There are about seven distinct species of wolves, and another seventeen (or so) varieties of gray wolf, making a total of about 24 species that can be found throughout the world.

Wolf- a typical predator that gets food on its own active search and persecution of victims. Everywhere, the basis of wolves' diet is made up of ungulates: in the tundra - wild and domestic reindeer; in the forest zone - elk, roe deer, wild pigs, domestic sheep, cows, horses; near the steppe and desert - antelopes different types and sheep; in the mountains there are wild and domestic goats.

polar Wolf (Canis lupus tundrarum) is one of the rarest animals on our planet. The polar wolf's habitat is the Arctic. To harsh conditions arctic climate The wolf is well adapted. Its thick, warm, windproof coat helps it survive in extreme temperatures. The wolf has keen eyesight and an excellent sense of smell, which are indispensable in hunting the small living creatures that inhabit these harsh places. Meager supplies of biological food and difficulties in obtaining food lead to the fact that the wolf eats its prey entirely, leaving neither the skin nor bones of the caught animals after the meal. Having average weight from 60 to 80 kg with a height of up to 80 centimeters, the polar wolf is able to survive without food for several weeks in the event of an unsuccessful hunt, but then can eat up to 10 kilograms of meat at one time. Polar wolves live in packs of up to 10 individuals and hunt polar hares, reindeer and other animals. In one litter of a she-wolf, approximately 3 to 5 cubs are born. The unique fur of the polar wolf has always attracted increased attention from hunters, which has brought the polar wolf to the brink of extinction. Due to global warming and melting polar ice number polar wolves continues to decline also due to dramatic changes in its climate familiar places a habitat. Currently, the polar wolf is listed in the Red Book, and hunting it is prohibited.

– rare view, included in the IUCN Red Book and the Red Book of the Russian Federation. In Russia it is endangered. Hunting is allowed in India, but only with licenses. Externally, this animal has a peculiar appearance - the features of a gray wolf, fox and jackal are mixed. Body length 76-103 cm, tail – 40-48 cm, weight – 14-21 kg. The red wolf has thick, long, red-red fur on its back and sides, chest, belly and inside legs – cream color. The long fluffy tail is similar to a fox's, it is darker than the rest of the body, almost black at the end. The head shows a dark pattern around the eyes and on the nose. The red wolf is a predator; it feeds mainly on wild animals, but in the summer it also consumes plant foods, namely mountain rhubarb. This plant is always found in dens with puppies. It is believed that wolves feed them to small wolf cubs, regurgitating half-digested rhubarb inflorescences. Sometimes they eat carrion. Wolves hunt in packs of 15-20 individuals and act very harmoniously, which allows them to catch even a large animal, for example, a buffalo. Thanks to their endurance, they drive their prey to exhaustion, after which its fate is sealed. Red wolves are quite talkative animals. Wakeful animals almost constantly emit a quiet whine, apparently maintaining communication with other members of the pack. In India, red caps reproduce within six months. The duration of pregnancy in females is 60-68 days. The average size litters of 4-6 puppies. The wolf cubs are dark brown in color, blind, weighing 200-350 g. The pups leave the hole at 70-80 days, and at seven months they already participate in collective hunting. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-3 years. Life expectancy in captivity is about 16 years. In captivity this period is much shorter.

Marsupial wolf or thylacine, as it is otherwise known, is officially considered an extinct animal. According to official data, the last wild representative This species was killed in 1930, and the last one kept in captivity in a private zoo died of old age in 1936. But there is still a possibility that the marsupial wolf still managed to survive in the wilderness of Tasmania (where it once thrived). But so far not a single animal has been caught or even photographed. But scientists do not lose hope. In 1999, scientists from the National Australian Museum, based in Sydney, issued a press statement announcing the start of an ambitious project to create a clone of the thylacine. Scientists intended to use DNA from puppies marsupial wolf, which were preserved in alcohol. DNA was extracted, but, alas, the samples turned out to be damaged and unsuitable for the experiment. The project was suspended. But in 2008, scientists managed to “revive” one of the marsupial wolf genes and “embed” it into a mouse embryo. So who is this marsupial wolf? The marsupial wolf (Tasmanian wolf or marsupial tiger) is a mammal, the only one in the thylacine family. Its first studies and descriptions date back to 1808. These descriptions were made by a certain Harris, he was an amateur naturalist. His work was published by the Linnean Society of London. The thylacine was one of the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world. The length of its body reached one and a half meters, and even more with its tail. Height at the withers is approximately sixty centimeters. The weight of the marsupial wolf was twenty to twenty-five kilograms. But the most amazing thing about his appearance was his mouth - elongated and elongated, it could open as much as 120 degrees. An interesting fact is known that when a wolf yawned, its jaws formed a straight line (well, almost a straight line).

