The Grey Wolf
Uploaded by themeanman on Apr 08, 1999
Scientific name -Kingdom-Animalia, Phylum- Chordate, Class- Mammilla, Order- Carnivorous, Family- Canida, Genus- Canis, Species- lupus
Description -Canis lupus's' height ranges from about 21-38 inches and three and a half feet long. Their weight ranges from 20 -172 pounds. It is one of the largest wolves in the world. They also range in color from pure white to near black. The gray wolves are a very intelligent animal and they learn quickly to avoid humans and there trap's. Grey wolves have a keen sense of smell, acute hearing, and great stamina. They can maintain a trot of 12 to 14 miles per hour and travel up to 60 miles in a single night. They also have powerful jaws that can snap a calf's spine in two or even break a two-inch thick stick.
Habitat -their habitat is in Alaska and in the northwestern Canada. Plus there are a thousand or so of them that live in wildernesses in Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and a few in Mexico. They used to live in illiminated most parts of the United States and in the 1800's they were killed off in Great Britain
Life cycle -They average Grey wolf can live from 15 to 20 years. They start to breed when they are 2 to 3 years old and when they pick a mate they stay with them their whole lives. They have a liter of pups ranging from 4 to 8, in a 63 day gestation period, in a dens caves, hollow logs, or borrows in hill sides. The pups are very devoted to their parents and the families usually form packs.
Importance - The Grey wolf's importance is that it keeps down populations of many animals such as rabbits, mice, buffalo, and deer. Their fur used to be sold as clothing and in very dire situations people would eat them.
Bibliography -Young, Stanley. The Wolves of North America: Washington, 1944