![]() Pups are cared for by all members of the pack. Females stay with their pups almost exclusively for the first 3 weeks. Pups remain in the den until they are 8 to 10 weeks old. The gestation period lasts between 60 and 63 days, litter size ranges from one to fourteen, with the average size being six or seven pups. Other dens are under cliffs, under fallen trees, and in caves. Pups are born in the den and will remain there for several weeks after birth. The den is often dug with an entrance that slopes down and then up again to a higher area to avoid flooding. After mating occurs, the female digs a den in which to raise her young. Female gray wolves come into estrus once each year and lasts 5 to 14 days, mating occurs during this time. Gray wolf pairs spend a great deal of time together. Female gray wolves choose their mates and often form a life-long pair bond. This pair is monogamous although, with the death of an alpha individual, a new alpha male or female will emerge and take over as the mate.īreeding occurs between the months of January and April, with northern populations breeding later in the season than southern populations. The dominant pair in a grey wolf pack are the only members that breed. They are distinguished from coyotes ( Canis latrans) by being 50 to 100% larger and having a broader snout and larger feet. Gray wolves can be distinguished from red wolves ( Canis rufus) by their larger size, broader snout, and shorter ears. Gray wolves have a dense underfur layer, providing them with excellent insulation against cold conditions. The underparts are paler as well, and the ears vary from black to buffy, depending on the subspecies (Young 1944). ![]() The upper parts are drab-gray, overlaid with brownish-black. ![]() The third color phase occurs during the first pelage of young wolves. The black phase of North American populations is characterized by the upper parts varying from brown to black, with specks of white the underparts are paler in tone, and there is often a pure white medial pectoral spot. Under parts are whitish and the tail is conspicuously black over the tail gland, and paler below to the tip, which is nearly pure black. The back is usually more profoundly black, and the muzzle, ears, and limbs have cinammon coloration as well. The normal phase is characterized by varying mixtures of white with shades of black, gray, cinnamon, and brown on the upper parts of the animal. North American populations have three distinct color phases. Distance between the canines is around 4 cm.įur color of gray wolves also varies geographically, ranging from pure white in Arctic populations, to mixtures of white with gray, brown, cinammon, and black to nearly uniform black in some color phases. Height (measured from base of paws to shoulder) generally ranges from 60 to 90 cm. Males can weigh from 30 to 80 kg, with an average of 55 kg, females can weigh from 23 to 55 kg, with an average of 45 kg. Tail length ranges between 350 to 520 mm. Total body length, from tip of the nose to tip of the tail, is from 1000 to 1300 mm in males, and 870 to 1170 mm in females. The largest of approximately 41 wild species of canids, gray wolves vary in size based primarily on geographic locality, with southern populations generally smaller than northern populations. They occupy a wide variety of habitats, from arctic tundra to forest, prairie, and arid landscapes. Gray wolves are one of the most wide ranging land animals. However, due to habitat destruction, environmental change, persecution by humans, and other barriers to population growth, gray wolf populations are now found only in a few areas of the contiguous United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico (a small population), and Eurasia. The original range of Canis lupus consisted of the majority of the Northern hemisphere - from the Arctic continuing south to a latitude of 20° S, which runs through southern Central Mexico, northern Africa, and southern Asia.
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