(Chrysocyon brachyurus ) or guar, aguarachai gets its name from the hair that adorns its shoulders and neck. long hair, reminiscent of a horse's mane. The maned wolf's habitat is primarily the savannas of South America, but it can also be found in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and Northern Argentina, where it lives in the pampas and along the edges of swamps overgrown with tall grass. Lean and light maned wolf has a red coat color, an elongated muzzle and has big ears, which makes him look vaguely like a very large fox. The body length of the maned wolf, from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, is approximately 160 cm, the height of the wolf at the shoulders reaches, on average, 75 cm, and the weight varies from 20 to 23 kilograms. Aguarachay - the tallest of all known species wolves. The long legs help the maned wolf locate prey over the tall grasses that cover savannas and wetlands. The wolf hunts, as a rule, alone, and its prey is mainly small animals, such as agouti, pacu, various birds and reptiles. The wolf also eats fruits and other plant foods, carries poultry, and is capable of attacking sheep when gathering in flocks. Auarachai live in pairs, but rarely contact each other. Maned wolf cubs have a black coat color and are born in winter, 2-3 cubs per litter. Aguarachai or maned wolves are listed as endangered on the International Red List of Threatened Species. Currently, there is no immediate threat of extinction, but the maned wolf still remains a very rare animal.

(Canis lupus arctos), also called Ellesmere or arctic wolf, lives in North America on a group of Arctic islands and in the northern part of Greenland. The Melville Island wolf is slightly smaller in size than the common wolf, and its length, from ears to tip of tail, varies from 90 to 180 cm. The wolf reaches a maximum height of 69-79 cm, with a weight of about 45 kg, although especially large , adult males can weigh about 80 kg. The Melville Island wolf's fur is typically light white or grayish. Wolf ears have small size, which helps it rationally spend heat in conditions low temperatures. For more successful hunting, Melville wolves unite in packs of 5-10 individuals. The main objects of hunting for the Melville Island wolf are reindeer and musk oxen, to which the wolf pack uses driven hunting tactics, attacking mainly weakened prey that cannot offer strong resistance. The wolf's food also includes arctic hares, lemmings and, occasionally, moose. Permafrost is a significant obstacle that makes it difficult for the wolf to arrange and dig a den, so wolves use the natural landscape and place their homes in rock ledges, caves or small depressions. The Melville Island wolf gives birth to few cubs, 2-3 cubs per litter, which is largely due to the harsh living conditions in the Arctic climate.

Belongs to the class of mammals and the order of carnivores. The name Japanese wolf comes from two subspecies of the common wolf family (Canis lupus), which once lived on the islands of Japan. In the worldwide classification, the Japanese wolf belongs to the Hokkaido wolf (Canis lupus hattai). He is also known as Ezo, a wolf who lived on the island of Hokkaido. And the second subspecies is the Hondos wolf or Honshu wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax). Today, both species are considered extinct. By external dimensions Hokkaido was much larger than a wolf Honshu, and in parameters approaching the size of an ordinary wolf. In 1889, this subspecies became extinct due to the increased settlement of the island for the construction of farms, during the Meiji restoration. The existing Meiji Government determined a reward for anyone who brought the head of a killed wolf, thereby organizing a campaign to exterminate them.

Lyre wolf found exclusively in South America

Newfoundland Wolf - Officially extinct in 1911

Newfoundland Wolf (Canis lupus beothucus) The Newfoundland wolf lived on an island near Newfoundland east coast Canada. The color was light with a dark stripe along the ridge. Dimensions were an average of 5.5 feet (from nose to tip of tail). Diet consisted of: Caribou (as reindeer are called in Canada), beavers, voles and other rodents. Hunting and fur trapping in the region led to the complete extinction of this species in 1911. The extinction was also influenced by factors such as a severe food shortage in 1900, which led to a sharp decline in the caribou population.

A wolf very similar to a fox. This species is endangered; for its fur, which has no analogues (the color of the fur can reach yellow), this animal is widely hunted.

