Wolf or gray wolf. Wolves: types of wolves, description, character, habitat Enemies of the wolf in nature

Everyone remembers the fairy tale about the gray wolf, which we were told in childhood. So who is the real wolf? An image from a fairy tale or a dangerous animal? The common wolf is a large predator of the Canine family. The gray wolf is the master of the tundra and taiga, a hardy and very intelligent beast. In this article you will find a description and photo of the wolf, learn a lot of interesting things about the harsh life of this formidable predator.

Outwardly, the common gray wolf is very reminiscent of a dog, which is not surprising, because these animals have common ancestors. However, the wolf looks much larger. The body length of a wolf can reach 110-160 cm, the length of the tail is up to 52 cm, the height at the withers ranges from 60 to 90 cm, and the body weight of a wild predator can reach up to 80 kg.

There were cases when the weight of individual individuals exceeded 92 kg. The average weight of wolves varies from 30 to 65 kg. The size and weight of wolves depend on the geographical location. The colder the climate, the larger the animal. Males are always larger than females.

The animal wolf has thick, rather long and warm fur, which consists of two layers, in connection with this, the wolf looks larger. The first layer of wool of the common wolf is tougher and protects from dirt. The second is a waterproof undercoat that protects the wolf from the cold and various extreme conditions of nature. Animal gray wolf is very hardy.

The wolf looks like a threatening and dangerous animal, has a strong muscular body, high strong paws and a large broad-browed head with sharp ears. The elongated and large muzzle with dark stripes is combined with almost white cheeks and light spots in the eye area. The massive muzzle of the wolf is also very expressive. The tail of the gray wolf is quite long and is usually lowered down. By its movement and position, one can judge the mood of a predator.

The common wolf has a completely different color, depending on the habitat. In the forests it is a gray-brown color. In the tundra - lighter, almost white. In the desert - grayish-reddish. There are even white individuals that are found in the Arctic, as well as red or almost black ones. The undercoat of the beast is always gray.

How is a wolf different from a dog? An ordinary wolf differs from a dog not only in appearance, but also in its tracks. The track of tracks in the gray wolf is more even than in dogs, and forms an almost straight line. Also, the wolf has a different track length, which is 9-11 cm, and the width is 6-7 cm, for the she-wolf it is 7-9 cm and 5-6 cm. a much more embossed imprint than that of a dog.

Where do wolves live?

The wolf is the most common land predator. This wild animal has a wide range of habitats. The wolf lives mainly in cold countries and in various landscapes. In forests, steppes, deserts, taiga, tundra, forest-steppe and at the foot of mountains.

Wolves live in many parts of Europe (from Russia to Portugal), Asia (from Korea to Georgia) and North America(from Alaska to Mexico). Large individuals inhabit the tundra, and small ones inhabit the southern regions. It is curious that in Russia the wolf is absent only on Sakhalin Island.

The common wolf is a territorial animal. Packs of wolves live in conquered areas, the boundaries of which are marked with marks. In summer, when the wolf pack breaks up, the occupied territory is divided into several sections. The best of them is occupied by the main pair, and the rest of the wolves are moving to a nomadic lifestyle.

How do wolves live?

The common wolf is a social animal. Therefore, wolves live in packs, they hunt together, play and even howl. A wolf pack is a family group that consists of animals of different ages and can number from 3 to 40 individuals. The pack is controlled by a leader or a seasoned wolf - the dominant male. This is the smartest, wisest and strongest male in the wolf pack. The leader of the pack has a girlfriend - a dominant female. Together they form a pair, thereby uniting other wolves around them - this is the wolf pack.

A pack of wolves has its own hierarchy. The leader in the pack has unquestioned authority. This is a wise leader and he is friendly towards all members of the pack. But the seasoned wolf meets strangers extremely aggressively. A beta male is often present in the pack - the most likely successor to the leader. Usually this is the common son of the leading pair or the brother of the leading male. The applicant for the position of the head of the pack periodically demonstrates aggression towards the alpha male, as if checking his status, as he is ready to take his place at any moment.

A wolf that left the pack on its own or was expelled is called a lone wolf. Such animals have every chance to create their own flock.

Wolves live by relying on their feelings. They use these senses to hunt and communicate with other wolves. The excellent hearing of the beast allows you to hear a howling wolf at a distance of seven kilometers. Their sense of smell is 100 times stronger than that of humans. The gray wolf is able to run at a speed of 55 km/h.

Wolves live in packs and each pack has its own hunting area, which animals carefully guard from other wolves. In a pack where the leader keeps order, the wolves live peacefully and do not fight. Skirmishes happen with strangers and lone wolves that have violated the boundary of the site. Each wolf pack has its own territory and hunts only on it.

The owners carefully guard and mark their territory, leave scratches on fallen trees or old stumps. Thus, make it clear that it is better to stay away. Unexpected guests are punished, such are the cruel laws of the wolf pack. The wolf howl that is heard around is a way of notifying that the territory is already occupied.

The size of the family territory of the common wolf depends on the landscape and ranges from 50 to 1500 km². The pack's survival depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves protect them carefully. If there is more than enough food in the family hunting area, then several generations of wolves will live on one site. The largest hunting grounds for wolves are found in open landscapes of the tundra and steppe and are 1000-1250 km². In the forest zone, they are much smaller - 200-250 km².

When wolves do not have small cubs, they are nomadic. Wolves travel both in packs and alone. As a result of wandering, animals sometimes appear in areas where no wolves have been seen for several years. Nomadic wolves run up to 70 kilometers in one night.

Gray wolves gather in packs in winter. If the snow is deep, the wolves in the pack walk in single file. Each animal follows each other, stepping on the same track if possible. The common wolf is very cunning. Therefore, it is very difficult to find out from the tracks how many wolves a pack consists of.

Why do wolves howl? Wolves howl because howling is the way they communicate with each other. With the help of howling, wolves find out where their family members are, announce the capture of prey and the seizure of territory, or simply to communicate with relatives. Wolves howl usually in the late evening hours. During the year, wolves howl most frequently in winter, when the number of pack members reaches its maximum. Wolves begin to howl more actively by the end of summer and with the beginning of autumn, as well as when puppies are developing the family plot and begin to move its territory.

What does a wolf eat and how does it hunt?

The wolf is a picky predator. The main diet of the common wolf includes large ungulates: deer, elk, saigas, sheep and goats. But the wolf also feeds on hares, various rodents and birds, because he is picky. Sometimes wolves can eat the dead members of the pack.

Large concentrations of livestock attract wild and predatory wolves. Therefore, meeting a gray wolf near farms is a common thing. The wolf eats meat, so the average animal needs 3-4.5 kg of meat per day. The wolves store their food. Having sated, the animal wolf buries the remaining pieces of meat. Wolves can go without food for more than two weeks. In the summer, the diet of the common wolf includes plant foods, so in the summer the wolf also eats fruits and berries.

The principles of wolf hunting are very diverse. In winter, wolves collectively hunt large ungulates. Wolves use this type of hunting in winter. The main advantage of the wolf's winter hunting is the presence of snow cover, on which he moves with ease. For hoofed animals, snow makes it much more difficult for them to escape from the wolf, a wild and predatory animal.

It is curious that the collective hunting of wolves provides for the distribution of responsibilities: part of the pack participates in the pursuit of prey, while the other cuts off the path of prey. On the hunt, the nose of the wolf is the main adviser. He tells the wild predator where to look for prey. Wolves smell even a small animal that is a couple of kilometers away from them. It is with the help of a keen sense of smell that wolves can follow their prey in the footsteps. The wolf hunts almost silently.

The main weapon of the wolf is the teeth. With sharp fangs 5 ​​cm long, the wolf holds and drags the victim, and with the rest of its teeth it cuts the game. The teeth of a wolf are not only its weapons, but also its protection, so their loss is detrimental to the animal.

Especially large ungulates are killed by wolves, attacking the whole pack and attacking until their prey falls. At the same time, the primacy of eating prey rightfully belongs to the leader and his female, they eat the best pieces of the carcass.

The wolf hunts very carefully. Imperceptibly sneaking up to the animal, with a deft jump grabs it by the throat and knocks it to the ground. It can sit in ambush for hours and wait for prey for a whole day. Often they can follow a herd of ungulates, predators do not betray their presence, but wait for a convenient moment to attack.

