You are here
Species
Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Except for red wolves, all living North American wolves are considered to be gray wolves. There are 32 different kinds of gray wolves recognized in North America.
Gray wolves are the ancestor of all Canis lupus familiaris breeds, including wild living dogs such as dingos and New Guinea singing dogs. In domesticating wolves, humans have selected them for particular traits, including size, appearance, aggressiveness, loyalty, and many special skills. The result is an astonishing array of domestic dog breeds that vary in size from diminutive, 1.5 kg chihuahuas to 90 kg giant mastiffs.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Canis_lupus/ |
"Gray wolves usually live in packs, led by an ""alpha pair."" The pack includes some of the alpha pair's offspring and may include some unrelated wolves. A pack's territory can be as large as 13,000 square km. Howling probably helps advertise who ""owns"" a particular piece of territory. When pups are born, the mother stays near them for the first three weeks, and her mate and others in the pack bring food to her. The pups are weaned when they about nine weeks old. As adults, they may travel as far as 72 km a day with their pack and run as fast as 70 km per hour."
Adaptation: This transparent view of the wolf braincase shows how the brain is situated within. The large feature projecting from the front of the brain is the olfactory lobe, an important center related to the sense of smell.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
Gray wolves are the largest wild dog species in the world. They vary in size depending on where they are found, with southern populations being generally smaller than northern populations. Total body length, from tip of the nose to tip of the tail, is from 870 to 1,300 mm. Height (measured from base of paws to shoulder) generally ranges from 60 to 90 cm. Males are, on average, larger than females.
Fur color of gray wolves also varies depending on where they are living. Their color ranges from pure white in Arctic populations, to mixtures of white with gray, brown, cinammon, and black to nearly uniform black in some color phases. Their upperparts are generally darker and they have lighter fur on their undersides, the tail is tipped with black.
Gray wolves have a dense underfur layer, providing them with excellent insulation against cold conditions.
Range mass: 23.0 to 80 kg.
Range length: 870 to 1300 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Canis_lupus/ |
This taxon is found in the Arizona Mountain Forests, which extend from the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona to south of the Mogollon Plateau into portions of southwestern Mexico and eastern Arizona, USA. The species richness in this ecoregion is moderate, with vertebrate taxa numbering 375 species. The topography consists chiefly of steep foothills and mountains, but includes some deeply dissected high plateaus. Soil types have not been well defined; however, most soils are entisols, with alfisols and inceptisols in upland areas. Stony terrain and rock outcrops occupy large areas on the mountains and foothills.
The Transition Zone in this region (1980 to 2440 m in elevation) comprises a strong Mexican fasciation, including Chihuahua Pine (Pinus leiophylla) and Apache Pine (P. engelmannii) and unique varieties of Ponderosa Pine (P. ponderosa var. arizonica). Such forests are open and park-like and contain many bird species from Mexico seldom seen in the U.S.. The Canadian Zone (above 2000 m) includes mostly Rocky Mountain species of mixed-conifer communities such as Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmanni), Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa), and Corkbark Fir (A. lasiocarpa var. arizonica). Dwarf Juniper (Juniperus communis) is an understory shrubby closely associated with spruce/fir forests. Exposed sites include Chihuahua White Pine (Pinus strobiformis), while disturbed north-facing sites consists primarily of Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) or Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides).
There are a variety of mammalian species found in this ecoregion, including the endemic Arizona Gray Squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis), an herbivore who feeds on a wide spectrum of berries, bark and other vegetable material. Non-endemic mammals occurring in the ecoregion include: the Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys spectabilis NT); Desert Pocket Gopher (Geomys arenarius NT). In addition, there is great potential for restoring Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus) and Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) populations in the area because of its remoteness and juxtaposition to other ecoregions where these species were formerly prevalent.
There are few amphibians found in the Arizona mountain forests. Anuran species occurring here are: Red-spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus); Southwestern Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus); New Mexico Spadefoot Toad (Spea multiplicata); Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii); Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens); Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis VU); Madrean Treefrog (Hyla eximia), a montane anuran found at the northern limit of its range in this ecoregion; Boreal Chorus Frog (Anaxyrus woodhousii); Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata); and Canyon Treefrog (Hyla arenicolor). The Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus NT) is an ecoregion endemic, found only in the Jemez Mountains of Los Alamos and Sandoval counties, New Mexico. Another salamander occurring in the ecoregion is the Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum).
A number of reptilian taxa occur in the Arizona mountains forests, including: Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum NT), often associated with cacti or desert scrub type vegetation; Narrow-headed Garter Snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus), a near-endemic found chiefly in the Mogollon Rim area; Sonoran Mud Turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense NT).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | cc-by-nc-sa 3.0 |
Source | http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbecf97896bb431f68edd0/52a737690cf2cad8a99b76a9/?topic=51cbfc79f702fc2ba8129ee0 |
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. 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. Tail length ranges between 350 to 520 mm. 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. Height (measured from base of paws to shoulder) generally ranges from 60 to 90 cm. Distance between the canines is around 4 cm.
