Everyone remembers the fairy tale about the gray wolf, which we were told in childhood. So who is the real wolf? An image from a fairy tale or a dangerous animal? The common wolf is large predator canine family. The gray wolf is the master of the tundra and taiga, a hardy and very intelligent beast. In this article you will find a description and photo of the wolf, learn a lot of interesting things about the harsh life of this formidable predator.
Outwardly, the common gray wolf is very reminiscent of a dog, which is not surprising, because these animals have common ancestors. However, the wolf looks much larger. The body length of a wolf can reach 110-160 cm, the length of the tail is up to 52 cm, the height at the withers ranges from 60 to 90 cm, and the body weight of a wild predator can reach up to 80 kg.
There were cases when the weight of individual individuals exceeded 92 kg. The average weight of wolves varies from 30 to 65 kg. The size and weight of wolves depend on the geographical location. The colder the climate, the larger the animal. Males are always larger than females.
The animal wolf has thick, rather long and warm fur, which consists of two layers, in connection with this, the wolf looks larger. The first layer of wool of the common wolf is tougher and protects from dirt. The second is a waterproof undercoat that protects the wolf from the cold and various extreme conditions of nature. Animal gray wolf is very hardy.
The wolf looks like a threatening and dangerous animal, has a strong muscular body, high strong paws and a large broad-browed head with sharp ears. The elongated and large muzzle with dark stripes is combined with almost white cheeks and light spots in the eye area. The massive muzzle of the wolf is also very expressive. The tail of the gray wolf is quite long and is usually lowered down. By its movement and position, one can judge the mood of a predator.
The common wolf has a completely different color, depending on the habitat. In the forests it is a gray-brown color. In the tundra - lighter, almost white. In the desert - grayish-reddish. There are even white individuals that are found in the Arctic, as well as red or almost black ones. The undercoat of the beast is always gray.
How is a wolf different from a dog? An ordinary wolf differs from a dog not only in appearance, but also in its tracks. The track of tracks in the gray wolf is more even than in dogs, and forms an almost straight line. Also, the wolf has a different track length, which is 9-11 cm, and the width is 6-7 cm, for the she-wolf it is 7-9 cm and 5-6 cm. a much more embossed imprint than that of a dog.
Where do wolves live?
The wolf is the most common land predator. This wild animal has a wide range of habitats. The wolf lives mainly in cold countries and in various landscapes. In forests, steppes, deserts, taiga, tundra, forest-steppe and at the foot of mountains.
Wolves live in many parts of Europe (from Russia to Portugal), Asia (from Korea to Georgia) and North America (from Alaska to Mexico). Large individuals inhabit the tundra, and small ones inhabit the southern regions. It is curious that in Russia the wolf is absent only on Sakhalin Island.
The common wolf is a territorial animal. Packs of wolves live in conquered areas, the boundaries of which are marked with marks. In summer, when the wolf pack breaks up, the occupied territory is divided into several sections. The best of them is occupied by the main pair, and the rest of the wolves are moving to a nomadic lifestyle.
How do wolves live?
The common wolf is a social animal. Therefore, wolves live in packs, they hunt together, play and even howl. A wolf pack is a family group that consists of animals different ages and can number from 3 to 40 individuals. The pack is controlled by a leader or a seasoned wolf - the dominant male. This is the smartest, wisest and strongest male in the wolf pack. The leader of the pack has a girlfriend - a dominant female. Together they form a pair, thereby uniting other wolves around them - this is the wolf pack.
A pack of wolves has its own hierarchy. The leader in the pack has unquestioned authority. This is a wise leader and he is friendly towards all members of the pack. But the seasoned wolf meets strangers extremely aggressively. A beta male is often present in the pack - the most likely successor to the leader. Usually this is the common son of the leading pair or the brother of the leading male. The applicant for the position of the head of the pack periodically demonstrates aggression towards the alpha male, as if checking his status, as he is ready to take his place at any moment.
A wolf that left the pack on its own or was expelled is called a lone wolf. Such animals have every chance to create their own flock.
Wolves live by relying on their feelings. They use these senses to hunt and communicate with other wolves. The excellent hearing of the beast allows you to hear a howling wolf at a distance of seven kilometers. Their sense of smell is 100 times stronger than that of humans. The gray wolf is able to run at a speed of 55 km/h.
Wolves live in packs and each pack has its own hunting area, which animals carefully guard from other wolves. In a pack where the leader keeps order, the wolves live peacefully and do not fight. Skirmishes happen with strangers and lone wolves that have violated the boundary of the site. Each wolf pack has its own territory and hunts only on it.
The owners carefully guard and mark their territory, leave scratches on fallen trees or old stumps. Thus, make it clear that it is better to stay away. Unexpected guests are punished, such are the cruel laws of the wolf pack. The wolf howl that is heard around is a way of notifying that the territory is already occupied.
The size of the family territory of the common wolf depends on the landscape and ranges from 50 to 1500 km². The pack's survival depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves protect them carefully. If there is more than enough food in the family hunting area, then several generations of wolves will live on one site. The largest hunting grounds for wolves are found in open landscapes of the tundra and steppe and are 1000-1250 km². In the forest zone, they are much smaller - 200-250 km².
When wolves do not have small cubs, they are nomadic. Wolves travel both in packs and alone. As a result of wandering, animals sometimes appear in areas where no wolves have been seen for several years. Nomadic wolves run up to 70 kilometers in one night.
Gray wolves gather in packs in winter. If the snow is deep, the wolves in the pack walk in single file. Each animal follows each other, stepping on the same track if possible. The common wolf is very cunning. Therefore, it is very difficult to find out from the tracks how many wolves a pack consists of.