Wolves are very cunning, in pursuit they stop the pursuit, allowing the prey to go far ahead. When the victim slows down, the wolf attacks again. Often wolves attack foxes. But most of the time they don't eat them. When attacking a herd of livestock, wolves can distract dogs. Part of the wolf pack attacks the dogs, and the rest - the herd.

Wolves are very good at navigating the terrain. Many packs use the same patches of territory to drive prey into a dead end. When hunting rodents, the wolf jumps on the prey, crushes it with its paw and eats it. This hunting technique is common for wolves in the summer.

In summer, the flock is divided and predators live singly or in small groups. Wolves feed on various animals using well-established hunting techniques. In the summer, most often the wolf feeds on hares. But even with all the prudent moves and clever maneuvers in the hunt, it does not always end successfully.

Wolf cubs - the birth of puppies. How does a pack raise wolf cubs?

A wolf's lair is a hole where a she-wolf brings out wolf cubs. Wolves make their lairs in secluded places. In this case, the place must be good review. Often wolves use empty burrows of other animals as a den device.

Wolves breed annually in January-February, for the first time the breeding season begins at the age of 2-3 years. The duration of the pregnancy of a she-wolf is about two months. In the spring, wolf cubs are born in the lair. Usually a female gives birth to 4 to 8 cubs. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, the first days of the life of the babies, the she-wolf is constantly nearby. They begin to see and hear around the 10-12th day of life.

After three weeks, the wolf cubs leave the den for the first time and begin to taste the meat at the same time. The whole flock takes part in the cultivation and education of wolf cubs. Wolves bring the best meat to the lair with the kids.

In small wolf cubs, the color has a grayish-brown hue, which changes with age. At the age of 2 months, wolf cubs leave the den, but still stay close to the hole. Such places are protected by vegetation from prying eyes. Wolf puppies learn the basics of hunting, attack shrews and mice.

Wolf cubs grow rapidly and their weight increases almost 30 times in the first four months. Newborn wolf cubs have blue eyes. At the age of 8 months, the cubs' eyes change to yellow. By the end of the first winter after birth, wolf cubs reach adult size. The common wolf lives 12-15 years.

Are wolves necessary and why?

Why do we need wolves, because for a person a wolf is an enemy. It is dangerous to people and exterminates livestock. Gradually, the struggle of people with wolves led to a reduction in their numbers. But a wild predatory animal, the common wolf plays an important role in the balance of the ecological system.

Wolves are needed to regulate the population of large ungulates. Also, wolves are a kind of "orderlies", since by destroying sick animals, wolves do not allow diseases to spread. Hunting the weak animals helps the strong survive.

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The wolf is the largest member of the canine family. The first wolves appeared 18,000,000 years ago, they descended from the extinct species Canis lepophagus.

Once the range of the wolf covered everything North hemisphere of our planet and was the second largest after humans. Now the wolf lives in some countries of Europe and Asia, and also lives in North America. In Europe, the wolf is found in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, the Baltic states, Scandinavia and the Balkans. In Asia, wolves are found in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Iran, Iraq, on the Hindustan peninsula and the north of the Arabian Peninsula, and also partially in China. Wolves inhabit North America from Alaska to Mexico.

Where does the wolf live?

Wolves inhabit different natural landscapes. For example, red wolf lives in hard-to-reach swampy or mountainous areas. tundra wolf, or polar, lives in the tundra and forest-tundra. common wolf prefers to settle in forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts, avoids dense forests. Often, due to the destruction of the natural habitat, wolves settle near humans.

Wolves live in packs. Each flock has its own area where they hunt and live permanently. Read who the wolves hunt in the article. One such site can occupy an area of ​​30 to 60 km². The perimeter of the entire territory of the wolf pack is marked with borders "odorous marks". Which wolves leave for other packs so that they do not encroach on their site. But still, often fierce battles for territory occur between packs.

In the spring and summer, the flocks break up. Each representative of the pack occupies his own plot on the territory of the clan, where he obtains food and lives. The best site remains with the dominant pair (alpha pair). Although the pack during this period switches to a semi-wandering way of life, when puppies appear, all members of the pack take part in their upbringing and feeding.

To breed offspring, the she-wolf arranges a den. Usually, thickets of bushes, crevices in rocks or trees serve as a den. Also, the burrows of other animals (badger, arctic fox, marmot) can serve as a lair. The she-wolf always arranges her lair in dense bushes, ravines, beams near swamps or near rivers and lakes.

Until the cubs learn to eat on their own, only their mother comes to the lair. She does not let other members of the pack near them.

Wolves never hunt near their lair. To get food, they leave the lair for a distance of 7-10 km. At this time, the mother or one of the members of the flock remains with the kids.

The wolf is a predatory mammal that belongs to the carnivorous order, the canine family (canine, wolf).

The Russian word "wolf" is consonant with some Slavic names of the beast: the Bulgarians call the predator vylk, the Serbs - vuk, the Ukrainians - vovk. The origin of the name goes back to the Old Slavonic word "vylk", meaning to drag, drag away.

Predators have a long and thick tail, which in some species grows up to 56 cm in length and is always lowered. The wolf's head is massive, with high-set sharp ears, and the muzzle is elongated and wide. The skull of the red and maned wolves is shaped like a fox.

The wolf's mouth is armed with 42 teeth: predatory teeth are designed to tear prey into pieces and grind bones, and with the help of fangs, the beast holds and drags its prey tightly.

Only in red wolves, the dental formula contains a smaller number of molars.

Wolves are born with blue eyes, but by the third month, the iris becomes orange or golden yellow, although there are wolves that remain blue-eyed all their lives.

The fur of the wolf is thick and two-layered: the undercoat is formed by waterproof fluff, and the top layer is made up of guard hairs that repel dirt and moisture. The low thermal conductivity of wool allows animals to survive in the most severe climatic conditions.

The color of wolves is distinguished by a rich spectrum of shades, including various variations of gray, white, black and brown, although it is not uncommon for the fur to be red, pure white or almost black. It is believed that the color of the coat allows predators to harmoniously merge with the surrounding landscape, and the mixing of different shades emphasizes the individuality of animals.

Wolves are digitigrade animals: reliance on fingers allows them to balance their weight while moving. Strong limbs, a narrow sternum and a sloping back allow predators to travel considerable distances in search of food. The usual gait of a wolf is a light trot at a speed of about 10 km / h. The speed of a wolf chasing prey can reach 65 km/h.

The wolf has excellent hearing, eyesight is much weaker, but the sense of smell is excellently developed: the predator smells prey for 3 km, and the ability to distinguish several million different shades of smell is of great importance during the rutting season, during hunting and during the communicative communication of animals. Urine and faecal marks are used to mark territory boundaries.

The vocal range of wolves is rich and varied: predators howl, grunt, yap, squeal, growl, whimper and convey complex messages to other members of the pack with their voice. At dawn, you can hear the "choral singing" of wolves. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon, but in fact, howling animals inform members of the pack about their location and drive away strangers. Solitary animals that live outside the pack rarely howl, so as not to bring trouble on themselves.

The facial expressions of wolves are also very highly developed: thanks to the position of the mouth, lips, ears and tail, as well as the display of teeth, predators express their emotional state. As with a domestic dog, a raised tail and wolf ears indicate alertness or aggression.

The lifespan of wolves

In nature, wolves live from 8 to 16 years; in captivity, life expectancy can reach 20 years.

Historically, the range of wolves was the second largest after the range of humans in the Northern Hemisphere, but today it has decreased significantly. Wolves live in Europe (the Baltic States, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Poland, the Balkans and the Scandinavian countries), Asia (in countries such as China, Korea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran , Iraq, north of the Arabian Peninsula), Africa (Ethiopia), North America (Canada, Mexico, USA, including Alaska), South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). In Russia, wolves are distributed throughout the territory, except for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The following types of wolves live in Russia:

• red wolf (2 subspecies out of 10);
• grey Wolf;
• tundra wolf;
• steppe wolf;
• Eurasian wolf, also known as Tibetan or Carpathian;
• polar Wolf.

Predators have mastered and adapted to life in a wide variety of natural areas: wolves live in the tundra, forests, deserts and semi-deserts, on the plains, in mountain forests, sometimes settle near settlements.

Wolves are territorial and social animals, forming packs of 3 to 40 individuals, which occupy a personal area of ​​65-300 square kilometers, marked with odorous marks. At the head of the pack is a monogamous pair of leaders: an alpha male and an alpha female, the rest of the pack members are their offspring, other relatives and lone wolves that have nailed down, subject to a strict hierarchy. For the rutting period, the flock breaks up, the territory is divided into small fragments, but the dominant pair always gets the best site. While moving through their territory, the leaders leave odorous marks every 3 minutes. At the border of the territory, the density of marks can be even more frequent.