Also known as Mountain Wolf, Alaskan or Canadian forest. Direct relative of ours timber wolf, but due to specific living conditions it has thicker fur and a whitish color that remains even in summer.

There are six subspecies of wolves found in Russia:

Tundra wolf, Central Russian forest wolf, Siberian forest wolf, Steppe wolf, Caucasian wolf, Mongolian wolf.

Contrary to popular belief, it is this wolf that reaches its maximum size on the Eurasian continent, and not the tundra one. The coloring is classic, and not lightened, like the tundra. The body length of adult Central Russian forest wolves can exceed 160 cm, and the height at the shoulders can reach 1 meter. Of course, such dimensions can only apply to very large individuals. It is generally accepted that on average an adult male weighs 40 - 45 kg, a mature male (about 1 year and 8 months old) weighs about 35 kg, and a mature male (8 months old) weighs 25 kg. She-wolves weigh 15 - 20% less. Anyone who is familiar with old hunting literature, or who has been to “wolf” corners and talked with local residents, has probably read or heard about huge wolves. How much weight can wolves reach? For Central Russia, scientific works indicate a maximum weight in the range of 69 - 80 kg. (Ognev, Zvorykin). And here are the results of weighing specific animals. For the Moscow region - a male weighing 76 kg, the largest of the 250 wolves caught by the wolf hunter V.M. Hartuleri, famous in the thirties and forties of the last century. For Altai - a male weighing 72 kg. The wolf, stuffed of which is in the Moscow State University zoo museum, weighed 80 kg (5 pounds). According to N.D. Sysoev, the head of the state hunting inspection of the Vladimir region, in the period from 1951 to 1963, 641 wolves were killed, of which 17 were especially large. Among these animals, the largest weight was: of males - 79 kg, caught in the Sobinsky district, from females - 62 kg. The footprint of the right front paw of this huge, almost eighty-kilogram animal had a length of 16 and a width of 10 cm. It must be said that wolves are also indicated for Ukraine large sizes- 92 kg from the Lugansk region and 96 kg from the Chernigov region, but the conditions for determining the mass of these animals are unknown. The Central Russian forest wolf lives throughout the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia, and probably penetrates into Western Siberia. In the north, it is quite possible for it to enter the forest-tundra, however, in the same way as the tundra into the taiga.

Same large animal, in its average size not inferior to the previous subspecies. According to many scientists, it is still conditionally identified as a separate subspecies, since the taxonomy of Siberian wolves is still poorly developed. The predominant color is light gray, ocher tones are poorly visible or absent altogether. The fur, although not as tall and silky as that of the tundra wolf, is also thick and soft. Its habitat is largely considered Eastern Siberia, Far East and Kamchatka, except for the tundra zone, as well as Transbaikalia.

In general, somewhat smaller than the forest one, with sparse and coarser hair. The color on the back is with a noticeable predominance of rusty-gray or even brown hair, and the sides are light gray. Its range includes the steppes of southern Russia, including the Cis-Caucasian, Caspian, Ural and Lower Volga regions. Poorly studied. A system of specific characteristics has not been developed. The number is low, especially in the western parts of the range.

A medium-sized animal with coarse and short guard hair and rather poorly developed underfur. The color is noticeably darker than the subspecies described above due to the black guard hairs evenly distributed throughout the skin. The overall tone is dirty gray, dull. Within our country, the range is limited to the Main Caucasus Range and its wooded foothills.

The Mongolian wolf is the smallest in size compared to all the wolves that live in Russia. Average weight males of this species do not exceed 40 kg. The Mongolian wolf has a dull, dirty gray hue, coarse and coarse fur. This subspecies of wolves is common in the eastern and southwestern Transbaikalia and the Primorsky Territory.

Lifestyle of wolves. Migration of wolves in search of new territories

Lifestyle of wolves

Wolves are active mainly at night, but sometimes they can be found during the day. They make their presence known by a vocal howl, which is very different in character among adult males, she-wolves and young ones, and also depending on the situation. The fact is that with the help of various kinds of howls, wolves exchange information about the presence of prey, the appearance of other wolves in the territory of the pack, the appearance of people and other important events. Wolves also have fairly developed facial expressions - the expressions of their muzzle, posture and tail position can be very diverse, which reflects the emotional state of the animals and is of paramount importance for establishing contacts between individuals or, conversely, preventing collisions. Of the analyzers in wolves, the most developed is hearing, some weaker are vision and smell.
Well developed higher nervous activity In wolves, it is associated with strength, agility, tirelessness, running speed and other physical characteristics that significantly increase the chances of this predator in the fight for survival. Without visible effort, he can carry a sheep in his teeth, holding it in front of him or throwing it behind his back. If necessary, the wolf reaches speeds of up to 55-60 kilometers per hour, capable of traveling up to 60-80 km. per night, and on average per day (in the forest zone) to cover over 20 km.

