Gray Wolf

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(Redirected from Canis lupas)

Gray Wolf

Scientific Classification
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Carnivora Family Canidae Genus Canis Species C. lupus
Binomial
Canis lupus
Subspecies
Domestic Dog (C. l. familiaris) Dingo (C. l. dingo) Tundra Wolf (C. l. albus) Arabian Wolf (C. l. arabs) Arctic Wolf (C. l. arctos) Mexican Wolf (C. l. baileyi) Russian Wolf (C. l. communis) Caspian Sea Wolf (C. l. cubanensis) Hokkaido Wolf (C. l. hattai) Honshu Wolf (C. l. hodophilax) Italian Wolf (C. l. italicus) Egyptian Wolf (C. l. lupaster) Eurasian Wolf (C. l. lupus) Eastern Timber Wolf (C. l. lycaon) Great Plains Wolf (C. l. nubilus) Mackenzie Valley Wolf (C. l. occidentalis) Indian Wolf (C. l. pallipes)

The Gray Wolf (aka Timber Wolf or Grey Wolf) is a member of the family Canidae. It is a carnivorous animal that lives and hunts in packs, and is the largest known wolf in the world. Like all land animals, the wolves were formed on the sixth day of creation.

1 Anatomy
2 Reproduction
3 Ecology
4 Gallery
5 Related References
6 See Also

Anatomy

Gray Wolves are large mammals weighing from 50 to 130 pounds. They are built for speed with powerful back legs that can propel them to speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Gray Wolves coats are incredibly thick to protect them from the cold climates in which they live. It is gray to grayish brown in color hence the name Gray Wolf. These animals can be up to 6 ft long and have paws 31/2 in wide.

Reproduction

Gray Wolves reproduce sexually. They mate for life, and normally only have one litter per pack, with about 6 pups per litter. The Alpha female is usually the one to have the pups, though other females may have them when prey is plentiful.

Ecology

Food: Gray wolves are carnivorous but what they eat depends on where they live. In the arctic gray wolves live off of caribou, moose, and other herbivores. While in other areas their diet consists mostly of deer, and smaller animals like rabbits.
Age: They can live to be up to 16 years old but the average life span is about 8 years.
Environment: Gray wolves live in a variety of areas but they are mostly in colder climates because of their thick coat they would die of heat exhaustion in the hotter areas.