Being nocturnal animals, during the day wolves rest in various natural shelters, thickets and shallow caves, but often use the burrows of marmots, arctic foxes or badgers, and dig holes themselves very rarely.

What does a wolf eat?

Wolves are one of the most agile, fast and enduring predators, tracking down and tirelessly pursuing their prey. The diet of the wolf depends on the availability of food and in most varieties consists mainly of animal food. Wolves are equally successful in hunting in packs and alone, but to drive and attack large prey, for example, reindeer, bison or yak can only be hunted together. In 60% of cases, wolves attack young, old, sick or injured animals, and they perfectly feel whether the animal is strong and healthy or sickly and weakened.

In the wild, the wolf feeds on large animals (moose, deer, roe deer, saigas, antelopes, bison, wild boars), smaller mammals (hares, ground squirrels, beavers, armadillos, mice, lemmings), as well as fish, nesting birds, and their eggs. Wolves often prey on large and small domestic animals and birds (geese, ducks, sheep, cows, horses), as well as foxes, wild dogs and corsacs.

In the absence of a primary food source, wolves do not disdain small amphibians (such as frogs), lizards, insects (beetles, locusts), and carrion (such as dead seals washed ashore). In the warm season, berries, mushrooms and ripe fruits appear in the diet of predators.

In the steppes, wolves quench their thirst in the fields with gourds - watermelons and melons. Hungry predators even attack bears in hibernation, they will not miss the opportunity to tear apart a weakened and sick animal, eating up to 10-14 kg of meat at a time. A starving polar wolf eats a hare whole, with bones and skin. An interesting feature wolves are considered to have a habit of returning to the corpses of an uneaten victim, as well as hiding excess meat in reserve.

Types of wolves, photos and names

In the canine (wolf) family, several genera are distinguished, which include different types of wolves:

1. Rod Wolves (lat. Canis)
   • Wolf, he is a gray wolf, or an ordinary wolf (lat. canis lupus), which includes many subspecies, including domestic dogs and Dingo dogs (secondarily feral):
     • Canis lupus albus(Kerr, 1792) - tundra wolf,
     • † Canis lupus alces(Goldman, 1941),
     • canis lupus arabs(Pocock, 1934) - Arabian wolf,
     • Canis lupus arctos(Pocock, 1935) - Melville island wolf,
     • Canis lupus baileyi(Nelson and Goldman, 1929) - Mexican wolf,
     • † Canis lupus beothucus(G. M. Allen and Barbour, 1937) - Newfoundland wolf,
     • † Canis lupus bernardi(Anderson, 1943),
     • Canis lupus campestris(Dwigubski, 1804) - desert wolf, he is also a steppe wolf,
     • Canis lupus chanco(Grey, 1863),
     • canis lupus columbianus(Goldman, 1941),
     • Canis lupus crassodon(Hall, 1932) Vancouver island wolf,
     • † Canis lupus deitanus(Cabrera, 1907) (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • canis lupus dingo(Meyer, 1793) - Dingo dog, or secondarily feral domestic dog,
     • Canis lupus familiaris(Linnaeus, 1758) - dog,
     • Canis lupus filchneri(Matschie, 1907),
     • Canis lupus floridanus(Miller, 1912),
     • † canis lupus fuscus(Richardson, 1839),
     • Canis lupus gregoryi(Goldman, 1937),
     • † Canis lupus griseoalbus(Baird, 1858),
     • Canis lupus hallstromi(Troughton, 1958) - New Guinea singing dog (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies canis lupus dingo),
     • † Canis lupus hattai(Kishida, 1931) - Japanese wolf, or shaman,
     • † Canis lupus hodophilax(Temminck, 1839),
     • Canis lupus hudsonicus(Goldman, 1941) - Hudson wolf,
     • † Canis lupus irremotus(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus labradorius(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus ligoni(Goldman, 1937),
     • canis lupus lupus(Linnaeus, 1758) - European wolf, he is also a Eurasian wolf, Chinese wolf, or ordinary wolf,
     • Canis lupus lycaon(Schreber, 1775) - eastern wolf, or North American timber wolf,
     • Canis lupus mackenzii(Anderson, 1943),
     • Canis lupus manningi(Anderson, 1943),
     • † Canis lupus minor(M. Mojsisovics, 1887) (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris),
     • † Canis lupus mogollonensis(Goldman, 1937),
     • † Canis lupus monstrabilis(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus nubilus(Say, 1823) - buffalo wolf, or wolf of the Great Plains,
     • Canis lupus occidentalis(Richardson, 1829) - the Mackenzian plains wolf, also known as the Alaskan wolf, Canadian wolf or Rocky Mountain wolf,
     • Canis lupus orion(Pocock, 1935),
     • Canis lupus pallipes(Sykes, 1831) - Asian, he is also an Indian or Iranian wolf,
     • Canis lupus pambasileus(Elliot, 1905),
     • Canis lupus rufus(Audubon and Bachman, 1851) - red wolf,
     • Canis lupus signatus(Cabrera, 1907) - the Iberian wolf (in some classifications it is a synonym for the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus tundrarum(Miller, 1912) - polar wolf,
     • † Canis lupus youngi(Goldman, 1937) – Southern Rocky Mountain wolf.
2. Genus Maned wolves (lat. Chrysocyon)
   • Maned wolf, or guara, or aguarachay (lat. Chrysocyon brachyurus)
3. Genus Red Wolves
   • Red wolf, or mountain wolf, or Himalayan wolf, or buanzu (lat. Cuon alpinus)

Below is a description of several varieties of wolves.

• Red Wolf, he is mountain wolf, himalayan wolf or buanzu(Cuon alpinus)

A large predator, outwardly combining the features of a wolf, fox and jackal. Mature males grow from 76 to 110 cm in length. At the same time, the weight of the red wolf is 17-21 kg. The tail of animals is longer than that of other wolves, fluffy, like a fox, and grows up to 45-50 cm in length. The red wolf has a short, pointed muzzle and big ears with a high position. The main color of animals is various shades of red, and the tip of the tail is always black. A distinctive feature of the subspecies is considered to be a smaller number of teeth and from 6 to 7 pairs of nipples. Differences in fur density, color and body size made it possible to divide the species into 10 subspecies.

Biotopes of predators are attached to mountains, rocks and gorges (up to 4 thousand meters above sea level). The red wolf feeds on small animals - amphibians and rodents, as well as large animals: sambars, axises and antelopes. In summer, wolves are happy to eat various vegetation.

A significant part of the range of animals extends across the territory of Central and South Asia, predators live from the Altai Mountains and Tien Shan to Hindustan, Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The largest population is observed in the Himalayas, in southern Iran, in India and the Pakistani Indus Valley. In other habitats, the red wolf is extremely small or completely extinct, so the species is classified as endangered and is under protection.

• Maned wolf, he is guar or aguarachai (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

A unique member of the family, its name translates as "short-tailed golden dog." Long hair up to 13 cm long grows on the nape of predators, forming a thick mane. Outwardly, the maned wolf resembles a large long-legged fox, the body length of adults is 125-130 cm, due to overly elongated limbs, the height of the wolf at the withers reaches 74-87 cm, and animals weigh from 20 to 23 kg. The obvious disproportions of the body are especially emphasized by the long muzzle, large, high-set ears and short tail from 28 to 45 cm long. The coat of the wolf is distinguished by a reddish-yellow color, a strip of black wool runs along the spine, the legs are almost black, and the chin and end of the tail are light.

Maned wolves live exclusively on the plains, and have evolved their surprisingly long limbs, allowing them to make their way through the thickets of grass. The range of the species extends from the northeast of Brazil to the eastern regions of Bolivia, in the south it captures Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. According to the IUCN, the state of the population is becoming vulnerable.

Predators feed on rodents, rabbits, armadillos, amphibians, insects, and also eat guava, bananas and nightshade, which rids animals of nematodes.

• eastern wolf, he is north american timber wolf(Canis lupus lycaon)

It still does not have a definite classification: a number of scientists consider it as an independent species ( canis lycaon) or considered a hybrid of a gray wolf with a red wolf or a coyote. The growth in the shoulders of mature males reaches 80 cm, females - 75 cm, with a body weight of 40 and 30 kg, respectively. The fur of the eastern wolf is yellowish-brown, shaggy, black hair grows on the back and sides, and the area behind the ears is distinguished by a reddish-brown tint.