In the tundra, as well as in the mountains, wolves carry out seasonal migrations behind herds of wild and domestic ungulates. Sometimes there is a noticeable increase in the number of wolves in a certain area as a result of a sharp deterioration in living conditions in neighboring areas. Migration of wolves in search of new territories In a wolf pack there is a strict hierarchical ladder, which is determined by a very complex set of relationships in the pack, the age of its members and feats in hunting. The least respected are young wolves, who occupy the highest positions in the hierarchy. lowest places, they are the ones who often fight off the pack, showing pride and impatience with oppression from their older brothers. Such wolves migrate from the territory occupied by the pack over quite long distances in search of the same tribesmen or smaller packs with weaker leaders and available lone wolves. Lone wolves move carefully, avoiding encounters with humans, but not necessarily at night. Along the way, the wolf stops to hunt, often for livestock. When meeting lonely brothers, they flock into small flocks and continue their journey in search of free territories and rich hunting grounds. In this case, a pack of migrating wolves can consist of up to three or five individuals. When united in a pack, wolves often attack shepherds and enter small villages, but only when they have no luck in the hunt for a long time. A meeting between migrating wolves and a pack of fellow tribesmen can result in trouble for a weaker enemy. Thus, going through difficulties and trials, wolves explore new territories, sometimes running hundreds of kilometers.

Wolf hunting. How wolves divide territory

Wolf Hunt

Wolves belong to the canine family and are very similar to dogs and appearance and habits. Well developed muscles and sufficient long legs allow them to run fast enough. Wolves used to be very numerous in the Northern Hemisphere, but they have been exterminated in many countries. Wolves live in packs according to the laws of hierarchy (one wolf dominates the others) and communicate using a whole range of sounds of different tones.
How do wolves hunt? They move in search of prey along the same routes, more than 160 kilometers long. Sometimes it takes them several weeks to cover all the trails. Wolves are predators, so they eat meat. They attack other animals that they meet along the way. Wolves hunt deer, elk and other large ungulates. In Canada and Alaska, wolves follow on the heels of caribou herds, attacking young animals and weak, sick animals. In the north, wolves hunt musk oxen. And if they see a herd of livestock left unattended, they will immediately attack it. Wolves also hunt hares and other rodents, but only if there is no easier prey nearby. Hungry animals, having lost hope, will feast on fresh meat, are content with wild berries.

How wolves divide territory

Owning a huge territory, a pack of polar wolves, for example, will, of course, not be able to maintain exclusive rights to it, but wolves living in the forest, whose possessions are much smaller, are forced to clearly recognize the border of their territory. Wolves mark their possessions with the smell of their own body, raising their paws like domestic dogs. They do this especially carefully on the border with the territory of another flock. So that the neighbors understand who they are dealing with and are afraid to violate the border. Smells play an even greater role in communication between wolves than sounds. If one pack of wolves, for example, in the process of hunting intersects with another, then a bloody showdown with the victims is inevitable, which is why the wolves howl, warning others about their location. The alpha male usually begins to howl, his howl is picked up by others. When chasing prey, wolves howl, making shorter sounds, notifying their fellows where they are. Everyone responds to the howl of one of the flocks wolf packs nearby, and an unimaginable forest cacophony immediately begins. However, it often happens that one of the flocks does not reasonably pick up someone else’s howl, it is numerically too small, and therefore it needs to hide or retreat as quickly as possible for the same reasons. It should be noted that a lone wolf will never howl

