Essay on The Gray Wolf

The Gray Wolf, which in scientific form is Canis lupus, is endangered. Grey Wolves are the largest wild member of the dog family. They have a body length between 1 and 1.5 m (3.25 - 5 ft), a tail length between 30 and 51 cms (1 - 1.75 ft) and they weigh between 16 and 60 kgs (35 - 130 lbs). They are mainly grey or brown but they can be various colours depending on their geographic location. Grey Wolves in the Arctic areas are usually white but in other areas they can be black in colour. The pack members communicate with each other by crouching, rolling over and chin touching or using vocalizations such as howling. It's taxonomic hierarchy is first, its kingdom: Animalia. Second, its Phylum: Chordata. Third, its Class: Mammalia. Fourth, its Order: Carnivora. Fifth, its Family: Canidae. Sixth, its Genus: Canis. Finally, it's Species: lupus. The geographic range was mainly in the Northern hemisphere going from the Arctic towards South America and Southern Asia. But today they are found only in the U.S, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Eurasia. Gray Wolves occupy a wide range of habitats including arctic tundra, steppe, open woodlands, forests, grasslands and arid landscapes. They can be found in North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia and they were once the world's most widely ranging member of the dog family, but due to human persecution and habitat destruction their range has been reduced. They are highly social and they live in packs of 2 - 36 individuals but more commonly a pack will consist of a family group of 8 - 12 wolves. Within the pack there will be an alpha pair and their offspring, and they form a tightly knit, organized group.The past threats to the Gray wolf species were the destruction in their habitats. The destruction were usually destructed to make towns/cities. the current threatens to the Gray Wolf species would be by the mid-1930's, the killing of wolves greatly reduced the Gray Wolf population in the U.S. Gray Wolves diet is very simple. Wolves are carnivores and they hunt individually, in packs, or by stealing the prey of other predators. They are also known to scavenge on carrion. They eat mostly ungulates (large hoofed mammals) like elk, deer, caribou and moose, and their diet depends on the availability and vulnerability of this prey in their area. They also eat beavers, rabbits and other smaller mammals. Lone wolves will usually hunt smaller animals, and packs will take down larger prey. Scavenging supplements their diet, especially during denning and pack activities. Wolves will make full use of the carcass, including hair and bones, and can eat up to 19.8 pounds of meat in one feeding. On a zoo diet, the wolves are fed dog kibble and meat. So the zoo doesn't feed them as much as they need and should get if they want to stay on their diet and live more healthly. Their reproduction is more simpler than their diet. Their mating season is January or February. Their gestation is 63 days. Their litter size is 4-7 pups. The pups are usually born blind and defenseless, just like human babies. A Strategy for Wolf

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