Eastern wolves are predominantly carnivores, deer, elk and rodents become their prey.

These animals live in forests from the southeast of the Canadian province of Ontario to the province of Quebec.

• common wolf, or grey Wolf(canis lupus)

One of the most large predators among canids, with a body size reaching 1-1.6 m. The height in the shoulders of mature individuals is from 66 to 86 cm, in especially large specimens it can be up to 90 cm. The common wolf weighs from 32 to 62 kg, among the inhabitants of the northern regions of the range body weight varies from 50 to 80 kg. The tail of predators grows up to 52 cm. The color of the fur of animals is quite variable: the inhabitants of the forests are usually gray-brown, the inhabitants of the tundra are almost white, the predators of the deserts are gray with red, only the undercoat is always gray.

The favorite food of wolves is various hoofed mammals: deer, elk, roe deer, antelopes, wild boars and small animals: mice, hares, ground squirrels. Wolves do not disdain representatives of their own family, for example, small foxes and raccoon dogs, often various domestic animals become their prey. During the ripening period, predators quench their thirst on melons, eating watermelons and melons, because they need a lot of moisture.

The range of the gray wolf passes through the territory of Eurasia and North America. In Europe, predators are distributed from Spain and Portugal to Ukraine, Scandinavia and the Balkans. In Russia, the gray wolf lives everywhere, except for Sakhalin and the Kuriles. In Asia, animals are distributed from Korea, China and Hindustan to Afghanistan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. In North America, animals are found from Alaska to Mexico.

• red wolf(Canis lupus rufus)

At first it was considered as an independent species (lat. Canis rufus), but DNA analyzes made it possible to consider it a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote.

These predators are smaller than gray relatives, but larger than coyotes, their size is from 1 to 1.3 m excluding the tail, and the growth of animals is from 66 to 79 cm. Seasoned wolves weigh from 20 to 41 kg. Red wolves are leaner and longer-legged than their gray relatives, with longer ears and shorter fur. The red color of the fur is characteristic of the inhabitants of Texas; other animals in color, along with red, have gray, brownish and black tones; the back is usually black.

The diet of predators consists mainly of rodents, raccoons and hares, hunting for large prey is rare. Insects and various berries act as secondary food, and carrion is eaten on occasion.

The red wolf is the rarest subspecies, its range, originally covering the eastern United States, was reduced to small areas of Texas and Louisiana, and in the 70s of the 20th century the red wolf was completely exterminated, with the exception of 14 specimens preserved in captivity. Thanks to efforts to restore the population, out of 300 bred individuals, about a hundred predators today live within the state of North Carolina.

• tundra wolf(Canis lupus albus)

One of the especially large and poorly studied subspecies, outwardly similar to its close relative, the polar wolf, but somewhat inferior to it in size: the average weight of predators is about 42-49 kg. Although pure white wolves are found in the population, most individuals are gray-white and dark gray with no brown at all.

Developed massive jaws of a wolf with strong teeth allow to hunt large prey, although rodents and white hares are present in the diet.

Tundra wolves live throughout the tundra and forest-tundra of Europe and Siberia up to Kamchatka and the coast of the Arctic.

• steppe wolf, or desert wolf(Canis lupus campestris)

Poorly studied species of predators of small size, with rather rare and rough fur of a grayish-ocher color.

Desert wolves inhabit the steppe and desert landscapes of Central Asia, including the Kazakh steppes and southern Russia: Ciscaucasia, Caspian lowland, Priuralsky district and the Lower Volga region.

• Eurasian wolf, he is European, steppe, Carpathian, Tibetan or to Chinese wolf, also called common wolf(canis lupus lupus)

Outwardly, the predator resembles the North American subspecies, but its fur is denser and shorter. The growth of mature males in the shoulders is about 76 cm with a body weight of 70 to 73 kg.

The smallest individuals inhabit Eastern Europe, the most massive are found in the north of Russia. The color of wolves is monochromatic or includes various combinations of gray, white, black, red and beige, and the most brightly colored specimens live in Central Europe.

The diet of European wolves depends on the area and consists mainly of medium and large prey, such as saigas, chamois, moufflons, deer, roe deer, wild boars, and even bison and yaks. Predators do not disdain smaller animals, catching hares and frogs, and in the absence of food, they feed on waste from slaughterhouses in garbage dumps.

The Carpathian wolf is considered a particularly common subspecies of the common wolf and is found in a significant range that runs through Eurasia through Western Europe, the Scandinavian countries, Russia, China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and the Himalayas.

• polar Wolf(Canis lupus tundrarum)

The closest relative of the European wolf and the completely extinct Japanese wolf. Adult males grow in length from 1.3 to 1.5 m, not counting the tail, and weigh about 85 kg, their height at the shoulders reaches 80-93 cm. The light fur of the polar wolf is extremely dense, adapted to survive in extremely cold climates and warming the beast during long hunger strikes.

Lemmings and arctic hare become the most accessible prey for predators; if the hunt is successful, the flock gets musk ox or reindeer.

The range of the species extends throughout the Arctic and undergoes slight fluctuations caused by the migrations of animals - the main food sources. The life span of a polar wolf is about 17 years.

wolf breeding

Female wolves mature at 2 years of age, males become sexually mature at the age of 3 years. The rut of wolves depends on the range and usually occurs from January to April. The mating behavior of a couple consists in mutual courtship and flirting. When new pairs are formed, fierce fights begin between males, and a weaker rival often dies.

At the time of mating, partners leave the pack and retire. The lair is settled in a secluded place (dense bushes, thickets, rock crevices), and the pregnancy of a she-wolf lasts about 62-65 days. There is usually an odd number of puppies in a litter - from 3 to 13, wolf cubs are born blind, and open their eyes only after 12-13 days. Weak puppies are culled by the female so that stronger cubs get more milk.

The grown up wolf cubs are fed by the belching of their parents, consisting of half-digested meat, then they begin to feed on the brought prey, and all members of the pack feed the cubs. By autumn, young (arrival) wolves are already beginning to participate in the hunt.

Enemies of the wolf in nature

Wolves have few natural enemies. Sometimes predators clash over sharing prey with a lynx or a bear, they can suffer and even die from injuries sustained when hunting for a large prey - an elk, a deer, a bison or a horse. Red wolves living in the USA have been attacked by alligators and cougars. Sometimes representatives of two different wolf packs arrange bloody fights among themselves, dividing the habitat, which also leads to fatal injuries. However, the main enemy of the wolf is considered to be man: setting traps and unauthorized shooting of wolves by poachers sometimes lead to a soulless and barbaric reduction in the population of these predatory animals.

wolf as a pet

AT recent times it became "fashionable" to keep the wolf as a pet. The wolf is easy to train, however, he executes the commands of the owner only if it is interesting to him. True, puppies with a meek disposition become more aggressive with age and are not averse to competing with a person for leadership in the pack. A wolf at home is not always safe, so such a pet should be treated with special attention and great care.

• By purposeful hybridization of wolves and dogs, several breeds have been bred, among which the Czechoslovak Vlchak (Czechoslovakian Wolfdog) and the Sarlos Wolfdog are considered recognized.
• In the Middle Ages, wolves were considered servants of the devil and were often used as mysterious characters in fairy tales and legends, the most famous of which is the werewolf.
• Some European family coats of arms are decorated with the image of a wolf, which means that the family owes its origin to the werewolf.
• Wolves attack humans extremely rarely, and in most cases, aggression is shown by animals infected with rabies.
• To raise morale, the Vikings drank wolf blood before the battle and dressed themselves in animal skins.
• In 17th-century Ireland, there were so many wolf packs that the country was called Wolfland.

During DNA research, it was found that there are about four genealogical lines of the wolf. African, which arose in the late Pleistocene, is considered the most ancient. All other lines belong to the Indian subcontinent. In the course of major geological and climatic changes, the Himalayan wolf line appeared. Indian separated from it about 400,000 years ago. Tibetan wolf - inhabitant of Kashmir - the latest line. Its other name is the Holarctic hoard.

The large Siberian wolf in the Pleistocene lived in Japan and on the Korean Peninsula. The Sangar Strait divided Hokkaido and Honshu during the Holocene, which caused climate change. They led to the extinction of large ungulates in this area. Lack of sufficient food has led to insular dwarfism in the Japanese wolf.