Life in wolf's clothing

Have you ever wondered where this expression came from? For some reason it is generally accepted that life in wolf skin- this is, first of all, the risk of running into a hunter at any moment, whose first intention will try to take this very skin from you. It may well be that life in wolf skin is not at all a fear of dying at the hands of a hunter, but a fear of dying alone? In ancient times, it was believed that wolves embodied in their essence all the evil that lives in the forests. In all children's fairy tales, undoubtedly, the wolf appears in the image of a negative hero, but if you think carefully, it was we who created such an image of the wolf. Maybe, in fact, wolves are completely different? One day, having stumbled upon a television program about domesticated wild animals, I was able to imagine for myself the real image of a wolf, not inspired by false ideas. Like a faithful dog, huge Gray wolf, while playing, licked the hands of his owner, the man who had long ago picked him up as a wolf cub in the forest, cured him and, in fact, given him a new life. Why did the wolf, such a terrible and lonely animal, sincerely thank his savior and educator? Perhaps because he found himself true friend among people and now is not afraid to die alone.

Wolf- this is, first of all, the highest symbol of freedom in the animal world, a symbol of independence (while the so-called king of beasts - the lion - is trained in the circus).
Wolf- This is also a symbol of fearlessness. In any fight, the wolf fights until victory or death.
Wolf does not pick up carrion, which means it is a symbol of purity.
Wolf lives as a family, cares only for his wolf wife, and the wolf father himself raises his wolf children. Among wolves there is no such vice as adultery.
Wolf- this is also a symbol of high morality and devotion to family (which cannot be said about males of other animals).
Wolf - a symbol of justice and ambition. IN normal conditions The wolf, for its part, will not allow anyone to offend the weaker.

27 comments on the article Wolf Breeds

Appearance: A well-built body with a broad chest rests on tall, muscular legs with tightly clenched toes. The forehead-shaped and at the same time graceful head of a wolf with medium-sized ears and a long pincer is decorated with dark stripes around almost pure white cheeks and light spots above the eyes. The short tail hangs almost straight.
The fur is thick and long (up to 8 cm); the undercoat is formed by hard, long black guard hairs at the ends, which repel water, which is why the wolf's undercoat does not get wet. The hair of animals from the middle and southern regions is coarse, while those from the northern regions are quite fluffy and soft.
Wolves moult twice a year. Spring molting in the north begins in the second half of April and lasts until June. Thinning of winter fur begins from the nape and sides, while at the same time the hair on the rump falls off. Gradually, the hair change spreads to the ridge and back of the body. Autumn molt in the north it covers the period from late August to late October, sometimes until mid-November.

Lifespan: Wolves can live 12-16 years; many of them die of hunger, others die from a variety of diseases to which they are susceptible in the same way as dogs.

Eating behavior: On average, wolves eat 4.5 kg of meat per day, and in case of successful harvest they can eat up to 9 kg. A wolf requires at least 1.5 kg of food per day, and about 2.3 kg for successful reproduction. Ideas about the extreme gluttony of the wolf are exaggerated and are explained by the fact that predators, having caught one or another large animal and having had enough, take away the remaining meat and hide it, so that it seems that the prey was eaten at one time. Wolves are hardy animals and can go without food for two weeks or more.

Behavior

In most cases, the wolf confines itself to a den; much less often (mainly in open areas - steppe, tundra, etc.) it settles in burrows, adapting old burrows of marmots, foxes, badgers, and arctic foxes. For a den, he usually uses natural shelters - depressions under the roots of an inverted tree, among a windbreak, a rock cleft or the slope of a ravine, etc. The den is located in the most remote place, difficult for humans to reach - in an overgrown ravine, on a mane among a vast swamp or in a dense small forests on its outskirts, etc. If there is a lack of convenient places, especially in the steppe regions, but sometimes even in the forest zone, the den is made in the remains of hay or straw. The den is used with great consistency from year to year, and only the complete extermination of the brood leads to the disappearance of wolves from a given point for a number of years. A permanent den serves only for the period of raising young ones, and during the rest of the year, wolves lead a more or less wandering life. However, in middle lane migrations do not go beyond the limits hunting area and only in the tundra and steppes are they of a wider nature.
The wolf has a well-developed sense of smell and hearing, which helps it easily find prey. In the wind, he picks up the scent of even the smallest animal located 1-2 kilometers away. Having heard a noise, the wolf moves its ears and determines where the sound comes from.
Wolves can be found at different times of the day, but they are most active at night and at dusk. Most often, wolves move at a walk or trot, less often at a gallop, and in in some cases, at a short distance, move to the quarry. The chain of traces is distinguished by its straightness, and each individual print has a clear outline.
A pack of wolves moves in single file, exactly like a trail, and only at turns and stopping places can you find out the number of animals. Thanks to its strong muscular paws, the wolf can trot for a long time at a speed of 9 km/h, and in pursuit of deer and elk it accelerates to 60 km/h.
Wolves have a well-developed sign language (facial expressions, position and movements of the tail, head, ears, body, etc.), which unites the pack and helps it act together. A welcoming ceremony is also obligatory in the pack, when the members of the pack express their respect to the leader - they approach him crawling with their ears flattened and their fur smoothed, licking and carefully biting his face.