Why do wolves howl? Wolves howl because howling is the way they communicate with each other. With the help of howling, wolves find out where their family members are, announce the capture of prey and the seizure of territory, or simply to communicate with relatives. Wolves howl usually in the late evening hours. During the year, wolves howl most frequently in winter, when the number of pack members reaches its maximum. Wolves begin to howl more actively by the end of summer and with the beginning of autumn, as well as when puppies are developing the family plot and begin to move its territory.
What does a wolf eat and how does it hunt?
The wolf is a picky predator. The main diet of the common wolf includes large ungulates: deer, elk, saigas, sheep and goats. But the wolf also feeds on hares, various rodents and birds, because he is picky. Sometimes wolves can eat the dead members of the pack.
Large concentrations of livestock attract wild and predatory wolves. Therefore, meeting a gray wolf near farms is a common thing. The wolf eats meat, so the average animal needs 3-4.5 kg of meat per day. The wolves store their food. Having sated, the animal wolf buries the remaining pieces of meat. Wolves can go without food for more than two weeks. V summer period the diet of the common wolf includes plant foods, so in the summer the wolf also eats fruits and berries.
The principles of wolf hunting are very diverse. In winter, wolves collectively hunt large ungulates. Wolves use this type of hunting in winter. The main advantage of the wolf's winter hunting is the presence of snow cover, on which he moves with ease. For hoofed animals, snow makes it much more difficult for them to escape from the wolf, a wild and predatory animal.
It is curious that the collective hunting of wolves provides for the distribution of responsibilities: part of the pack participates in the pursuit of prey, while the other cuts off the path of prey. On the hunt, the nose of a wolf - chief adviser. He tells the wild predator where to look for prey. Wolves smell even a small animal that is a couple of kilometers away from them. It is with the help of a keen sense of smell that wolves can follow their prey in the footsteps. The wolf hunts almost silently.
The main weapon of the wolf is the teeth. With sharp fangs 5 cm long, the wolf holds and drags the victim, and with the rest of its teeth it cuts the game. The teeth of a wolf are not only its weapons, but also its protection, so their loss is detrimental to the animal.
Especially large ungulates are killed by wolves, attacking the whole pack and attacking until their prey falls. At the same time, the primacy of eating prey rightfully belongs to the leader and his female, they eat the best pieces of the carcass.
The wolf hunts very carefully. Imperceptibly sneaking up to the animal, with a deft jump grabs it by the throat and knocks it to the ground. It can sit in ambush for hours and wait for prey for a whole day. Often they can follow a herd of ungulates, predators do not betray their presence, but wait for a convenient moment to attack.
Wolves are very cunning, in pursuit they stop the pursuit, allowing the prey to go far ahead. When the victim slows down, the wolf attacks again. Often wolves attack foxes. But most of the time they don't eat them. When attacking a herd of livestock, wolves can distract dogs. Part of the wolf pack attacks the dogs, and the rest - the herd.
Wolves are very good at navigating the terrain. Many packs use the same patches of territory to drive prey into a dead end. When hunting rodents, the wolf jumps on the prey, crushes it with its paw and eats it. This hunting technique is common for wolves in the summer.
In summer, the flock is divided and predators live singly or in small groups. Wolves feed on various animals using well-established hunting techniques. In the summer, most often the wolf feeds on hares. But even with all the prudent moves and clever maneuvers in the hunt, it does not always end successfully.
Wolf cubs - the birth of puppies. How does a pack raise wolf cubs?
A wolf's lair is a hole where a she-wolf brings out wolf cubs. Wolves make their lairs in secluded places. In this case, the place must be good review. Often wolves use empty burrows of other animals as a den device.
Wolves breed annually in January-February, for the first time the breeding season begins at the age of 2-3 years. The duration of the pregnancy of a she-wolf is about two months. In the spring, wolf cubs are born in the lair. Usually a female gives birth to 4 to 8 cubs. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, the first days of the life of the babies, the she-wolf is constantly nearby. They begin to see and hear around the 10-12th day of life.
After three weeks, the wolf cubs leave the den for the first time and begin to taste the meat at the same time. The whole flock takes part in the cultivation and education of wolf cubs. Wolves bring the best meat to the lair with the kids.
In small wolf cubs, the color has a grayish-brown hue, which changes with age. At the age of 2 months, wolf cubs leave the den, but still stay close to the hole. Such places are protected by vegetation from prying eyes. Wolf puppies learn the basics of hunting, attack shrews and mice.
Wolf cubs grow rapidly and their weight increases almost 30 times in the first four months. Newborn wolf cubs have blue eyes. At the age of 8 months, the cubs' eyes change to yellow. By the end of the first winter after birth, wolf cubs reach adult size. The common wolf lives 12-15 years.
Are wolves necessary and why?
Why do we need wolves, because for a person a wolf is an enemy. It is dangerous to people and exterminates livestock. Gradually, the struggle of people with wolves led to a reduction in their numbers. But a wild predatory animal, the common wolf plays an important role in the balance of the ecological system.
Wolves are needed to regulate the population of large ungulates. Also, wolves are a kind of "orderlies", since by destroying sick animals, wolves do not allow diseases to spread. Hunting the weak animals helps the strong survive.
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Nowadays, attempts to tame wild animals are no longer surprising with the novelty, so the long-standing progenitor of the domestic wolf is no exception. In addition, breeding work in animal husbandry is being actively carried out today, aimed at breeding wolf-dog hybrids by crossing both. Until recently, wolves were kept and bred in state zoos and menageries, but now it seems possible even for individuals at home.
Food at will
The wolf is one of the largest animals in the canine family: its body length reaches one and a half meters, and its tail is 50 centimeters.
In terms of height at the withers, the highest height that he can reach ranges from 90-100 centimeters, and body weight can reach up to 80 kilograms (but this is already rare, on average - 50-60 kilograms).