Hokkaido, due to constant food supply and genetic interchange with large Siberian wolves, was significantly larger than the Hondo Japanese wolf.

Due to the disappearance of large prey, the dire wolf died out about 8,000 years ago. This process was accelerated by competition for the remaining food with the appearance of an ordinary wolf.

In what regions does the wolf live?

Currently, the habitat of wolves has been significantly reduced. This is due to their uncontrolled extermination in the past. Most of the predators are located on the territory:

• Russia;
• Belarus;
• Ukraine;
• northern part of the Arabian Peninsula;
• Afghanistan;
• Georgia;
• China;
• Korea;
• Iran;
• Hindustan;
• Iraq;
• Azerbaijan;
• Scandinavia;
• the Baltics;
• the Balkans;
• Italy;
• Poland;
• Spain;
• Portugal.

From Mexico to Alaska, animals are common in North America. In Russia, they live everywhere, except for the taiga, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. In Japan, predators are completely extinct.

Wolves are able to live in different areas, but they give preference to places with a weak forest area. They often live close to humans. In the taiga, they accompany him and settle in the territory cleared by people from the forest.

In the mountains, predators live up to alpine meadows, where the areas have a weak ruggedness.

The wolf is a territorial animal. In the cold season, flocks live settled. The boundaries of the territory in which they live are marked with odorous marks. In winter, the area occupied by predators is up to 44 km2. However, with the approach of spring, the flock breaks up in pairs. The strongest representatives remain on their territory, and loners lead a nomadic life. Wolves often accompany herds of livestock and deer.

To breed offspring, animals arrange dens. Most often they are natural shelters - thickets of shrubs, depressions in the rocks. In some cases, wolves occupy the burrows of other animals - badgers, arctic foxes, marmots. It is extremely rare that they dig them on their own. The she-wolf is most attached to the den during the period of litter rearing. The male does not use it. Puppies grow up in well-hidden places: on hills, in ravines, near the banks of lakes covered with thick reeds, in dense bushes. Wolves never hunt near their lair. After the puppies get stronger for long transitions, the animals leave their shelter. For recreation, they are looking every time for new, but well-protected places. Wolf cubs outwardly resemble dog puppies, have a brown coat color.

How long does a wolf live?

Since wolves belong to the canine family, they live about the same as dogs. But the way of life of wolves in the wild is very harsh and wolves die from disease, injury or lack of food, before their time. In the wild, on average, wolves live 10-15 years. But with good care and proper nutrition, they can live up to 20 years.

What does a wolf eat?

The wolf is a predator that hunts down prey. The main types of animals it feeds on are:

• antelopes;
• roe deer;
• moose;
• wild boars;
• deer.

Single wolves catch mouse-like rodents, ground squirrels and hares. In summer, waterfowl, representatives of black grouse, and domestic geese become prey. In rare cases, the wolf attacks sleeping bears, raccoon dogs, foxes. Predators often attack injured or weakened animals.

Wolves often return to the remains of the animals they have captured. Also, in times of famine, predators do not disdain carrion: carcasses thrown onto the coastline, seals, and dead cattle.

In addition to meat, animals eat melons, watermelons, mushrooms, fruits, berries. More often than not, it is caused by thirst, not hunger. Wolves need frequent, plentiful drinking, which is sometimes difficult to find.

Cannibalism is a phenomenon found in the pack. Sick, wounded animals are often eaten by stronger relatives.

Wolves are most active at night. They communicate through vocal signals. The range of sound waves that a wolf is capable of emitting is many times greater than the capabilities of most animals. The only exceptions are bats and humans. Animals are able to bark, squeal, yelp, growl, grumble, whimper, howl. Absolutely every sound made by an animal has a wide range of variations.

Experts note that wolves react to the sounds given by relatives consciously. Thanks to the sounds, the flock transmits various messages to its members, indicate the location of the game. At first, wolves listen to the information received from their relatives, and then throw their heads back and howl in a vibrating voice. First, their voice is low, and then goes to high notes, picked up by the human ear.

Only the leader of the pack can signal the attack. This sound resembles the growl of an angry dog.

You can hear the howling of wolves at dusk or at dawn, but not every day. At first, the leader howls strongly, and then the rest of the pack members. Howling most often ends with a joint shrill bark. Wolf songs are a sign of the social life of wolves. They have an emotional basis and enhance the cohesion of animals. In addition, the howl allows you to find the lost members of the pack and communicate with representatives of other groups.

Wolves have a highly developed sense of smell. The sense of smell allows predators to detect prey at a great distance. Wolves can distinguish approximately 199 million scents. Through the sense of smell, animals receive most of the information. Marking, sniffing partners, transmitting and receiving information through smell play an important role in the life of predators. Feces, urine and saliva serve as sources for obtaining the necessary information from wolves. Kal indicates that the animal belongs to certain kind, about his field. The number of tags increases significantly during the rut and the formation of new pairs. At the same time, the males leave their mark on top of the female's mark. Such behavior strengthens couples, enhances sexual activity.

Experts concluded that in 89% of cases, wolves detect their prey by smell, and not by hearing.

In the process of evolution, wolves have developed a number of physiological features that allow them to travel long distances in search of food. Animals easily run a path of several kilometers at a speed of about 9 km / h. During the chase, it increases to 66. At the same time, canines are able to jump up to 4 meters without stopping the run.

Physiological characteristics:

• sloping back;
• streamlined chest;
• strong legs;
• webbing between the fingers allows you to reduce the load on the surface. Thanks to this, the wolf can quickly move across the snowy ground.
• Predators, when moving, rely solely on the fingers, and not on the entire foot. This method of movement makes it possible to balance the mass.
• The hind legs are shorter than the front. They lack the fifth additional toe on the side of the metatarsus.
• Dull claws and bristly fur prevent falls from slippery surfaces.
• Special blood vessels keep the paws warm from the cold.
• There are scent glands between the toes. When moving, the predator leaves traces of the smell. They make it possible to navigate the terrain and inform the members of the pack about the leader's movement.
• The low thermal conductivity of the fur allows the animal to live even in harsh climates.

When a pack attacks a prey, wolves slaughter several animals at the same time. At the same time, they tear their throats or rip open their belly. First of all, predators eat the most valuable in the carcass, and leave the rest in reserve.

The wolf is a highly developed creature. He uses special tactics when hunting. Hunting for cattle, they wait for him in ambush. Some of the predators are waiting in the bushes, while the rest of the pack drives the prey there. When pursuing large ungulates, for example, an elk, they starve it out. Several wolves run after the prey, the rest of the pack minces behind. When the predators participating in the chase get tired, they are replaced by relatives full of energy.

Relations in the flock are altruistic in nature. Each animal completely subordinates its interests to common needs. Otherwise, the predator community would not have survived. Not only physical data, but also psychological characteristics affect the rank of the animal. This is explained by the fact that the leader must take over the organization of the hunt, share the food obtained among relatives. The older wolves are responsible for the younger ones. Juveniles unquestioningly obey the requirements of older relatives.

There are seven ranks in the pack. Management of community members occurs without power influence. A clear organization, distribution of roles, complete freedom of choice to be or not to be in the pack - all this makes the wolf family a highly organized, well-coordinated mechanism. The social status of wolves is related to the age and sex of the animals. However, these indicators serve only to fulfill the set goals. Having caught the prey, the wolves will never hunt again as long as they have food.

Division in the pack:

• The dominant role is occupied by the leader. He bears full responsibility for the rest of his relatives. Its main tasks are a clear distribution of roles in the family, organization of actions, protection, choice of habitat, management of hunting. The leader has the right to start eating first, but this rule can be violated by him. In some cases, an adult animal shares prey with puppies. This situation often occurs when there is a shortage of food. Puppies are the future of the pack and the leader must take care of them.

The pack never disputes the right to the first bite of food. A weakened leader will not be able to ensure the safety of his relatives.

The leader has no right to protection. In times of danger, only he decides how to act, the pack always listens to him.

• Warriors are the backbone of the pack. They provide food and security for their relatives. With an external threat, only warriors enter the battle. This rank can be occupied by wolves of both sexes. However, the female with puppies never participates in the protection and production of food.

The senior warrior can replace the leader if he dies or for some reason cannot lead the pack. He, along with the main wolf, organizes protection and hunting.

• An adult female with experience in raising wolf cubs is a mother. Her main function is to take care of the puppies of the pack. A whelping female does not automatically occupy this rank. When attacking a flock, it is the mother who takes all weak relatives to a safe place while the warriors repel the attack.