Hunting behavior: Wolves are very highly developed predators. They have great physical strength, endurance and agility. When wolves hunt in packs, they distribute responsibilities among themselves: part of the pack drives the prey, while the other sits in ambush. The hunting methods of wolves are extremely varied and depend both on the conditions of the area, the type of prey, and on the experience of a particular individual or pack. Thus, in winter, wolves often drive ungulates onto crust or frozen ponds, where it is easier for them to catch up and overpower even strong prey. Some packs drive their prey into natural dead ends: tree debris, scattered stones, ravines, etc. Like foxes, wolves can “mouse” while hunting for small rodents and insectivores. Feature The feeding behavior of wolves, like many other predators, is food storage. It has long been known that a wolf never hunts near its nest; this is precisely what can explain the observation of young roe deer and wolf cubs playing together in the same clearing.
Depending on the results of the hunt, the night journey is 25-40 km, but if necessary it can be much longer. As indicated, in the central zone of the country, even in the autumn-winter period, migrations go beyond the permanent hunting area of ​​​​a given pair or family. In the tundra and in the Asian steppes and deserts, wolf migrations cover much larger areas and often take on the character of long-distance migrations following herds of reindeer, roe deer, etc. In the mountains, regular seasonal movements of wolves from one place to another are observed. plant belt to another. For example, in the Caucasus, wolves in summer and autumn stay mainly in the alpine and subalpine zones, and in the winter they migrate down to the fir and beech forests, where there is less snow and the main wintering grounds of ungulates are concentrated. In addition to regular seasonal movements, there are known cases of sudden appearance large number wolves in some areas.

The common wolf (or gray wolf) is a large beast of prey from the canine family. The body length of an adult wolf can reach 180 cm (including tail), and the height at the withers is 90 cm. The weight of a wolf ranges from 30 to 50 kg, some of the largest animals can weigh up to 80 kilograms. Female wolves usually fewer wolves males.

The wolf's muzzle is elongated, its teeth are sharp and strong. The paws are quite long, the claws are not very sharp, as they wear off while running. The coat is usually light gray, sometimes with a black, white or reddish tint; there are wolves with completely black and completely white fur. As a wolf ages, its coat color can change greatly.

Spreading

Wolves live throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia and North America. Animals are well adapted to life in different conditions. They feel good in the tundra, forest, steppe, taiga and mountains.

Currently, the number of wolves has greatly decreased, and in many regions these animals are endangered.

Lifestyle

Wolves are pack animals. Members of the pack are relatives and lone wolves who have joined them. A flock can be large or small. A small one can consist of three to six wolves, and a large one can number twenty to forty individuals.

Life in a flock has its own laws and orders; there is a strict hierarchy. Every pack has a leader - strong wolf, to which all others obey. The leader leads the pack on the hunt and resolves all conflicts that arise between relatives. Weak wolves must unquestioningly obey the strong ones.

Wolves have a very developed sign language. Their tail position or posture speaks volumes. So, a raised tail means that this is the leader of the pack, and a tucked tail means that this wolf is the weakest in the pack.

Wolves are big fans of “choral singing.” Their howls are both important messages for their relatives and simply a pleasant pastime. With the help of howls, wolves can transmit to their relatives important information, being several kilometers apart from each other. For example, reporting the approach of game or a person.

Wolves love to howl just like that at dawn or at night. The leader is the first to speak, and the rest of the wolves begin to sing along with him.

In addition to howling, wolves can make other sounds - growl, howl, bark, yelp. All these sounds also have a certain meaning.

Wolves have a very sensitive sense of smell, they smell 100 times better than humans.

Nutrition

Wolves are predators. As a rule, they hunt sick or weak animals. That is why wolves are called orderlies.