Important! The color of the wool of wolves depends on the main area of \u200b\u200btheir distribution. For example, desert and tundra inhabitants have a reddish and snow-white color, respectively; forest dwellers can be recognized by the basic gray color with varying shades from ash gray to dark brown. And the black color is not at all characteristic of real wolves, so this appearance can serve as evidence of a hybrid mutation.
The original range of wolves was the entire northern hemisphere of the Earth. But after a long time, the total number of this species of predatory mammals decreased significantly due to changes in the landscapes of nature by people, an increase in the number of cities, as well as the mass extermination of the animals themselves. 
Today, the wolf population stably exists in the northern part of Eurasia and America, in other regions of the world, animals are on the verge of extinction.
Despite the traditional fear of him, the wolf is a very cautious animal, so he is used to staying away from people.
And even after centuries, during which a person hunted a wolf and exterminated it by various means, the instinct of aggression towards people does not manifest itself in the beast, since it is very smart. Wolves do not attack people, and cases that indicate the opposite are rare and have certain reasons.
Ideal habitat for them:
- forests in temperate latitudes of the globe;
- tundra;
- coniferous forests;
- plains overgrown with grassy vegetation;
- territorial associations of mountains.
This animal belongs to the order of predators, and, according to its lifestyle, provides for itself by hunting. 
The basic basis of wolf nutrition is ungulates, and in different parts of the world it can be various representatives fauna: reindeer (in the tundra), elk, roe deer, wild boar (in the forest), antelope (in the steppe and desert zones).
Also, in the natural ecosystem, the prey of wolves that hunt alone are mainly weak, sick or already killed animals: hares, gophers, foxes, mice, beavers and others.
If predators settled near human dwellings, their prey can be poultry (geese, chickens), livestock (cows, horses, sheep) or, no matter how strange it may seem, (apparently, the feeling of hunger is more important for them than the feeling of kinship) .
Winter food is more varied: it can be deer, roe deer, elk, wild boar, bison, or even bears. Wolves are omnivorous creatures and, to diversify their diet, they can eat eggs, chicks, fruits, berries, mushrooms, carrion, and insects.
The method of hunting wolves often consists in the technique of attacking in a pack: they surround the victim, and, attacking her, grab her by the neck, paws, sides until the latter, exhausted from her wounds, weakens and falls. Animals never leave their “leftovers” just like that: most often they bury them or hide them under fallen leaves, remember the place, and when they get hungry again, they look for their own food stores.
Also, wolves are called "orderlies of the forest", since it is they who cleanse the "kingdom of animals" from sick representatives of the fauna, preventing diseases from spreading further.
According to the theory of evolution, the strongest survive: by destroying some of the herbivores that cannot defend themselves or escape, wolves thereby enable others to eat and not die of hunger.
Diet at home
Those who are wondering if it is possible to keep a wolf at home should know that there are different types of captive education:
- zoos;
- large wildlife parks;
- built at home.
Taking into account the living conditions, a special food system is also selected. For example, a wildlife park is a place that most closely resembles the natural habitat of a wolf.
Did you know?According to observations, if the body of a shot wolf is not taken from the hunt, then soon other members of the pack will literally eat it..
In a zoo or menagerie, nutritional conditions are somewhat different: here, six days a week, the wolf is fed daily, and on the seventh the animal is starving. For one adult head, 2-3 kilograms of fresh carcass is calculated on the bone with the possible presence of skin and wool.
To strengthen the musculoskeletal system, this diet includes fish oil, protein-mineral feed (meat and bone meal), as well as dry and ground fish leftovers. 
Several times a month, animals can be given meat or poultry; vegetables and herbs also play an important role in maintaining immunity.
Did you know? A distinctive feature of these animals is their unique ability to "adjust to the local diet": for example, the inhabitants of the northern parts of the hemisphere can catch river salmon, and the inhabitants of the southern regions canthere is even gourds(watermelon, melon, pumpkin).
And finally, let's figure out what the wolf eats when he lives in an aviary. It can be dry food intended for, as well as a variety of cereals and meat delicacies.
In the first option, it is best to choose feeds that contain high level fats and protein (the main material for protein synthesis in the animal body). This is due to the constant presence on the street, as well as the excessive activity of the beast.
The interval between feedings should be observed taking into account the weight of the animal, the norm is twice a day, while it is necessary to monitor the constant availability of clean drinking water. As for the second option, the domestic wolf can also be fed with porridge made from processed durum wheat, unpolished particles of barley kernel, buckwheat, crushed and polished corn grains. You can also diversify the diet by adding eggs and dairy products. Game is well suited as meat, especially venison.
Vitamin-mineral complexes (preferably with the presence of calcium and vitamin D3) can be purchased at stores that sell dog food, or you can add the same fish oil, meat and bone and fish meal to the diet yourself.
Domesticated wolves are quite unpretentious animals; as we have already said, they easily adapt to the conditions of the local diet, so they are unlikely to become capricious and will eat what you give them.
But still, it is necessary to carefully monitor their well-being and general health, since this is not exactly what a wild wolf eats in the forest. 
With any symptoms of malaise, decreased activity, lethargy and other factors indicating some kind of violation, the animal should be taken to an appointment with a veterinary clinic.
A timely visit to a doctor who diagnoses diseases and deviations in the normal life of the animal will help to avoid bad consequences and adjust the animal care plan in time.
What is prohibited
- a real wild wolf cub;
- a hybrid of a wolf with a dog: a wolfdog or a breed of domestic wolf.
Important! If we talk about the done breeding and hybrid work, then n A real wolf is one who has this wild animal in his family no more than five generations ago.
In the first case, the animal can be taken from the nursery, after consulting with a specialist.