The older female never competes with the main warrior, however, if necessary, she takes the place of the leader. When the head of the pack dies, the most worthy animal begins to play its role. At the same time, there are no duels to identify the best contender for the status of leader.

During the feeding and education of puppies, all mothers of the pack are under special care.

Reproduction occupies a special place in the life of animals. Once a year, the flock breaks into pairs to reproduce offspring. All members of the flock can breed. The main condition for this is the awareness of one's role in the pack. Those wolves who did not get a couple help their relatives to raise their young and hunt. Pairs are always created for life. If one of the pair dies, then the surviving wolf never again looks for a partner.

• A guardian is an animal that controls cubs. There are two sub-ranks. Breeder - a young wolf, unable to become a warrior at the present time due to age, or young from a previous litter. These animals are completely subordinate to the mother, carry out her orders. So they learn to deal with wolf cubs. Caretaker is the first stage of training that allows you to acquire the skills necessary for life.
• Uncle is a male with no family. Helps raise juveniles.
• The signalman is the eyes of the pack. It is he who notifies her of the impending threat. The information received is analyzed by more experienced wolves. Only after that a decision is made on further actions.
• The puppy is not responsible. Its main task is complete obedience. Adult animals show him special care and guardianship.
• A disabled person is an elderly individual who has the right to protection and food. Wolves always take care of their old relatives.

wolf breeding

A couple once formed is never separated. If one of the partners dies, the second one never looks for a new one. Wolves always live in large families of up to 42 individuals.

There is a clear hierarchy in the pack. At the head of the community are alpha animals, followed by adult members of the family, lone wolves. The lowest rank is puppies. The pack often takes in other wolves. When the puppies reach the age of three, they leave their family and look for a mate outside of it. Animals from the same litter never mate.

The marriage period is the most stressful time. It falls most often in winter and spring months. The dominant pair defends itself from encroachments on itself by other animals. Free females are surrounded by males. The fight for their attention begins. Fights often end in death.

As soon as a pair is formed, she begins to search for a lair. All necessary preparations are carried out before the onset of estrus. This time helps the couple to get closer.

A she-wolf bears offspring for about 64 days. Usually 3-12 puppies are born. They are born blind. Only after two weeks do their eyes open. After some time, the parents, along with the rest of the pack, feed the puppies with their belching from recently swallowed meat. When the young grow up, they eat already caught prey. At the end of summer, puppies are already beginning to try their hand at hunting. At this time, pereyarki join the flock - last year's litter, driven away for the breeding season. In this form, the family lives until a new estrus in wolves. Then the perennials can already participate in reproduction. More than half of the litter dies in the first year of life.

Females reach sexual maturity at two years, males at three. The average life expectancy of predators is 16 years. The first signs of aging appear as early as 11 years old.

The offspring of wolves appears only in the warm season. This allows you to get enough food for puppies. In this, wolves differ from dogs, which have estrus twice a year.

People considered wolves to be dangerous animals. Therefore, they were mercilessly exterminated. However, predators play an important role in the ecosystem. They destroy sick weakened animals, thereby preventing an epidemic.

How much does a wolf weigh?

Wolves are the largest members of the canine family. Their size and weight varies greatly in the species composition of these predators. In length, depending on the species, the wolf can be less than a meter, and can reach two. And the weight ranges from 20 kg to 100.

Types of wolves

There are seven experts certain types predators. In addition, the gray wolf has about seventeen varieties.

Arctic

It is the rarest subspecies of the common gray wolf. Habitat - Greenland, northern Canada and Alaska. The predator has preserved its natural habitat thanks to the rare appearance of a person in a harsh area covered with eternal snow.

The polar wolf is a large animal with a powerful physique. Males reach a size at the withers up to 99 cm. Weight can reach 98 kg. Predators show sexual dimorphism. Females are smaller than males by about 16 percent.

Predators have thick light fur with a slight red tint. The tail is fluffy, the legs are long, the ears are short.

Animals are perfectly adapted to the long absence of the sun during the polar night. In search of prey, they travel considerable distances across the snow-covered plains. An adult wolf is able to eat eleven kilograms of meat at one time. There is no trace of what was caught during the hunt. Even bones are eaten. Predators never chew meat, but swallow it in pieces.

Like other wolves, the polar one can only survive in a pack. Most often, the group consists of 12 individuals. It is led by a male and a female. The rest of the community members are puppies from past litters and newly born. In some cases, the pack accepts a lone wolf, but at the same time he obeys the leaders.

Only the alpha female breeds in the group. When cubs from other she-wolves appear, they are immediately killed. Such severity is explained by extremely difficult living conditions, in which it is difficult to feed a large number of wolf cubs.

The survival of animals depends entirely on the size of the hunting grounds. Therefore, wolves protect their borders. With the onset of winter cold, a group of predators migrates to the south, where it is easier to get their own food. Most often they follow the reindeer.

The polar wolf eats absolutely everything that he manages to find. In summer, its diet includes beetles, frogs, birds, lichens, fruits and berries. In winter, predators eat mainly the meat of hares, lemmings, musk oxen, and deer.

The polar wolf pursues its prey by using ambushes and changing riders. The best hunting time is spring. In warm weather, the crust thaws, it becomes difficult for deer to move in such conditions, and the predator easily catches up with them.

Healthy and strong herbivores are never in danger. The flock attacks only deer or sick animals. Having attacked the herd, predators break it. In this way, they isolate the chosen victim and kill. When the herd manages to regroup and surround its offspring in a dense ring, the wolves have to retreat. Wolves manage to achieve a positive result only in 11% of their attacks.

Female predators reach puberty by the age of three. In males, this period begins at two. Some time before giving birth, the she-wolf begins to prepare the den. Predators cannot dig a hole in the ice, so caves or depressions in rocks serve as a place for the appearance of puppies.

Pregnancy lasts 74 days. There are no more than three wolf cubs in a litter. The appearance of more puppies is extremely rare. Puppies that are born are blind and helpless. Their weight does not exceed four hundred grams. For a month they do not leave the lair. Only when fully grown do they begin to leave it. All this time the female feeds them with milk.

Caring for offspring lies not only on the she-wolf, but on the whole pack. When the mother leaves the den to hunt, the young look after the puppies. Even with scarce food supplies, adult wolves always feed babies. Thus, it is possible to maintain the population size. Due to the harsh climate, wolves are not in danger from humans. There are no hunters in the Arctic.

Upon reaching puberty, young animals leave the pack and try to create their own. They look for unoccupied territory and mark its boundaries.

The polar wolf is listed in the Red Book. Hunting for it is prohibited.

Ruffed

It bears its name because of the long fur that covers its neck and shoulders. The hair in this area resembles the mane of horses. Aguarachai is found in Northern Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil. However, its main habitat is South America.

The coat of the guar is red, the ears are large, the muzzle is elongated. Outwardly, the wolf looks light and lean. The mass of the animal does not exceed 24 kg.

The aguarachai has the longest legs of any other wolf species. A similar structure of the limbs allows the predator to find prey in tall grass. The wolf hunts alone. It feeds on reptiles, birds, pacu, agouti, plants, fruits. Often attacks sheep and poultry when in groups.

Guars live in pairs. Very rarely contact with their relatives. There are up to three cubs in a litter. They have black fur. The female gives birth to puppies in winter.

The species is listed in the Red Book. Today there is no threat of extinction. However, the animal is still very rare.

Japanese

AT international classification two subspecies of these animals are distinguished:

• Hokkaido or Ezo. These predators lived on the island of Hokkaido. Outwardly, they resembled an ordinary wolf.
• Khonshu or Khondos.

The Meiji government has placed a reward on anyone who brings the head of a predator. This marked the beginning of the complete destruction of the subspecies. In 1889, the Japanese wolf completely disappeared.

Leary

Scientific studies have shown that wolves do not live in South America. Since 2009, an attempt has been made to spread the legend about the supposedly existing subspecies of predators. It is currently impossible to confirm or refute the information received. Therefore, Leary Wolf remains more of a fiction.

Newfoundland

The species officially became extinct in 1911. There lived a predator on the eastern shores of Canada. The color was light with a dark stripe along the spine. Feeds on rodents and caribou.

Because of his thick fur, he was constantly hunted. In addition, since 1900, there was a shortage of food, which led to a sharp decline in the number of caribou. All these factors led to the complete extinction of the Newfoundland wolf.

