Wolves are a class of the canine family, and they seem to do very well in the right environment. In fact, they are the largest of all canines with exception of some dog species. They are meat eaters and can range in size considerably depending on where they live. Some of them are only about 55 pounds full grown while others can be up to 200 pounds. They can range in size from 40 to 65 inches in length. Such a measurement is from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail.
They have long gotten a bad reputation out there in the wild. They are very intelligent animals that live in groups that are known as packs. They have thick fur to help them survive in a variety of climates. They are found to live in many places throughout the Northern Hemisphere. However, the amount of roaming space that they have continues to get smaller all the time.
Wolves live in small groups that are called packs. They can have from 6 to 20 members in them at a time. They have a very large range that they cover from 33 to 6,200 km2. They hunt as a group which makes it possible for them to take down large prey such as moose and elk. This type of kill helps to ensure there is plenty of food to go around for the entire pack.
Wolf Species
The Gray Wolf is the one most people are familiar with. They can be all colors and range in size depending on where they happen to reside.
Gray Wolf
The Common Wolf is also known as the Gray Wolf. This is the type of wolf that most people are familiar with.
Arctic Wolf
No other wolf in the world can offer the same coloring as the Arctic Wolf. It is very unique due to the location where it is found.
Red Wolf
The name of the Red Wolf stems from the fact that they can have a reddish coat on them. It is often a cinnamon shade of red.
Indian Wolf
The reddish or light brown coloring of the Indian Wolf is part of the reason that many believe it to be a fox when they catch a glimpse of it in the wild.
Himalayan Wolf
The Himalayan Wolf is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. This is a fairly new species to have been identified.
Ethiopian Wolf
Due to the physical appearance of the Ethiopian Wolf it is often mistaken for either a fox or a jackal.
Eastern Wolf
The Eastern Wolf is a distinct species even though many people mistake it for a subspecies of the Gray Wolf or the Red Wolf.
Wolf Habitat
Some species of wolves only live in the United States in forests and other areas where animals are plentiful for them to consume due to their dietary needs.
Wolf Feeding
You may be surprised to find that they can consume up to 20 pounds of meat in a single feeding.
Wolf Reproduction
When it comes to the actual mating, only the lead male and female will actually do so. This is why it is often hard to get the number of wolves to increase.
Wolf Anatomy
The body of a wolf allows it to be able to survive in a variety of different locations.
Wolf Communication
The howl of the wolf can be heard from miles around. It is the trademark by which these very animals are known.
Wolf Body Language
The wolf is one of the best communicators out there when it comes to the use of body language.
Wolf Predators
Sometimes fights over food sources can lead to the wolves having enemies that normally wouldn’t be there.
Wolf Social Structure
The leader of the pack is the alpha male and his mate is the beta female. Many believe that the social order of a pack is determined by fear and dominance of the one in charge.
Wolf Territorial Behavior and Dispersion
It is estimated that at least 10% of the territory of a wolf pack is covered daily. They aren’t idle for very long, making it hard to track where they are actually at.
When you look at the history of what has occurred for the wolf, it makes you wonder how they have been able to survive until now. These animals have been heavily hunted since the early 1600’s. The fact that we now have more advanced weapons has only made it worse. Some of them were hunted to get them out of certain locations or for food. Most of them were hunted to take their skins for warm and to make money.
It is estimated that in the 19th century more than one million wolves around the world were needlessly killed. It may surprise you to learn that even in the United States things weren’t on their side. In 1950’s an anti wolf campaign was initiated that lead to the legal destruction of thousands of them. It wasn’t until mid-1970’s when it was decided that it needed to stop.
Even so, the damages had already been done with the wolves seeing a drastic reduction in their numbers as well as their natural habitat. They still have not been able to make a strong comeback over all even though they are doing quite well in some locations thanks to protective programs and organized implementation efforts.
Many species of wolves continue to be endangered at this point in time. For many, they aren’t nearly as important as some of the other animals out there that are on this same list. That has made it even harder to get organized efforts in place and to get adequate funding to help cover the costs of the efforts that are in place to protect them.