As for the second, there are such types of this exotic mixture:
- low content of wolf breed (1-49%) - these are not quite our usual friends, but not quite predators either (suitable for beginners); good companions, give in, but show traits inherent in wolves (stubbornness and independence);
- the average level of wolf origin (50-74%);
- a high standard of wolf breed content (75-100%), which is almost impossible to distinguish from wild wolves; they have a very weak temperament characteristic of dogs.
If you have adopted a real wolf cub or a wolf cub with the highest or average content of a wolf breed, remember: in no case should you shout at small animals, treat them rudely, beat them for disobedience or for biting. 
Wild wolves are very calm parents and never punish their babies.
Be that as it may, the psychological instincts of wild animals do not go away, and in order not to harm either yourself or your loved ones, before getting such an animal, study the special literature, talk to experts and then make the right decision.
Remember: treat an animal whose relatives are wild forest dwellers with extreme caution. Statistics show that rarely anyone managed to make a close friend out of a wolf.
Nevertheless, it is real, but it requires a lot of effort, patience, time and a full understanding of biological and psychological characteristics this animal.
And one more thing: do not try to tame a wild wolf cub who was left without a mother or father after hunting. This is truly a wild beast, and if at first it will seem sweet and kind to you, then in a couple of years this “cute” creature will try to “crush” you with its authority. 
Predators do not tolerate submission, equal relations, excessive manifestation of feelings; moreover, it can be life-threatening.
Important! It is unlikely that the wolf will have warm feelings for all family members; for you, as a master, he will have a share of respect, but at the same time provoke you to one day obey him.
You can get a wolf at home by taking it in a nursery or by buying a wolf hybrid.
Content conditions:
Important! Today, wolves and dogs are sold for a price that is equal to the cost of a good thoroughbred dog. It is almost impossible for ordinary people to check the pedigree of an animal, and according to statistics, more than half of the hybrids do not have wolf genes.
This is not for you, so if you do not have animal training skills, do not buy a wolf or mestizo. 
Basic rules for training a wolf cub:
- It will take a lot of effort, patience and time to work with him.
- become his alpha: already at a young age, the wolf cub must understand who is in charge in the family, and if you stop his attempts to dominate in time, but very carefully, sooner or later he will agree;
- as we have already said, when training, do not shout, do not beat, do not humiliate him, do not be rude towards the animal;
- it is necessary to prevent the wolf cub from becoming bored: it is necessary to build all sorts of obstacles for him to overcome, and then give rewards in the form of various delicacies;
- build more structures in the yard, you can also make sandboxes and play pits, a pond or a small pool;
- from childhood, teach your domesticated animal to a leash, it must be a social animal.
In addition to the fact that the wolf is a representative of the wild animal world, accustomed to independence, authority, the rules of the pack, and not equality in relations, the behavioral features are also differences from dogs in the manifestation of friendliness.
When wolves are happy, they can bite you or your children, try to drag you somewhere, grabbing your limbs, which is often perceived as an attack.
Did you know? Although we all consider our best friends - dogs - the most intelligent animals, compared to them, the brain mass of wolves is 30 percent heavier. Scientists at the Veterinary University of Vienna set up an experiment: 15 yard puppies and 14 six-month-old wolf cubs watched how a specially trained dog independently opened a wooden box with food using its paws and teeth. A test for the ability to memorize and repeat what they saw showed that all the wolf cubs coped with this task, repeating the actions of the trained animal with accuracy. As for the mutts, only 4 of the 15 present managed to complete the task.
The manifestation of affection in this animal is similar to signs of aggression. They greet each other by biting each other on the muzzle, so imagine this situation: your dear friend will come up to you, touch your cheek with his muzzle and lick his teeth. Naturally, when you see such a picture, you will be frightened, because the grin is not perceived by people as a sign of greeting. However, by making an attempt to move away, you can bring trouble on yourself: wolves do not understand when they do not want to greet them - this is a sign of disrespect and disgust.
Therefore, he may bite you on the face, making an attempt to still make contact. Despite the conservation status of wolves, it is worth saying that these are truly “unbroken” animals: not a single representative of predators has been destroyed for so long and purposefully, so hatefully and mercilessly.
Today, these noble animals are the heroes of many fairy tales and poems, legends and myths, cartoons and films. They are feared, legends are written about them, scripts for fantastic films are written, and even attempts are made to tame them.
Well, if you have good intentions, you can try, but remember: you need to approach this issue very seriously and responsibly. 
If in the future you refuse to raise a wolf cub, to some extent the already tamed animal will not be able to live a full life either in the “freedom”, which is no longer such for him, or in the nursery, where everything will already be strangers to him.
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The wolf is a predatory mammal of the canine family. It is the direct ancestor of dogs. The wolf is the largest animal in its family. This wild animal performs the function of an important link in the balance of ecosystems. Where the wolf lives and what it eats, we learn from the article.
Description
The wolf is quite large. Depending on the geographical location habitats of the beast they can vary within certain ranges. The average weight of a predator is about 50 kilograms, but in Alaska and Siberia it can reach 77 kilograms. In rare cases, their weight can exceed 90 kilograms. The smallest subspecies is the Arabian wolf, which can weigh as little as 10 kilograms.
By its appearance, this animal resembles a large dog with sharp ears. The male is always larger than the female. The color of a wolf's coat may vary depending on the natural area he resides. Sometimes the color is mixed. The fur of the animal is very thick with a dense undercoat, which gives the wolf a visually larger size than it actually is.
The tail of this animal is thicker and longer than that of a dog. By its position, one can judge the mood of the beast and what status it occupies in the pack.
Vision is the weakest sense organ of the wolf. He has the most developed hearing and sense of smell. Together with good physical data, this makes him very dangerous predator.
Lifestyle
Wolves live in packs that have a strict hierarchy. They usually come together in groups of 10-30 individuals. The leader monitors discipline, distributes duties and divides the booty. Each pack is dominated by a dominant pair. Even the weakest members of the community can count on protection and a share of the booty.