Fur 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.
North American populations have three distinct color phases. 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. The back is usually more profoundly black, and the muzzle, ears, and limbs have cinammon coloration as well. 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 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. The third color phase occurs during the first pelage of young wolves. The upper parts are drab-gray, overlaid with brownish-black. The underparts are paler as well, and the ears vary from black to buffy, depending on the subspecies (Young 1944).
Gray wolves have a dense underfur layer, providing them with excellent insulation against cold conditions.
Gray wolves can be distinguished from red wolves (Canis rufus) by their larger size, broader snout, and shorter ears. They are distinguished from coyotes (Canis latrans) by being 50 to 100% larger and having a broader snout and larger feet.
Range mass: 23.0 to 80 kg.
Range length: 870 to 1300 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Canis_lupus/ |
狼在国内分布于除台湾、海南岛及其它一些岛屿外的各个省区,但目前主要分布在东北、内蒙以及西藏人口密度较小的地区。
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | 高中信,1998, EOL China Regional Center |
Source | No source database. |
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Wolves in far northwestern North America may move as required to remain with migratory caribou.
Home ranges very large but very variable as well, generally ranging from less 100 to 10,000s of square kilometers. In Minnesota, Fritts and Mech (1981) found territory sizes ranging from 195 to 555 square kilometers; in south to central Alaska, Ballard et al. (1987) reported territory sizes from 943 to 2541 square kilometers; in the southern Yukon, Hayes (1992) found territory sizes of 583 to 794 km square kilometers; in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, Peterson et al. (1984) found average territory sizes of 638 square kilometers; and in coastal forests of Vancouver Island, Atkinson and Janz (1994) found territory sizes from 100 to 400 square kilometers. Packs that depend on barren ground caribou migrate with the caribou as far as 360 km (Kuyt 1972; Mech 1970, 1974). In the Glacier National Park area, territory size averages around 780 sq km (Bangs and Fritts 1993).
In the Northwest Territories and western Nunavut, Walton et al. (2001) fitted 23 wolves in 19 different packs with collar-mounted satellite transmitters. Annual home-range sizes (95% minimum convex polygon) averaged 63,058 sq km for males and 44,936 sq km for females. Straight-line distances from the most distant location on the winter range to the den site averaged 508 km in 1997-1998 and 265 km in 1998-1999 (wolves followed caribou). All but 2 of 15 wolves returned to within 25 km of a previous den, and 2 wolves returned to the same den site.
Dispersing young may move several hundred kilometers. In Minnesota, most dispersers left when they were 11-12 months old; dispersal occurred mainly in February-April and October-November; 35% of known-age wolves remained in their natal territory for more than 2 years (Gese and Mech 1991).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Hammerson, G., NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Canis+lupus |
Gray wolves may live thirteen years in the wild, though average lifespan is 5 to 6 years. As adults they usually die from old age or from injuries received while hunting or fighting with other wolves. In captivity they may live to be fifteen years of age.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 13.0 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 5.0 years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 15.0 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 10.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 20.0 years.
Average lifespan
Sex: female
Status: wild: 13.7 years.
Average lifespan
Sex: female
Status: captivity: 16.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 16.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 20.0 years.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Canis_lupus/ |
Restoration Potential: Natural recolonization from populations to the north may not be sufficient for restoration of wolf populations in the southern Rocky Mountains. Due to predicted reductions in carrying capacity resulting from development trends and likely landscape change, active reintroduction to two sites within the southern Rocky Mountain region may be necessary to ensure low extinction probability (Carroll et al. (2003).
Management Requirements: See Mladenoff et al. (1997) for a discussion of management related to wolf recovery in the Great Lakes region versus other aspects of biodiversity (e.g., wolves depend on high densities of deer, which can have negative impacts on natural communities and their constituent species). See Cohn (1990) and Matthews and Moseley (1990) for brief discussions of issues related to reintroduction (e.g., compensation for livestock losses, wolf protection status, state vs. federal jursidiction over wolf management). See Fritts et al. (1992) for information on management of wolf-livestock conflicts in Minnesota. See USFWS (1994, Final EIS) and Federal Register (16 August 1994) for an extensive discussion of all issues related to reintroduction in Yellowstone and central Idaho. See Jhala and Giles (1991) for management recommendations for populations in northwestern India. See Theberge (1991) for information on management in Canada.
Limit access of humans and livestock in protected areas.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Canis+lupus |
世界性广泛分布,但当前狼的分布区已大大缩小,特别是在北美和西欧。
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | 高中信,1998, EOL China Regional Center |
Source | No source database. |