Ethiopian

The phenotype of this predator is similar to the fox. The species is on the verge of extinction. Because of the amazingly beautiful fur, the animal is constantly hunted.

Mackensensky

The most common wolf species in North America. Animals can reach a weight of up to 79 kg. Height at the withers - 89 cm. Feeds on deer, wapiti, musk oxen and elk, bison.

The Alaskan wolf has been relocated to Yellowstone Park. He adapted well there. Its number increased by 1290 individuals. Some of the predators eventually left the protected areas and settled in the border zone. In these places they are hunted.

An amazing animal is found in the mountains of Asia. It is extremely difficult to say exactly who it is by appearance alone. His body is folded like that of a jackal, his behavior is wolf-like, and his beautiful fur resembles that of a fox.

Red or mountain wolf is a smart and beautiful predator. The mass of the animal reaches 22 kg, the length of the body does not exceed a meter. The color is bright, the tail is long and hangs almost to the ground, the fur is fluffy and thick. The muzzle is shortened, the ears are large, rounded, set high.

Depending on the habitat, the red or mountain wolf has a different coat color. However, in most cases it is reddish. In the cold season, the fur becomes thick, dense and soft. By summer, the coat coarsens and becomes darker. Wolf cubs are brown at birth.

There are 10 subspecies of predators. Differing from each other in body size, color and density of fur.

Red or mountain wolf lives in various areas. However, its numbers are small. Experts cannot say for sure whether he currently lives in Russia. Mostly red or mountain wolf lives in Asia.

The predator lives in gorges and rocks, where snow constantly lies. On the plains and in the forests appears only in search of food or when moving from one territory to another. It is extremely rare for an animal to attack livestock.

Predators hunt in packs. Its size does not exceed 13 individuals. At the same time, there is no clear leader in it. They forage for food most often during daylight hours. The red or mountain wolf feeds on deer, antelopes, lizards and rodents. A large flock can kill a bull and a leopard. With a shortage of food, a red or mountain wolf does not disdain carrion.

Despite the fact that the predator's diet mainly includes meat, it does not neglect plant foods. Mountain rhubarb is always present in a den with newborn puppies. Experts believe that it is fed to young animals by belching the inflorescences of the plant treated with gastric juice.

The red or mountain wolf attacks the victim from behind. It never grabs the throat of its prey, unlike the rest of the canids.

The animal is secretive. It always hides from people. The lair is arranged in well-defended places. Burrows never dig. They swim and jump well. They have sensitive hearing.

Due to the secretive lifestyle, the biology of the predator has not been fully studied. Experts can only say with confidence that the red or mountain wolf creates pairs with one female. The male is responsible for raising the puppies. In captivity, the predator mates in winter. Pregnancy lasts 59 days. There are no more than 9 puppies in a litter.

In a warm climate, young are born throughout the year. The born puppy is outwardly similar to an ordinary wolf or a German shepherd. Only after 13 days his eyes open. After half a year, the puppy begins to weigh like an adult. At two years, puberty occurs.

Ginger

Outwardly, the red wolf resembles a gray one. However, it is slightly smaller in size, its body is more slender, its coat is shorter, and its ears and legs are longer. The body reaches a size of 129 cm, height up to 79, weight no more than 39 kg. The color of the red wolf is not monophonic. The muzzle and legs are reddish, the back is black.

Predators live in the prairies, wetlands and mountainous areas. Flocks consist of animals of different ages. Aggression in groups is completely absent.

The red wolf eats not only meat, but also plant foods. Rabbits, raccoons, rodents most often become the prey of a predator. Very rare deer. Often animals eat carrion and berries. The red wolf sometimes becomes the prey of the lynx and alligators.

The breeding season lasts from January to March. She-wolves bring up to 7 puppies. Cases have been described when a female gave birth to 11 wolf cubs. Animals equip their lair under fallen trees or along the banks of reservoirs. At half a year, puppies become independent. The wolf lives in captivity for about 13 years, in vivo- 4 years.

The red wolf is the rarest canine. It is listed in the Red Book.

Marsupial

The last representatives of the subspecies lived until 1936 in Tasmania. The marsupial wolf had a body length of about a meter, a tail of 49 cm. Males aged could reach two meters in length.

The predator's skull resembled a dog's, but a thin tail at the end and a thick tail at the base, bent hind limbs spoke of its marsupial nature. The coat was coarse, short, very thick. The back had a brownish tinge. It had darker stripes on it. The belly was light, the muzzle gray. Ears erect, short, rounded.

The marsupial wolf had a kind of bag on the stomach, formed by a skin fold that opened back.

Initially, the animal lived on grassy plains and in sparse forests. However, with the advent of man, his habitat has changed. He moved to the mountains, where he made his lair in caves and under fallen trees. The marsupial wolf was a nocturnal predator, but sometimes went out to bask in the sun. The predator hunted alone, extremely rarely in pairs.

The marsupial wolf fed on lizards, birds, echidnas. After human settlement in Australia, the animal began to attack livestock. The marsupial wolf often ate animals caught in traps. The predator left the caught and half-eaten game and never returned to it. The marsupial wolf had a piercing, guttural, deaf, coughing bark.

The thylacine is a marsupial. The wolves had a bag on their stomach formed by a skin fold. In it, the cubs were fed and nurtured. After three months, the puppies began to leave the pouch, but returned to it until they were nine months old.

The marsupial wolf did not reproduce under artificial conditions and lived up to 9 years.

Forest

Depending on the habitat, the phenotype of wolves changes. The colder the climate, the more massive and large animals living in these conditions. On average, the proportions of a gray wolf are as follows:

• weight 33-63 kg;
• body length 104-161 cm;
• height at the withers 67-87 cm.

These indicators make the common wolf the largest in the family.

One year old animals weigh 19-31 kg. In the third year of life 34-46 kg. The peak of development of the wolf reaches three years. In Alaska, animals reach a weight of 76 kg; in temperate latitudes, the figure varies between 51-61 kg.

Outwardly, the wolf looks like a sharp-eared large dog. His legs are high and powerful. The paw, unlike the dog's, is more elongated. The wolf's footprint is up to 13 cm long and 7 cm wide. The paw print is more prominent, unlike dogs. It is easy to distinguish it by the two middle fingers extended forward. The trail of traces resembles a flat line.

Description of the appearance of the wolf:

• broad-browed head;
• on the sides of the elongated wide muzzle are "whiskers";
• high, heavy, large skull;
• expanding to the bottom, wide nasal openings;
• the thick long tail is always omitted. By his movement and position, one can judge the mood of the wolf and the position in the pack.
• The structure of the jaw speaks about the lifestyle of the animal. Carnivorous teeth, which include the lower first molars and upper fourth premolars, participate in the section of the caught game. The fangs help the wolf to drag and hold the prey. With the loss of teeth, the animal is doomed to death.
• The fur is long, thick, consists of two layers. Thanks to him, the wolf looks much larger than it really is. The outer hair, which is the first layer of wool, protects the animal from dirt and water. The undercoat - the second layer - is a waterproof fluff that allows you to keep warm. Closer to summer, molting occurs. During this period, the fluff exfoliates in small lumps. To speed up the process, animals rub their skins against various items: tree trunks, stones.
• The wolf puppy has a dark, uniform coat, which brightens after a while. Fur color can have mixed shades in representatives of the same population. The undercoat of wolves is always gray, only the color of the guard hair differs.

Many people think that the color of the coat is used for camouflage. However, experts say that the color of the fur increases individual characteristics each individual.

• The eyes of animals up to 17 weeks of age are blue, then they acquire an orange tint. It is extremely rare that the eye color of adult wolves remains blue.