The voice of the wolf has a wide range. Each of his sounds has many variations. Thanks to this, wolves can transmit various information to each other over a very long distance. They are even able to warn fellow tribesmen about the approach of a person. The signal about the attack is usually given by the leader. This sound resembles the vicious growl of an angry dog. Some people living in close proximity to nature have learned to distinguish the language of wolves.
Habitat
In the past, the habitat of the wolf was similar to the human. To date, their living environment has been somewhat reduced. Currently, the wolf can be found in North America, Europe and Asia. In Russia, this animal is distributed throughout the territory, absent only on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.
The wolf can be found in any area, but he still prefers the steppe, forest-steppe, semi-desert and tundra. Often this predatory beast settles near human dwellings, avoiding dense forest areas.
Breeding
During the mating season, males fight fiercely for wolves. A pair of these animals is created for life. The next stage of the mating season is the creation of housing.
For breeding, wolves equip dens. For this, mountain crevices, burrows of other animals are used, sometimes a wolf pulls out a dwelling on its own. Here the female is constantly in the period of rearing offspring. As a rule, in one season, wolves bring one offspring in the amount of 3 to 13 wolf cubs. Wolves prefer to hunt far from their lair. After growing up, the wolf cubs leave their home and lead a nomadic life, arranging resting places in different shelters.
What does it eat
The wolf is a typical predator. He obtains his food by stalking and attacking. What does a wolf eat in nature? The basis of its diet are ungulates. In the absence of such, animals can attack livestock and dogs. They can also feed on small animals and rodents. Wolves hunt large prey in packs, and small prey alone. Prefer to attack weak and sick animals.
What else do wolves eat? Often these predators even prey on birds. In case of hunger, they can eat their wounded relative. They can also feed on the carcasses of animals. In times of famine, they eat reptiles and even plant foods.
What do wolves eat in winter? In the cold season it is very difficult to find food. At this time, predators become especially bloodthirsty. So what does a wolf eat in winter? Their diet does not change much in the cold, but they prefer to hunt in packs at this time of the year. Weaker individuals try to get closer to a person's dwelling in the hope of getting livestock.
Hunting
Wolves forage mainly at night. They can drive prey for a long time until it is exhausted. The wolf is well developed mentally. This is expressed in the methods of hunting and methods of protection. Wolves approach their prey unnoticed. When attacking game, each member of the pack performs its own function.
They use various cunning tactics. For example, they drive deer to a cliff, from which the animals are afraid to jump and fall into the clutches of a predator. They try to lure moose into snowy places or ice-covered water bodies. Here the victim falls through and cannot escape. A hungry wolf can eat about 12 kg of food at a time. He buries the rest of the prey and returns for it in times of famine.
Wolves gradually train their cubs to get food. Initially, the cubs watch the elders and learn from them all the subtleties and tactics of hunting. For the first time they take part in this action at the age of six months. Adhering to strict discipline, kids learn skills from older ones.
Currently, many are wondering if it is possible to keep a wolf at home. This is possible if certain rules are followed. Living conditions of this predator in captivity may be different. For example, zoos, wildlife parks or an aviary in a residential building. What does a wolf eat in such conditions? Depending on the environment of its content, the diet of the animal is also selected.
The wildlife park is closest to the natural habitat of the wolf. A carcass of a large animal is issued weekly, part of which is immediately eaten by predators, and part is buried by them for later.
In the zoo, the wolf is fed daily six times a week, on the seventh day the predator is starving. The animal is given two or three kilograms of meat for bones, vegetables and protein-mineral feed.
What does the wolf that is kept in the enclosure eat? His diet usually consists of dry dog food, cereals and meat. Feeding is done twice a day. The amount of food depends on the weight of the wolf. Make sure your pet always has clean water. You can diversify the wolf's diet with the help of fermented milk products and eggs. It is advisable to enrich the diet with vitamins and minerals.
Wolves are hardy animals. They can eat whatever the owner provides them. Nevertheless, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the beast, his well-being and health. In case of any deviations from the norm, the animal must be shown to the veterinarian.
If you want to have a predator, you need to keep in mind that it is better to take it in a nursery. It is impossible to take a wolf cub left without parents home after the hunt. This is a wild animal that is dangerous to humans.
We learned in detail about what the wolf eats in wild nature and in captivity. And what is the danger of meeting a man with a wolf? Let's figure it out further.
Is a wolf dangerous to humans
Usually this beast does not like to attack people, but it depends on many factors. Attacks on people are the exception rather than the rule. But don't underestimate the danger. If the wolves are in a pack and are hungry at the same time, an attack on a person is inevitable.
A hunter is more likely to become a victim of a predator than an ordinary mushroom picker or a tourist. This is due to the fact that wolves are excellent psychologists and feel the danger to themselves. And the presence of a weapon behind a person’s back finally convinces the beast of his intentions. If wolves see a tired traveler, they immediately feel his vulnerability, stray into a pack and attack.
Taking into account the high degree of danger of the wolf for humans, it is worth thinking several times before deciding whether to keep a wild animal at home.
Different types of animals are usually strongly associated with a certain type of food. For example, a cat almost always associates with mice (you can recall the “cat and mouse” turnover), a beaver - with tree branches and the trees themselves. And for a forest orderly, in the imagination, as a rule, a picture is created of eating a freshly hunted elk or devouring carrion found under a bush. It is known that in the zoo the wolf eats everything. But what does this beast actually eat in the wild?
Almost 90 years later they returned to Luzhatia. They came voluntarily, and if you like, you could accept the offer of reconciliation. It must be good Germany, good for itself and its nature, when the wolf is ready to settle here. Germany and wolves, this time it will be a harmonious story, one with a happy ending. Ahuuu, welcome Wolf, writes Navu Conservation on their website. Up to five years imprisonment threatens a citizen who kills a free-living wolf.
