European wolf

European wolf(Canis lupus)

Phylum —chordata
Class — mammalia
Order — carnivora
Family — canidae

Genus – canis

Appearance

The wolf is the largest member of the Canidae family, and is further distinguished from coyotes and jackals by a broader snout, shorter ears, a shorter torso and a longer tail.  It is slender and powerfully built with a large, deeply descending rib cage, a sloping back, and a heavily muscled neck. The wolf's legs are moderately longer than those of other canids, which enables the animal to move swiftly, and to overcome the deep snow that covers most of its geographical range in winter. The ears are relatively small and triangular. The wolf's head is large and heavy, with a wide forehead, strong jaws and a long, blunt muzzle. The teeth are heavy and large, making them better suited to crushing bone than those of other canids. Females tend to have narrower muzzles and foreheads, thinner necks, slightly shorter legs, and less massive shoulders than males.

On average, adult wolves measure 105–160 cm (41–63 in) in length and 80–85 cm (31–33 in) at shoulder height. The tail measures 29–50 cm (11–20 in) in length, the ears 90–110 mm (3 1⁄2–4 3⁄8 in) in height, and the hind feet are 220–250 mm (8 5⁄8–9 7⁄8 in). The mean body mass of the wolf is 40 kg (88 lb), the smallest specimen recorded at 12 kg (26 lb) and the largest at 79.4 kg (175 lb).

The wolf has very dense and fluffy winter fur, with a short undercoat and long, coarse guard hairs. Most of the undercoat and some guard hairs are shed in spring and grow back in autumn. The longest hairs occur on the back, particularly on the front quarters and neck. Especially long hairs grow on the shoulders and almost form a crest on the upper part of the neck. The hairs on the cheeks are elongated and form tufts. The ears are covered in short hairs and project from the fur. Short, elastic and closely adjacent hairs are present on the limbs from the elbows down to the calcaneal tendons. The winter fur is highly resistant to the cold.

Female wolves tend to have smoother furred limbs than males and generally develop the smoothest overall coats as they age. Older wolves generally have more white hairs on the tip of the tail, along the nose, and on the forehead. Winter fur is retained longest by lactating females, although with some hair loss around their teats.

Habitat

European wolves occur across North America and Eurasia, primarily found in remote areas and wilderness.

Behavior

European wolves are social animals, living, hunting and travelling in packs. An average wolf pack consists of 7-8 individuals, including the alpha male and female with their young as well as older offspring. The alphas are the leaders of the pack, establishing the group's territory, selecting the den sites, tracking down and hunting prey.They live in close ties with the members of their pack, communicating with each other through a wide variety of calls, including barks, whine, howls and growls.They are most active at sunrise and sunset.

Throughout the year, these animals undergo a stationary and nomadic phases: stationary phase takes place in spring and summer months, when they grown up the young, while nomadic phase lasts from the autumn to winter. European wolves prefer moving at night, being able to travel up to 200 km per day.

Diet

The European wolf is carnivore and scavenger. The usual diet of this animal primarily consists of ungulates such as elk, moose, deer and caribou. They also consume small species like rabbits or beavers. In addition, these wolves will scavenge on occasion.

Reproduction

Within a pack, only the alpha male and female breed. The alphas are monogamous, mating for life, until one of the mates dies, after which a new alpha male of female is determined, and the pair is re-established. European wolves breed from January to April. The female is responsible for digging a den, where she further gives birth and raises the pups.

The gestation period last about 60-63 days, after which 1-14 pups are born with an average of 6-7. For the first 45 days, all members of the pack participate in feeding the pups through regurgitation. The mother stays with the young for the first 3 weeks, after which the pups continue living in the den, until they reach the age of 8-10 weeks. Females are sexually mature at 2 years old, and males - at 3 years old.

European wolves may live thirteen years in the wild, though average lifespan is 5 to 6 years.

In captivity

Wolves are sometimes kept as exotic pets, and in some rarer occasions, as working animals. Although closely related to domesticated dogs, wolves do not show the same tractability as dogs in living alongside humans, and generally, a greater amount of effort is required in order to obtain the same amount of reliability. Wolves also need much more space than dogs, about 25 to 40 square kilometers (10 to 15 sq mi) so they can exercise.

Captive wolves are generally shy and avoid eye contact with humans other than their owner, as well as not listening to any commands made by any other humans. They usually vacate rooms or hide when a new person enters the establishment. Even seemingly friendly wolves need to be treated with caution, as captive wolves tend to view and treat people as other wolves, and will thus bite or dominate people in the same situation in which they would other wolves.

Wolves eat a special diet. Unlike dogs – whose digestive systems have been adapted over hundreds of thousands of years – wolves are unable to process grains, meaning they cannot sustain a healthy life by consuming dog food. As true carnivores they require a raw meat diet to truly thrive; not just meat, but organs, bones, and additional supplements to mimic things like fur, feathers, antlers, and hooves that they would also be eating if they lived in the wild.Providing this special diet can be difficult for the average person, because wolves don’t just require meat… they require a lot of it!

The exercise needs of a wolf exceed the average dog's demand. Because of this, captive wolves typically do not cope well in urban areas. Due to their talent at observational learning, adult captive wolves can quickly work out how to escape confinement, and require constant reinforcement by caretakers or owners, which makes raising wolves difficult for people who raise their pets in an even, rather than subordinate, environment.