(OOC warning: Infodump I wrote like a year or two ago about wolves. And I hasn’t posted on this account for a long time so’s, Wolf Infodump for u)
What is a wolf?
Wolves are part of the Canidea family, like dogs or foxes. There are 2 kinds of wolves that are recognized as their own species, the Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus), and Red Wolves (Canis Rufus), the rest are subspecies of the Gray Wolf; Arctic wolf, Eurasian wolf, etc. There are about 400,000 Gray Wolves, and only 300 Red Wolves remaining. Both are currently on the endangered species list, though this changes often. This will be focusing on the Gray Wolf, but I still thought I should mention Red Wolves.
A Wolf’s Home
Wolves live on the northern hemisphere, but wolf habitats vary all over, from forests to deserts, and all things in between! However, due to hunting, they cannot be found in a lot of where they used to be, however they are slowly being reintroduced to the places that they have gone extinct in.
Where they live can affect their pelt color, the best example is probably the Arctic Wolf, it’s over coat being white to help them blend into their environment.
Wolf packs have a territory that their pack roams on. Contrary to popular belief, wolves do not have one place they sleep. They have a den for the pups, but they sleep all over their territory.
Food!
Wolves are carnivores, which means they solely eat meat. Wolves in a pack often hunt Ungulate, White-Tailed Deer and Moose for example, but they are dangerous to hunt due to their heavy hoofs. They also hunt smaller mammals, like Beavers, or mice. A Lone Wolf will only hunt smaller mammals, because they don’t have a pack to back them up.
When hunting, the pack will go for the weakest link in a herd, the young, old, or sick for example. They can chase after their prey for hours, wearing them down.
Wolves need at least 4 pounds of meat a day, however it doesn’t mean that they need to hunt everyday, (Example; if they eat 20 pounds one day, they don’t need to eat for 4 to 5 days).
Life in the Pack
A wolf pack is simply just another term for family. It usually consists of the breeding male and female, and their children. It is rare, but possible the pack would welcome a lone wolf into the pack. It’s more likely that a wolf will get welcomed into the pack if one of the breeding pair passes away, then a lone wolf might get welcomed in place of the one that passed. However, if both of the breeding pair pass away, it is likely the pack will split apart.
Whether they are having pups or not, wolves have a chemical called prolactin (I think) that basically makes them love the pups. All of the wolves in the pack will help take care of the pups, playing, teaching, and even babysitting! (It’s extra sweet when you remember that they are siblings).
Wolves themselves each have their own personality, so this probably also would affect pack life in ways I can’t describe perfectly.
Also, pack life is different depending on the number of wolves! The wolves at Yellowstone have a different hierarchy with multiple breeding pairs, and have a lot more wolves in a pack than average.
Life Cycle
Wolf pups are born in spring and early summer completely deaf and blind for the first 2-3 weeks of their life, being taken care of by their mother in a den. Around 8 weeks old, they are introduced to the pack. In spring and summer. When pups are about 6 months old they start joining pack hunts, even if they aren’t doing the hunting themselves, and by 2 years old, they are fully grown.
Around 2-3 years old, a wolf may choose to leave the pack to become a lone wolf, and find a mate, another lone wolf. Some may stay a few more years with the pack before going to start a pack of their own.
A wild wolf can live up to 13 years, though they usually die earlier, most pups don’t live to adulthood, in captivity a wolf can live up to 15 years.
Communication
Wolves have multiple ways to communicate, through vocalization, body language, and relieving themselves, which they usually do to make a boundary of their territory, or as a warning.
Wolf vocalization concerns of yips, and of course howling, since Wolves actually cannot bark. Wolf howls mean different things, though I can’t explain to you what they sound like, one means “I’m over here!” Or “I’m lonely :(“ and the other means “GRRR. Stay away. IM SCAWY”. Wolves sometimes howl together to communicate those things, changing their pitch up and down, which scientists suspect is them trying to give the illusion that there is more of them.
Wolf body language is probably the most used form of communication among wolves. If a wolf shows its stomach to someone, it’s showing trust, or submission to them. If a pup does something inappropriate, then an older wolf might scold them by biting their muzzle. If a wolf wants to prove dominance, or alternatively show submission, a wolf will put their muzzle on top of the other’s neck, while the other lowers themselves. There are many others but these are just a few of my favorite ways wolves communicate in body language.
Genetics and Appearance
Gray wolves are thought to have evolved from Canis mosbachensis, a wolf species from before Gray Wolves. It is unknown whether dogs evolved from Gray Wolves or this species. (Everyone will tell you something different)
Despite the name, Gray wolf pelt colors are not always Gray, they can also be white, black, tan, or brown! However, pups usually start out with a gray undercoat, which might be why they are called gray wolves!
Gray is the most common coat color, although Black is the most dominant coat color, and wolves with a Black coat are resistant to CDV, which means thanks to natural selection, Black wolves are becoming more and more common. (At least in YNP)
Wolves have jawlines, so technically yes, they can mew.
False truths
The breeding male and female used to be known as the Alphas of the pack, but this term was created from observing wolves in captivity fight for dominance, which could’ve been because they were wolves from all over and they weren’t used to each other, or it could’ve been more of a sibling thing, because it is like siblings to fight for dominance. The terms “Alpha” “beta” and “omega” are no longer used scientifically to refer to wolves.
Unique footage! This pack of 11 wolves appeared in front of a wildlife camera in the Southwest Veluwe in the Netherlands last week. These recordings are made with fixed cameras that are triggered by movement.
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