But not everyone loves the wolf. The fear of the wolf is almost the same as the infatuation. Mayor Mayer warns green secretary of state at the Ministry environment Lower Saxony. She sees, as her reply letter says, "still unremarkable behavior" in Wolf von Goldenstedt. In a few days she will come in person. Wolves have in the region after 70 months. Breeder bought from East Germany, standing next to the sheep in the pasture, as soon as danger threatens, will melt a particularly frantic and extremely loud roar.
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Research conducted by zoologists and naturalists reveals an amazing picture. It turns out that the wolf in the forest selects such a varied diet for himself that it is just right to envy him. It includes not only meat, but also various plants, up to delicacy watermelons in the southern regions.
Indeed, during the summer, the wolf has a wide range of flora to choose from in the area. Some varieties even pamper wolf cubs with partially chewed parts of rhubarb. This fact is confirmed by the repeated discovery of plant remains in wolf dens. In warmer regions, cases have been noted when wolves feasted on watermelon pulp.
Sheep die quietly, this is her problem suddenly. Mayer writes to the Environment Minister: "The fear of the wolf is over in our community." Almost every day, citizens call the town hall to see the wolf. in the parish Catholic Church parents gather from the forest kindergarten for an informational evening about wolves, and the species protection officer of the Ministry of the Environment also appears. Mayor Meyer has a fence around the kindergarten with flutter colored rings, the so-called barrier, which is supposed to contain wolves.
From time to time a playful child gets into it. The mayor, a Christian Democrat, has been counting on his workweeks in Wolfswochen ever since. He says: "I am green among blacks and all wolves, I am a wolf." The mayor is in his third week of excitement when he is approached by a member of the state parliament. This is Gero Hocker, 39, who worked for an insurance company and was briefly an assistant to notorious entrepreneur Carsten Maschmeier. The Northwestern newspaper called him the "wolf political spokesman" for the party, but Tabool isn't sure if he should feel that as a compliment.
However, no matter what is said about the vegetarian component of the diet of this beast, this will not change its nature as a predator. Therefore, the diet of wolves for the most part consists of various meats. It can be elk or wild boar meat, because a seasoned wolf even alone has a chance to cope with a young or sick animal. What can we say about joint hunting in a flock, when animals drive their prey.
The chair demands to stop the hugging course and include the wolf in the hunting right. A stool led by the mayor's Kindergarten, in the area of the wolf appeared only once. When the secretary finds the mayor in the woods, she leaves him a note with a phone number. One of the German press agencies wants something.
Meyer says, "The wolf has power over us." In the state parliament of Lower Saxony, the current hour is running: "Wolfomantik in Lower Saxony". This became a heated debate in which Gero Stoker opposed the Minister of the Environment and developed a scenario in which wolves could attack people. Political situation, however, is complex. In pamphlets, he spread the message: "Only good wolves come to Niedersachsen."
Meat? With pleasure!
Perhaps, given the choice, the wolf will almost always prefer meat. Of course, there are also exceptional cases. For example, when poisoned, the beast finds a herb that causes vomiting. In this way, he provides himself with medical care.
Since ancient times, people have revered and feared wolf, he was called the elder brother, they frightened children with him, they composed legends and retellings about him. The wolf genus itself is quite extensive, including coyotes and jackals, but it is precisely wolves became the direct and closest ancestors of the domestic dog.
The wolves ventured to Cuxhaven and Eastfriesland, the wolves went to the Netherlands. Wolves migrated to Denmark, they sometimes reached the outskirts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria. Many lambs are born during the Easter season, and shortly thereafter in early May, the wolves give birth to their pups. Most of them are four to eight per litter. The next generation of wolves could end up in the foothills of the Alps and the Black Forest.
It was early morning, the forester had just risen when he jumped naked out of the window to drag his wounded dog from the attacker. A few years ago in the city of Wildeshausen, a wolf ran through the city. People looked at him, but he did not push him. The police searched for him from a helicopter, in vain.
Wolf- a rather large predator from the family of mammals, which could previously be found almost everywhere in Russia and the CIS. But due to a number of problems caused by the progress of technological progress, the habitat of these animals has narrowed significantly in recent decades.
The name itself Wolf” comes from the Old Slavonic language, has long Indo-European roots and literally means “ drag' or 'drag'.
In Möln, to the east of it, a wolf fell on a flock of sheep, and at first the people who fled did not escape him. At the Münster military training ground in the Lüneburg Heath, wolves followed a soldier flying up to an observation tower. In February this year, a pack of wolves hit a female walker in the Lüneburg area who was carrying two dogs. The wolves approached her and looked at her for a long time. The woman was so shocked that she called an ambulance.
What happened and pumped in the stomach? And when he came to the well and, bending over the water, drank, heavy stones pulled him in, and he had to drown in horror. When the seven little gesils saw this, they ran up, shouting loudly: The wolf is dead, the wolf is dead, and they joyfully danced around the fountain with their mother.
It turns out that the Wolf family is quite extensive - there are about 32 different subspecies of wolves, but only six main ones are found on the territory of Russia - tundra, Central Russian forest, Mongolian, Caucasian, Siberian and steppe.
What do wolves eat
Basic wolf diet make up ungulates depending on their habitat. It can be reindeer, horses, roe deer, pigs, moose, goats, both wild and domesticated.
Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm. Of all the wild mammals we know of, the wolf may be one of the most favored in an ecosystem. This is one of the oldest species of all time and, in addition, they were distributed in different parts of the planet. In this article, we want to talk about the main characteristics of this animal, and also talk about different moments its development, and we will learn in detail all the details that need to be taken into account. Do you dare to learn more about this adorable dog with us?
What are the main characteristics of a wolf?