Montana and Idaho removed the protective status of wolves residing there. Now it is legal for them to be hunted during particular seasons of the year. In most other locations it is illegal to kill them but people do so anyway. When the risk of being caught trapping or shooting them is there they turn to poison.
It can be very hard to determine the cause of death for a wolf by the time it is found. There can be no traces of poison left in the body. Even if there is, it is extremely difficult to prove where it came from. What often happens is those want to get rid of wolves will place poison on the carcass of a newly killed animal. They leave it in the wild for the wolves to find and feed upon. This can kill and entire wolf pack in very little time.
This is a very painful way to die though and one that isn’t very humane. Additionally, it isn’t always the wolves that find this source of food. As a result other types of animals can be killed as well though such efforts.
Getting people to understand that wolves are a significant part of nature is part of the efforts in place to protect them. Changing the mindset that people have about them is also important. When these animals are killed then they are one step closer to extinction. Protecting their natural environment is important as well. The smaller area that they have to cover for food and shelter the less likely they are going to be able to survive.
The concerns over wolf hunting date back to the 1600’s according to the information that we have records of. There are also records that wolves were almost completely wiped out of their natural habitats in England. Men with horses set out to hunt them in any way they could. They often set traps, dug pits that they would fall into as they ran through the wilderness, and used dogs to track them down.
The same types of stories unfolded throughout Europe as well. They were almost all killed by the 1700’s. As newer weapons and better traps were developed, it became easier for man to hunt wolves. The biggest reason why they were destroyed is that man felt they were a huge threat to them. Stories of wolves eating men and other horrific visions meant that the mentality was to kill them or to be killed.
The Indians believed the wolf was a sacred animal. They only hunted them when necessary for food. They believed the gods had placed the wolves there for their survival. They consumed the meat and used other body parts for tools. They tried not to waste any of what they too, from nature.
The hides from the wolves were used by Indians to keep them warm and even to make hats from. As the fur trade went into full swing, many hunters were killing wolves for the sole purpose of removing their hides. The rest of the animal was left there to rot. This was about the same time that people weren’t just hunting for food anymore. Instead they were also growing fruits and vegetables.
Where did they put all of it? They continued to move into territories where wolves had roamed for a very long time. This meant a smaller amount of area for them to be able to survive out there. It also meant that humans started to come into contact with them. The fears that people have of wolves are unfounded, but that didn’t stop them from being hunted. When a wolf was spotted they already knew others were close by. They decided to hunt them rather than to wait for an attack from the pack.
Due to the drastically low numbers of wolves, it is illegal in most areas to hunt them. Some populations such as those in Montana are now high enough again that limited hunting of them is allowed. There is still a great deal of illegal hunting that goes on behind the scenes though.
For many hunters the thrill of finding a wolf in Alaska or Canada is something that they are very interested in doing. They can spend days or weeks in the wilderness trying to track them down. With limited numbers it has become increasingly hard to find them to hunt. Yet for many that is part of the fun of trying to make it happen. Some of them also hire guides in these areas that know where to find the wolves.
A great deal of it is conducted by ranchers who have purchased land very close to the natural habitat of the wolves. They are upset that the wolves are killing their livestock and other animals. They feel that they are justified to kill them in order to protect the animals they have invested their money in.
"In Better Place"
Theres a better place for you
where the lights shine above
calling for you to come
it is time for you to let go
there for we will think if you
and will be in our hearts
we know theres a better place
We will remember you with great honor
holding you up high
we know that you loved us
and when you let go
and lay to sleep for the final time
tears will be shed outta love
outta respect
Grandpa
we will always hold you deep within our hearts
i'm happy that I got to see you that one last time
and got to hold your hand, feel your touch
and having the memory of you sitting and smiling with krystina
she will never forget it
with love, respect and sorrow
I send you to heaven with love and acceptanceness
for your life has touched mine so deeply
sleep well grandpa, one day we will meet and celebrate together.
