Physiology and Characteristics of Gray Wolves

In general appearance, Gray Wolves resemble a large dog, but wolves have longer legs, larger feet, a narrower chest, and a straight tail. The gray wolf’s head is large and heavy, with a wide forehead, strong jaws, and a long muzzle. The ears are small and triangular. They carry their head at the same level as the back, raising it only when they’re alert. Their fur is thick, with an outer layer composed of coarse hair, and a soft undercoat. Their coat color is usually grey flecked with black but can also be red, brown, tan, black, or almost white. While many of them have yellow eyes, others have amber or dark brown eyes. The combined length of their head and body typically ranges from 40-63 inches and weighs around 55-130 lbs. Their front paws have five toes each, while the back paws have four. They can quickly achieve speeds of 50-70 km per hour.

Gray Wolves cooperate in hunting, allowing it to successfully bring down big animals like moose. The pack tests their prey, approaching a herd of deer or caribou to see if one of the animals might be an easy target. If one limps, falls behind, or is a young one with an inattentive mother, it may become wolf food. Gray Wolves will attack the easiest possible prey, which is usually a sick, elderly, or very young animal. Their diet consists of ungulates, such as elk, deer, moose, and caribou, as well as smaller animals like rabbits and beavers. They are also scavengers, eating animals that have died due to starvation and disease. Wolves can run as fast as forty-four miles per hour. While one wolf chases, others wait to take over after the first one gets tired to wear out the prey until it is exhausted. The alphas feed first, then the others. They also have pointed teeth about two inches long to hang onto the nose or tail of a fleeing animal. Farther back in their jaws are large teeth with sharp edges for cutting through tough skin and muscle. Wolves have very sensitive noses that can detect prey from a mile and a half away. Hunting isn’t easy. Wolves are only successful at bringing down prey about once every ten tries. Their preys have sharp hooves or antlers to protect themselves. They could be injured or killed as they chase and attack.

One way Gray Wolves talk to each other by howling. They howl more when it’s lighter at night, which occurs more often when the moon is full. A pack can tell if a neighboring pack is too close to their boundary when it hears them howl. Wolves often howl before a hunt or after getting their prey. A lone wolf howls to indicate its location to others, and they may howl back to show where they are. Each voice sounds different and when one wolf starts howling, others join in. Gray Wolves have other ways to communicate. Like dogs, they growl in threat or bark in warning. Whining shows the need for attention.

When wolves are around two years old, they are old enough to mate. Only the alpha male and female gets to mate. The breeding season occurs sometime from late January through March, depending on where the wolves live. The farther north, the later the breeding season is. The pups are born in a den dug into the earth. There are usually five to six in a litter. Wolf pups weigh about a pound at birth and can’t see or hear. After two weeks, their eyes open and can move around in the den. When they are around three weeks old, they’re allowed to come out of the den and explore. The young wolves grow quickly and the whole pack helps care for the pups. The adults regurgitate food for them to eat and when the pups are big enough, the den is abandoned. By the time the pups are four to six months of age, they are almost as big as the adults and are old and strong enough to learn how to hunt.