The wolf is one that belongs to the wolf canister family and among the many things that can be highlighted, the idea of being a carnivore is the most exciting and famous of all. This animal has many subspecies and, as you know, has always been considered one of them.
In desert regions, Wolves prey on antelopes and sheep. In connection with the expansion of human activity and the introduction of humans into the natural habitat of wolves, attacks by predators on livestock farms occur.
But wolf population constantly decreasing due to lack of food and constant hunting for them. During difficult periods, Wolves can feed on frogs, lizards and even large insects. They sometimes eat berries, mushrooms and fruits, and to quench their thirst they can plunder a watermelon or melon planting.
Returning to the wolf, which now interests us, we must say that they are excellent runners and predators. This dog is always on the hunt for food and is in some ways one of the most dangerous species forests. The weight on its part is usually no more than 38 kilograms, although various scientific studies are coming to make sure that there really were wolves up to 80 kilograms in size.
In any case, it all depends heavily on the subspecies we are talking about and the habitat location in which the wolf develops, since they do much more than we can imagine. Wolves are a species that has been on Earth for a long time and from which impressive things have been discovered, which is undoubtedly the most attractive for all those people who are really passionate about this animal. In the past, these fangs were very numerous in North America, Eurasia, or the Middle East.
Where does the wolf live
Wolves prefer wooded areas and choose flat or mountainous areas with sparse vegetation and a temperate climate for housing.
pack of wolves usually occupies an area of 30 to 60 km and prefers a settled way of existence. But in the spring-summer period, this area is divided into fragments in accordance with the hierarchy of the pack: the best goes to the strongest Wolves.
Nowadays, the wolf can be seen in many other parts and highlight the continents of Asia, America, Africa and Europe, where you will always see them in abundant forests with many types of trees and spaces where they can run, hunt and interact with other specimens of their species. .
What do wolves eat?
The wolf is a very territorial animal and often has strong character protection. It is usually solitary during the night, although by then the herd life can be seen to be shaped by themselves, where they almost always establish themselves as an extended family. If there's one thing that wolves excel at, it's because of their appreciation of flesh. This animal is carnivorous in nature and nothing is said to be greater than this. Goats, deer, elk, bison, horses, salmon, seals or whales are some of the favorite bits of wolves, and they all find them quite dependent on the area where they are.
Wolves can also be found in the north in the taiga and tundra near human settlements.
Wolves are smart and understand that where a person is, you can always profit from something. And though they hurt agriculture, but, on the other hand, they also regulate the balance of the ecosystem, controlling the number of animals and acting as forest orderlies.
Wolf, an endangered mammal
After that they do what they drink a large number of water to cleanse your body and avoid any disease free that may occur. While this species is not one of the most named when we look at the list of endangered species, the truth is that there has been a lot of talk about the number of endangered subspecies or the decline of wolves in general.
If we were to point to the "culprit" of this decline in the number of wolves, man would be the best example, since he was the one who pursued this species to the limit and developed various fighters to get their skins, tusks and heads as trophies.
Are wolves dangerous to humans?
Scientists have come to the conclusion that the Wolf will not attack a person just like that, since he has an instinct for self-preservation. But sometimes there are sad cases of attacks by animals with rabies. Or with a severe lack of food.
wolf breeding
In addition, we know that wolves that die due to frost or climatic conditions, which are too extreme but are percentages of the smallest sum. Wolf hunting was banned in many places, as were some states in the United States that knew this was the true purpose of the problem and the way to eradicate it.
In addition, it is one of the most controversial animals because of its wild beauty and because many people still consider them a threat. This animal is a carnivorous mammal with great ability to adapt to different ecosystems. However, the wolf, even if it is a carnivore, did not eat only meat.
Mating season for wolves lasts from January to April. Wolves are monogamous and lead a family lifestyle, the couple stays together until one of the partners dies.
The she-wolf before the onset of estrus does not accept the sexual advances of the male. Violent fights for the attention of females, often fatal, are absolutely normal among Wolves.
Before we go to feed the wolf, we will make a general overview of its characteristics. We have already seen that this is a carnivorous mammal, but there is a lot to be said about them. The length of the wolf is usually between one and two meters. In terms of weight, a medium-sized wolf is about 50 kilograms.
Its layer consists of two layers, stronger and stronger appearance, whose function is to protect the inner layer, which becomes thinner and thicker. As for color, wolves can be many colors. They usually combine black and white with red, brownish and ocher colors.
she-wolves reach puberty in the second year of life, and Wolves - in 3 years.
Wolves have only 1 estrus a year so that the cubs are born in the warm springtime, when there is enough food around.
wolf couple to begin with, he takes care of a safe shelter for future offspring. These can be both various secluded places, and other people's burrows of badgers or arctic foxes, their own burrows are rarely dug.
The wolf can live from 8 to 12 years. Inside the herd, only the alpha male and the beta female, which are only a couple of times a year. Puppies, on the other hand, will be protected by the entire herd. Your scent is especially strong. In fact, this olfactory ability, together with its wonderful night vision, allows them to hunt at night. Their excellent night vision is due to a special layer that they have behind the retina.
Wolves' leg blood is also special, as it regulates the body temperature of the entire animal. In addition, it prevents ice spurs from forming on your hooves. Another feature of wolves is that they have a gland at the base of their tail that produces a unique and unique scent for each specimen. Thus, they can identify with each other, as happens with dogs.
Only the She-Wolf uses the den, she is also engaged in raising little wolf cubs, which at first resemble puppies of an ordinary dog. Usually from 3 to 13 wolf cubs are born to the She-Wolf, and the whole flock helps to feed them.
There are many subspecies of wolves, although all of them can be included in four main groups. Red wolf Brown wolf: This group belongs to the Iberian wolf White or Arctic wolves Gray wolves. As we mentioned earlier, the wolf is a carnivore, and its diet is based mainly on medium-sized animals.
