Gray wolf | Facts & Information

The Wolf is part of the family Canidae along with the dog, fox, jackal and raccoon. Its scientific name is Canis lupus.

It was the symbol of the Dacians and other ancient peoples, even the Romans had it as a sign of their beginnings (The Legend of the She-Wolf who fed Romulus and Remus).

Feeding The Wolf

Feeding and teething are typical for a carnivore.

Although in need it can be omnivorous, being able to survive on fruits or other vegetables, even eating tree bark, the Wolf still prefers meat.

It behaves as a hunter as well as a scavenger, being an important factor in preserving the natural balance.

Where wolves were eliminated there was a collapse of the ecological balance, this made it necessary to reintroduce it to many countries that had eliminated it.

The wolf eats almost any living thing: from frogs and larvae, rabbits and other small animals, to Wild Boars, Wolves, donkeys, oxen and even bears.

Appearance Wolf

It is a robust animal with a long body of 1.5 m plus a tail of about 0.8 m. its weight varies between 30 and 50kg, in some cases exceeding 70 kg.

The coat has a grayish-brown color with multiple variations. It consists of two rows of bristles: one thick, woolly, near the skin, yellowish-gray color and the second longer, called herringbone, with black tip.

Shedding generally in autumn we can say that the Wolf has a darker summer "coat" and another lighter winter. The fingers, which step on the pads, have non-retractable nails, so it leaves marks when moving on soft ground or snow.

Tundra wolf (Canis lupus albus)

The Arabian wolf (Canis lupus arabs)

Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos)

Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)

Grey wolf (Canis lupus communis)

Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)

The italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus)

African wolf (Canis lupus lupaster)

The Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus)

The eastern wolf (Canis lupus lycaon)

Caspian Sea Wolf (Canis lupus cubanensis)

The Great Plains wolf (Canis lupus nubilus)

The northwestern wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis)

Wolf Behavior

The Wolves ' performances are impressive. In search of food they can travel 100km in one night. The Wolf's running speed can exceed 60km / h. his senses are extraordinary.

Not only the smell is particularly fine, but also the hearing and seeing, the Wolf can hunt very well both at night, his favorite time of hunting, as well as during the day or during twilight or morning periods. He has great resistance to pain and great courage in battle. More than just physical performance, he has great intelligence.

In hunting uses different tactics, from the strategy of enveloping on the flanks of the prey to the gradual management to closed areas. He often notices and bypasses the traps set for him.

"The Bear has mind as a man and strength as seven, and the Wolf has strength as a man and mind as seven". It needs a very large territory of about 2500 ha, ten times more than the bear.

In the Romans there is an old tradition regarding the Wolf, viewed with fear and admiration.

In some areas the Dacian traditions of the connection with the Wolf are preserved. Those who care for Wolves are under the protection of St. Peter. Andrew and even if in old age their body is full of scars from too hard bites of dogs or wolves, there is no known case in which they were torn or eaten by these animals.

This people were one of the two sources of legends about the Wolf-Man or lycanthropes.

Wolf Breeding

Mating takes place in February-March, after which the Wolf stays with the Wolf to raise the young together.

After that, Wolves, including cubs, gather in packs, which, especially in harsh winters, can associate with each other.

After a gestation of 62 – 64 days the wolf girl 4-6 blind Cubs about 2 weeks that she breastfeeds for 6 weeks.