A variety of animals can become game for wolves - moose, wild boars, rams, goats, deer, roe deer, beavers, bulls, hares, rabbits, badgers, squirrels, birds and others. But most often wolves hunt ungulates. They can also attack domestic animals. When food is scarce, wolves eat frogs, lizards and beetles.

Every day a wolf can eat about five kilograms of meat and drink a liter of water. In addition to meat food, wolves willingly eat fruits, berries, mushrooms, grass and leaves. Eating plant foods helps animals normalize digestion.

Wolves are very hardy animals; they can live without food for about two weeks.

Reproduction

Wolves create a family once for life. To breed, they dig new holes or occupy holes dug by other animals; they can also settle among rocks in small crevices.

A she-wolf's pregnancy lasts from 62 to 75 days. Wolf cubs are born in the spring. They are born defenseless - deaf, blind and toothless. The weight of newborn wolf cubs ranges from 300 g to 500 g. After about 9 days, their eyes open, and after two to three weeks their teeth begin to erupt. At three months of age, wolf cubs begin to emerge from the hole.

Adult wolves take grown-up wolf cubs with them to hunt.

Wolves are considered adult at approximately two years of age.

Life expectancy of wolves wildlife ranges from 7 to 10 years.

Brief information about the wolf.

The common gray wolf (Canis lupus) is highly developed nervous system and especially acute hearing and smell. The high mental development of the wolf, combined with great strength, exceptional endurance and the ability to adapt to various conditions of existence, is the reason that, so persistently persecuted by man from the beginning to the present day, it has not yet been exterminated.

Brief description of the wolf

The gray wolf is one of the most dangerous animals in Ukraine. Belongs to the canine family. The body length of a common wolf is over 120 cm. Males are always larger than females. Outwardly, gray wolves resemble shepherds, but are characterized by characteristics that are characteristic only of wolves. The head is large, broad-browed, the neck is short and inactive, the muzzle is massive and elongated. The eyes are light brown, placed obliquely. The brow ridges are convex, making the eyes appear sunken and larger than those of dogs.

The strong, high scruff of the neck and the habit of the gray wolf to bend its hind legs create the impression as if dorsal part its strong body is inclined towards the tail, and its powerful broad chest is separated from its tucked belly. Forelegs common wolves although slender, they are muscular and strong. The gray wolf never throws his evenly fluffy tail over his back; it always hangs like a log.

The fur color of a wolf in summer is reddish, much darker along the back and almost halfway up the tail. In winter, the rusty-reddish shades in the hair of an ordinary wolf disappear, and the color becomes brownish-gray, lighter on the abdominal part.

Wolf habitat

Common wolves are distributed unevenly on the territory of Ukraine: they are more abundant in the forest areas of northern Polesie and the Carpathian mountain ranges, less common in the forest-steppe zone and steppe regions, and absent in Crimea. Typical forest dwellers, gray wolves have long adapted to life in cultivated landscapes. Particularly favorite habitats are thickets of bushes in semi-dry swamps, among forests.

Common wolves are active mainly at dusk and at night and can only occasionally be seen during the day. However, where they are not pursued, they hunt during the day. In the dark, wolves see much better than other canines.

Diet of common wolves

The gray wolf is a typical predator that obtains its own food, actively searching for and tirelessly pursuing its prey. The basis of nutrition for common wolves is wild boars, deer, roe deer, domestic ungulates, etc. In pursuit of them, wolves can reach running speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Gray wolves also hunt small animals, especially hares, ground squirrels, mouse-shaped rodents, waterfowl and other birds nesting on the ground. As an exception, the gray wolf's diet includes berries, wild and garden fruits.

Wolves breeding

Gray wolves make their dens for raising babies in secluded places provided with food resources. They are building it is found in a shallow hole, a depression under the root of an inverted tree among a windfall, in a wide bush of thorny bushes, or in a depression on the ground among dense reed thickets, always near a reservoir. In mountainous regions, common wolves make their dens in rocky cliffs, rock crevices, caves or rubble.

Once a year, in mid-March or early April, after a 62-64-day pregnancy, the she-wolf often gives birth to five or six blind, deaf, toothless wolf cubs, which develop rapidly and are even able to crawl out of the den at three weeks of age. At the age of one month, they are fed by belching, that is, small pieces of semi-digested meat swallowed by their parents. In June-July, old wolves already teach wolf cubs to get food on their own. In the fall (late September - October), young gray wolves replace their baby teeth with permanent teeth. From this time on, the wolf cubs actively help the old wolves hunt.