• Thanks to long scientific experiments, a hybrid of a wolf and a dog was bred. Breeds such as the Sarlosa and the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog are considered recognized all over the world.
• During the Middle Ages, the predator was considered a servant of the dark forces. Many legends, traditions and fairy tales were composed using his image. The most popular is the werewolf or werewolf.
• Wolves almost never attack humans. If this happens, then the animal is most likely sick with rabies.
• Many coats of arms of the European nobility were decorated with the image of a wolf. High-ranking officials believed that their family appeared thanks to werewolves.
• In order for the battle to be successful, the Vikings put on the skins of predators before it began, and also drank their blood.
• Wolf land. This is what Ireland was called in the 17th century because of the numerous wolf packs that lived on its lands.
• With favorable weather conditions a predator is able to hear a sound on a plain at a distance of 17 km.
• The wolf is extremely difficult to tame. The dream of having a predator in your house that will guard the territory is not feasible. Wolves are afraid of people, so they will hide from strangers rather than defend their territory.
• "Lupus" in translation means "red wolf". Doctors in the past believed that this autoimmune disease appears after a bite from a predator.
• The animal is an excellent swimmer. It is able to cover a distance of 14 km thanks to small membranes located between the fingers.
• Hitler really liked wolves. He gave many of his military headquarters code names associated with the name of the predator.
• The dire wolf is a prehistoric animal whose main prey was mammoths.
• The crow is often referred to as the "wolf bird". This name was given to him due to his habit of following a predator. The bird eats the remains of the caught prey, and also uses canines as protection.
• The Aztecs pierced the chest of a dying man with a sharp wolf bone. It was believed that death could be prevented in this way.
• Powder from the liver of a predator was used in medieval Europe during childbirth.
• Eating wolf meat can turn you into a vampire. This is exactly what the Greeks thought.
• The Cherokee have never hunted this predator. They believed that the weapon with which the animal was killed would "go bad." They were also afraid of revenge from the brothers of the dead wolf.
• The predator has well-developed facial expressions. He uses it to communicate with relatives.
• "Great god" is the translation of the word wolf from Japanese.

In India, primitive traps in the form of a pit with pointed sticks at the bottom are used to capture a predator.

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

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

Gray wolves are slender, have a powerful physique with a large, deep-set chest and sloping back. The belly of the gray wolf is retracted, the neck is muscular. Their limbs are long and reliable, with relatively small paws. There are five toes on each front paw and four on the hind paws. Females, as a rule, have a narrow muzzle and forehead, a thin neck, her paws are slightly shorter than those of males, and less massive shoulders. Wolves very strong for their size, with enough strength to overturn a horse or frozen elk carcasses.

In general, gray wolves are the largest of the animals belonging to the Canidae family, apart from 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, the European wolf can weigh 38.5 kg, the North American wolf 36 kg, and the Indian and Arabian wolves 25 kg. Female wolves tend to weigh 5-10 kg less than males. Wolves weighing over 54 kg are rare, but exceptionally large individuals have been recorded in Alaska, Canada, and the former Soviet Union.

Gray wolves can run at a speed of 56-64 km/h, and can run non-stop for more than 20 minutes, although not necessarily at the same speed. In cold climates, wolves may reduce blood flow to conserve body heat. The heat of the lower parts of the 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 ice and snow. The head of a gray wolf is large and heavy. The ears are comparatively small and triangular. As a rule, in bodily configuration they resemble german shepherds and huskies.

In general, gray wolves are the largest of the animals belonging to 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 protective 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 the Nordic countries can safely be in open country at -40°, placing their muzzle between their hind legs and covering it with their tail. Wolf hair provides better insulation than dog hair and does not collect ice.

Their sense of smell is poorly developed compared to some breeds of hunting dogs. Because of this, they rarely catch hidden hares and birds, although they can easily track prey on 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, in times of threat, such as when there are large numbers of artiodactyls, several packs may unite for better defense. In areas with few wolves, the wolf tends to be monogamous. Usually a pair lasts for life until one of the wolves dies. However, after the death of one of the wolves, the couple is quickly restored with the help of others. In the wild, wolves can breed from two years of age. Females can bring cubs once a year. Mating usually takes place at the end of winter. Pregnancy lasts 62-75 days, cubs are usually born in the summer. The average litter consists of 5-6 cubs. Wolf cubs are born blind and deaf, and are covered with short, soft greyish-brown fur. At birth, they weigh 300-500 grams. During the first month, they feed on their mother's milk. After 3 weeks, the 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 by 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 howls.

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

Wolves usually dominate among predators.
The body language of wolves consists of various expressions of the muzzle, the position of the tail. An aggressive or defensive wolf is characterized by slow and deliberate movements, high posture and raised hair, calm wolves have a calm posture, smooth coat, and lowered ears and tail. With the help of howling, wolves gather a pack (usually before and after hunting), 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 do not usually 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. in North America and 12°N. in Eurasia. Wolves tend to 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, for example, the coyotes did. Even though gray wolves are not endangered, wolf populations are still under threat in some places.

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 the first symptoms of the disease appear in the wolf, he leaves his pack, thus preventing the spread of the disease.

The damage caused by wolves to livestock has been one of the main reasons for hunting wolves, and this can be a serious problem for the conservation of the wolf population. Wolves are generally not dangerous to humans as long as they are scarce, have adequate food, rarely meet humans, and occasionally hunt. Cases of wolf attacks on humans are rare, but in the early 20th century such attacks were common.

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

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

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

Although wolves are trainable, they lack the pliability 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 can 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 16 km. in open area.

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

The earliest depictions of wolves are found in caves in southern Europe and are over 20,000 years old.
The wolf cannot be tamed and made guard dog, he is afraid of strangers and will hide from them instead of barking.

The autoimmune disease lupus, or skin tuberculosis, 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.

The eyes of wolf puppies are always blue at birth. They turn yellow only by 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 rainforests.

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 population of the North American gray wolf in 1600 was 2 million individuals. 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, it's like a person 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" that lived about 35 million years ago. It was a small dog-like animal with short legs and a long body. Perhaps they, like wolves, lived in packs.

Wolves can swim for distances of up to 13 kilometers, helping themselves when moving in the water with small webs between their fingers.

Between 1883 and 1918, more than 80,000 wolves were killed in the US state of Montana alone.

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

In the 1600s, Ireland was called "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 determined that wolves will respond to humans imitating wolf howls. It would be strange if it were different...

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

When the Europeans sailed to North America, the wolf became the most popular prey among them in hunting animals in all of American history. These animals were on the verge of extinction at the beginning of the 20th century. The U.S. federal government even enacted a wolf eradication program in the Western states in 1915.

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

Wolves can run for a minute or two at a speed of 32 km / h, and in moments of danger or pursuit - up to 56 km / h. It has been observed that during the day they run at a “trot” (about 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 the eyes of the wolf is called "tapetum lucidum" (Latin for "bright tapestry"), it glows in the dark and also promotes night vision in the animal.

Where wolves live, crows (sometimes called "wolf birds") are often found. 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 Greek scholar of the first century, she-wolf of tongues rubs the gums of puppies to relieve the pain when they appear. He also believed that wolf dung could be used to treat stomach cramps and cataracts.

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

During the Middle Ages, Europeans used wolf liver powders to relieve the pain of childbirth.

The Greeks believed that if one ate the meat of a wolf that kills lambs, then one was at a high risk of becoming a vampire.

The Cherokee Indians did not hunt wolves, because they believed that the brothers of the dead would take revenge on them. In addition, the weapon with which the wolf was killed was considered "corrupted."

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

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

In Japanese, the word wolf is characterized as "great god".
Between 6,000 and 7,000 wolf skins are still sold annually in the world. They are supplied mainly from

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. Wolves fall into the pit on sharp stakes, and people finish them off from above with stones.

Wolves were the first animals to be listed as endangered 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 the 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 after ten years, approximately 136 wolves roam the park, huddled 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, in Spain about 2000, in 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 most severe corners of the planet, wolves often eat their wounded or sick relatives. In addition, a trapped wolf should be removed by hunters as soon as possible, as there is a very high risk that other wolves will find it and eat it.

Some wolves can reach a weight of 100 kg. The size of wolves grows exponentially with the degree of remoteness from the equator. Tropical wolves are often the same size as regular dogs, but wolves extreme north on average exceed the weight of 60 kg.

In 2008, researchers at Stanford University found that mutations associated with black fur occur only in dogs, so black wolves are nothing more than hybrids. Most often, such wolves are found in North America.

In areas where wolves were subject to mass extermination, coyotes flourished. Recent studies have 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 also distinguished by extreme cunning. They combine the absence of fear of a person and pronounced wolf instincts and a high level of aggression.

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

The wolves of America are less likely to attack people than their other brethren. Historical records show over 3,000 people killed by wolves in France between 1580-1830. The wolves of India and Russia do not lag behind them. In contrast, in the US and Canada, there are very few officially confirmed wolf attacks.

Despite their close relationship, wolves perceive dogs mainly as prey. In Russia, at one time, stray dogs served as a staple food for wolves.

The plague that ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages caused tension between humans and wolves. In those days, corpses were destroyed much faster by wolves, and not by fire or burial underground. Such methods of "burial" have instilled a taste for human blood in generations of wolves. Probably, since then, wolves have included human meat in their "menu".