However, the feeding of the wolf depends a lot on the habitat in which it is found, we have already mentioned that they are very adaptable animals. In fact, other prey is known in marine environment such as seals. In Alaska and Canada, there is a case of wolves that have eaten salmon.
But despite close care from parents and other Wolves, in the first year of life only 20-40% of cubs survive. This is due to disease, lack of food and competition within the family, when stronger puppies get more food, and weak ones gradually die.
Wolves have a rather interesting voice, which has much more possibilities than other animals. Wolves not only howl, as is commonly believed, they also know how to grumble, whimper, squeal, yelp, bark and growl. Moreover, they are fully aware of these sounds and understand the information voiced by their fellow tribesmen. This helps to find out where the prey is hiding, where to go hunting and even report the appearance of people. And the collective wolf howl is a hallmark of an active social life.
By the way, Wolves can hear your tribesman and transmit messages from a distance of about 8 kilometers.
The Wolf is very highly developed sense of smell, he distinguishes smells 100 times better than a person, so the scent plays one of the main roles in the wolf family.
Wolves are strong and hardy animals that can overcome the distance up to 80 km, and if necessary develop speed 60 km/h, which is one of the important conditions for survival.
In nature Wolves live out up to 15 years, but already at 10-12 years old they show signs of old age.
The wolf also symbolizes devotion and fidelity in the family, it is associated with many heroes of folk tales and epics of the ancient cultures of the peoples of the North, where it personifies strength and courage. But sometimes he is perceived as an evil and negative character who is greedy and greedy, and sometimes serves the dark forces.
One of the most enduring of the many myths about wolves is the unsubstantiated myth of the voracity of the wolf. According to the most conservative estimates of the layman, each animal needs 4 kg of meat per day, and one and a half tons per year! Moreover, meat of the highest category - venison, elk, wild boar, and, of course, lamb, beef and horse meat! This opinion was not created from scratch, because even in the literature one can find reports of wolves eating up to 12 kilograms of meat daily. But let's see if this beast is so voracious, and what does its diet consist of?
To begin with, let's make a reservation that, unlike a person, a wolf never kills for fun. It is not easy for him to catch and kill a large animal. And if the beast manages to get a significant amount of meat for his family, then he prefers to devote the rest of the time to rest, friendly meetings and games.
The wolf is a typical predator with an exceptionally wide range of food items, actively searching for food. We can say that in his diet there are no such vertebrates that would not serve as his prey: all kinds of ungulates, hares and beavers, nutria and muskrats, small rodents and birds, fish and frogs, lizards and snakes. As well as big variety vegetable feed - forest berries and fruits of trees. In the south - watermelons, melons and grapes, corn and sunflower seeds. Often they eat the leaves of sedges and cereals, as well as such poisonous plants as lily of the valley and buckthorn, used by wolves for medicinal purposes.
In one of his works, Anatoly Onegov, a Russian naturalist and travel writer, wrote: “Wolves are able to catch pike and bream when they, tired after spawning, roll down from the streams back into the lake. They hunt mice and frogs. Gray robbers visit raspberries and lingonberries, picking berries there. They can go hungry for weeks. And there is no way to compare the amount of food that a wolf receives daily in captivity with the food that these animals would get in the forest.
Information about the voracity of the wolf and the food he consumed at one meal is very contradictory and greatly exaggerated, as well as the assumption that the beast can eat up for future use. Being hungry, they eat meat in excess of the physiological norm, but soon after eating they are freed from it. The active lifestyle of the wolf (constant search, active pursuit of the victim) should be taken into account, which is difficult to combine with overloading the body with a large amount of food. If the mass of an adult Central Russian adult wolf is on average 45-50 kilograms, then it is difficult to even imagine that the beast can absorb up to 10 kilograms of meat at one time. This is the norm for a tiger weighing 250-300 kilograms. A number of studies have shown that a wolf cannot eat more than three kilograms of food at one time.
The wolves store the big game that they have caught. Scientists watched as five wolves stole a deer, weighing about 100 kilograms, during the night. At the place of death, only the contents of the stomach, shreds of wool and a skull remained. Eight pantries were found along the way of the pack, in which the wolves hid more than 30 kilograms of meat. This is a constant habit of the beasts, and their stocks are hard to find.
It is known that the wolf is able to utilize all parts of the body of large animals, including the entrails, skin and almost the entire skeleton. However, such a complete exploitation of prey is rare, as most of the rest of the carcass is taken away by other predators and birds. They also plunder the storerooms of the wolf.
The flock's prey search routes are constant; they pass through the locations and concentrations of prey in one or another season of the year. Wolves are very rational and follow not only richer game grounds, but also provide better opportunities to approach the prey.
The movement of the flock on the territory of the hunting area is aimed at its more uniform exploitation and the minimum possibility of meeting with neighboring flocks. Depending on the number of ungulates, the period for surveying the site may be different. So, if the flock controls several groups reindeer over a large area, animals consistently visit the herd every 12-15 days on average. If the hunting area is small, then there the animals visit a certain territory every 5-7 days. Exits and surveys of lands adjacent to the site are rare and irregular. It is they that make it possible to carry out inter-school contacts in these buffer zones.
Buffer zones - territories up to 203 kilometers wide between areas of neighboring flocks - are visited by animals of different associations, however, such visits are short-lived. With an abundance of ungulates on the site itself and the availability of convenient hunting grounds, wolves do not need to go out of their territory in search of prey.
Attacking ungulate wolves is not always successful. According to scientists, it ranges from 4 to 10 percent. And the success of hunting would be even lower if it were not accompanied by various indirect factors. Very often the wolf completes what was started by hunger, disease, injury, adverse weather conditions, poachers.
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