Why is the gray wolf dangerous?

Common wolves - dangerous predators. Until recently, they caused great losses to our economy. Having settled near settlements, gray wolves attack domestic animals and dogs. They are especially dangerous in hunting areas. The gray wolf, covering long distances every night, regardless of whether he is hungry or not,
destroys all the game he encounters on his way, and much more than he can eat. In addition, gray wolves are the main distributors incurable disease– rabies.

Despite the fact that the gray wolf is a game animal, the cost of its skin is low compared to the harm it causes. This is the most harmful predator of the fauna of Ukraine. The persistent fight against this predator, which is carried out in Ukraine during all seasons of the year, has greatly reduced its number and, compared with the last century, the harm from wolves is not of a threatening nature. However, in Lately In connection with the establishment of the sanitary significance of the common wolf in nature, the fight against this predator was significantly weakened, and, naturally, the number of wolves increased again. Now there is a need to strengthen control over the number of gray wolves, both in Ukraine and throughout the CIS.

A short video about gray wolves shows how smart and resilient these animals are, and how they communicate in a pack. Also see how wolves in a pack hunt ungulates, helping each other.

Having heard anything about wolves, many of us involuntarily shudder - these predators can instill horror with their very appearance. However, dangerous and sometimes ferocious animals very rarely attack people. Wolves generally try to stay away from people; they live their own lives, one of the main meanings of which is hunting.

At the same time, the main character of the tales about wolves is the Tambov wolf, that is, Central Russian, living in Tambov region Last year there were two couples, at the beginning of last year there was a couple, and now there is only one left. Although, the wolf is mostly passing there.

In total, six subspecies of wolves are currently found on the territory of the Russian Federation:

Tundra wolf

This is very large predator, the length of which can reach and even exceed one and a half meters. The color of the tundra wolf is light, and the hair is very soft, thick and long. The tundra wolf can reach a weight of 40 to 50 kg. The habitat of the tundra wolf is, of course, the tundra zone, as well as the forest-tundra of Kamchatka, Siberia and the European part of Russia.

Central Russian forest wolf

Hero of the Russians folk tales- the gray wolf is none other than the Central Russian forest wolf, whose skin has a classic gray color, and not light, like that of its tundra brother. The length of an individual of this subspecies can reach up to 160 cm, and the average weight ranges from 40 to 45 kg. At the same time, in the central part of Russia there were wolves weighing 70-80 kg. Thus, in the Moscow region in the forties of the 20th century, a wolf weighing 76 kg was shot, and a male wolf weighing 72 kg was caught in Altai. In the zoomuseum of Moscow State University there is a stuffed animal, which weighed 80 kg during life. In Ukraine, hunters managed to catch a record-breaking weight of male wolves - 92-96 kg. Females of the Central Russian timber wolf usually weigh 15-20% less than males.

This subspecies of wolves lives in forests and forest-steppes of the European part of the Russian Federation, and its individuals are also found in Western Siberia. In the north, the Central Russian forest wolf often enters the tundra wolf's habitat - the forest-tundra.

Steppenwolf

This subspecies is still poorly studied, so the system of characteristics defining this species has not yet been developed. A distinctive feature of this subspecies is the rusty-gray and sometimes even brown color of the back and light gray fur on the sides. The hair is sparse and quite coarse. Typically, the steppe wolf is noticeably smaller in size than the forest wolf, but individual individuals can reach a weight of about 60 kg. Steppenwolf lives mainly in the south of Russia, in the Caspian, Cis-Ural, Cis-Caucasian steppes and in the Lower Volga region.

Mongolian wolf

The smallest wolf found in our country. Typically, the weight of adult male Mongolian wolves ranges from 40 to 50 kg. The coarse and hard fur of the wolf is dirty gray with an ocher color. Inhabits the territory of Primorsky Krai and Transbaikalia.

Caucasian wolf

It is medium in size and dirty-gray, darker than other species, in color. hairline. The hair itself is quite coarse and short. The Caucasian wolf lives on the territory of the Caucasus Range and the foothills nearby.

Siberian timber wolf

Outwardly similar to its Central Russian counterpart, and, according to scientists, this subspecies is still conditional. Has a gray or light gray coat color with thick, long and soft hair, like a tundra or Central Russian wolf. The Siberian timber wolf lives in Kamchatka, Far East and Eastern Siberia.