. The leaders constantly remind their “subordinates” who is the boss of the pack: they growl at them, bite them, chase them and even knock them down, preferring to do this in front of the whole pack.

One stern, intent gaze from the leader or his girlfriend is enough for those at whom he is aimed to submit. Grinning ingratiatingly, the wolves fall to the ground, and then, if possible, sneak away. Sometimes they lie on their backs, as if to say: we know who is the most important here.

The way a wolf holds its tail indicates its position in the pack. Among the leaders it is raised high, among their “subjects” it is lowered, and those at the lowest level in the wolf family have their tail between their legs.

Members of the pack show love and respect to the leader in a welcoming ceremony. Crawling, with ears flattened and fur smoothed, they approach the leader or his mate, lick and carefully bite his face.

Wolves are one of the most loyal animals; they form strong bonds with their pack mates. They express their feelings through facial expressions and body movements. "Wolf's tongue" unites the pack and helps it act as one. In a surge of tenderness, the wolves lick each other and rub their muzzles.

The wolf also needs a tail to express its feelings. If the tail is raised and its tip is slightly curved, this means that the wolf is quite confident in itself. A friendly wolf has a lowered tail, but its very tip points upward. A wolf with its tail between its legs is either afraid of something or is communicating its sympathy.

The faces of wolves are very expressive. Frightened, the wolf presses his ears back and pretends to smile. An angry wolf bares his teeth and turns his erect ears forward. Sensing danger, he pulls his ears back, bares his teeth and sticks out his tongue. Companions understand how to behave in order to maintain peace in the pack.

Wolves are created for hunting by nature itself. In winter, a wolf leaves a neat chain of footprints in the snow - he places his hind paw exactly behind his front paw. Thanks to this gait, he can run on any terrain and even in deep snow.

The wolf's weapon is its teeth. There are as many as 42 of them in his mouth. Four sharp, crooked 5-centimeter fangs stick out in front - two on top and two on bottom. With them the wolf can bite through the thick skin of the victim. And with predatory, or carnivorous, teeth - this is what the molars of all predators are called - an adult wolf even gnaws the femur of an elk.

A hunter needs keen hearing, and wolves are lucky in this regard. When they hear a noise, they move their ears and determine where the sound comes from. The sound source may be several kilometers away. Wolves hunt almost silently, because they run on the very tips of their fingers. Just like horses and cats, a wolf's heel does not touch the ground.

He has strong, muscular legs and a sweeping gait, and can trot for long periods at a speed of 9 km/h, and can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h when chasing deer and elk.

When hunting, the nose, and not the ears or eyes, is the first to tell wolves where to look for prey. In the wind, they catch the smell of even the smallest animal located 1-2 kilometers away from them, when it is not yet heard or seen. Thanks to their keen sense of smell, wolves can follow the tracks of their prey.

Thick fur up to 8 centimeters long protects the wolf from frost. The layer of fur closest to the body is the undercoat, and the outer layer is formed by hard, long, black-tipped guard hairs. They repel water and the undercoat does not get wet. In such a fur-lined cloak, the wolf is not afraid of the weather.

Wolves are carnivorous (or predatory) animals. They hunt in groups. To satisfy a hungry wolf, sometimes a small animal is enough - a beaver, a rabbit, a mouse or a bird.

But this is not enough for the whole flock; it needs large prey - deer, elk or ram. It is not for nothing that they are called orderlies - after all, as a rule, their victims are old, sick or inexperienced animals. With a sick animal, the focus of the disease disappears; if an old animal is killed, the young and strong get more food. This biological regulation of numbers promotes the survival of strong, healthy animals, both among hunters and among their possible prey. Although wolves are considered merciless, only every tenth of their hunts are successful.

It happens that, after spending three days tracking and chasing a herd of deer or elk, wolves manage to kill only a few animals. Why? Fleet-footed deer can run away, and moose can give a worthy rebuff: these 600-kilogram giants with sharp antlers and heavy hooves can easily break a wolf’s skull. Wolves can go without food for two weeks, but if they are lucky on the hunt, they will eat to their fill. An adult wolf can eat up to 10 kilograms of meat at one time! Sometimes wolves hide part of the uneaten prey in reserve - they drag it into a hole and throw something on top. If the hunt is unsuccessful, they will return to this cache and dig up the hidden lunch. The survival of a pack depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves protect them tooth and nail.

Wolves mark the boundaries of the territory (it can be 50-1500 sq. km, depending on what animals the pack hunts) with odorous marks - they spray stumps and large stones with urine - and notify neighbors about their rights by howling.

Wolves do not always hunt, growl and be ferocious. The first thing a wolf will do when its stomach is full is curl up in a ball and take a good nap. When he wakes up, he will frolic with pleasure. If he wants to play, he will invite his relatives to join him. Crouching low on his front paws to the ground, he will approach them and, wagging his tail, say: “Well, please!” No answer? Then, in order to attract attention, he will begin to jump from side to side, just like a dog.

Who isn't afraid of the evil wolf? Since childhood, when we were read fairy tales “The Three Little Pigs”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”, we learned that wolves are evil and scary. They don't actually harm people. But despite this, people kill them.