One of the most persistent of the many myths about wolves is the unsubstantiated myth of the voraciousness of the wolf. According to the most conservative estimates of the average person, 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 out of nowhere, 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 humans, a wolf never kills for fun. It is not easy for him to catch and kill a large animal. And if the animal manages to obtain a significant amount of meat for its family, then it prefers to devote the rest of its time to rest, friendly meetings and games.
The wolf is a typical predator with an exceptionally wide range of food, obtaining food active search. We can say that in its diet there are no vertebrates that would not serve as prey for it: all types of ungulates, hares and beavers, nutria and muskrats, small rodents and birds, fish and frogs, lizards and snakes. As well as a wide variety of plant foods - wild berries and tree fruits. In the south - watermelons, melons and grapes, corn and sunflower grains. They often eat the leaves of sedges and cereals, as well as poisonous plants such as lily of the valley and buckthorn, which are used by wolves for medicinal purposes.
In one of his works, Anatoly Onegov, a Russian naturalist writer and traveler, wrote: “Wolves know how to catch pike and bream when they, tired after spawning, roll out of the streams back into the lake. They hunt for mice and frogs. Gray robbers visit raspberry and lingonberry forests, 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 voraciousness of the wolf and the food it absorbs in one meal is very contradictory and greatly exaggerated, as well as suggestions that the animal can eat enough for future use. Being hungry, they eat meat in excess of the physiological norm, but soon after eating they are freed from it. One should take into account the active lifestyle of the wolf (constant search, active pursuit of prey), which is difficult to combine with overloading the body with a large amount of food. If the average mass of an adult Central Russian wolf is 45-50 kilograms, then it is difficult to even imagine that the animal can absorb up to 10 kilograms of meat in one go. 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.
Wolves store large game that they catch. Scientists observed how five wolves took away a deer weighing about 100 kilograms overnight. At the scene of death, only the contents of the stomach, scraps of fur and a skull remained. Along the route of the pack, eight storerooms were found in which the wolves hid more than 30 kilograms of meat. This is a constant habit of the animals, and their reserves are difficult to detect.
It is known that the wolf is able to utilize all parts of the body of large animals, including entrails, skin and almost the entire skeleton. However, such complete use of prey is rare, since most of the remainder of the carcass is taken away by other predators and birds. They also plunder the wolf's storerooms.
The flock's search routes for prey are constant; they pass through the locations and concentrations of prey in one season or another of the year. Wolves are very rational and follow not only richer game lands, but also provide best opportunities approach to the victim.
The movement of the flock within the territory of the hunting area is aimed at its more uniform exploitation and minimal possibility of meeting with neighboring flocks. Depending on the number of ungulates, the period for surveying the site may vary. So, if a pack controls several groups of reindeer in large area, animals consistently visit the herd on average every 12-15 days. If the hunting area is small, then animals visit a certain area every 5-7 days. Outputs and surveys of lands adjacent to the site are rare and irregular. They allow inter-flock contacts to take place in these buffer zones.
Buffer zones - territories up to 203 kilometers wide between areas of neighboring packs - are visited by animals of different associations, but such visits are short-lived. Given the abundance of ungulates in the area itself and the availability of convenient hunting places, wolves do not need to go beyond the boundaries of their territory in search of prey.
Wolves that attack ungulates are 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, or poachers.
The wolf is an amazingly sensitive and attentive predator. Possessing an excellent sense of smell and acute hearing, he orients himself surprisingly well in any terrain. Although vision is less developed, it is significantly superior to that of domestic dogs. Developed ability to adapt. For example, wolves have no problem distinguishing a hunter (danger) from a mushroom picker.
Wolves food
There is no need to guess what the wolf eats. This has been studied for a long time. The wolf is a typical carnivorous predator. Traditionally, its menu includes deer, elk, livestock, partridges, hares and black grouse. Due to hunger and desperation, wolves may dare to attack a bear sleeping in a den. In times of famine, in the absence of live prey, they can feed on carrion or plant foods - berries, fruits and even mushrooms. A wolf can go without food for more than two weeks.
Hunting and trophies
The predator’s “working day” begins at dusk and ends in the morning. If the night was successful, then the wolves sleep, otherwise the hunt does not stop during the day. At one time, an adult wolf can eat 2-6 kg of flesh, while a hungry wolf can eat twice as much - up to 10 kg. The prevailing belief is that wolves kill more than they can eat unfairly. The leftovers are never lost, but are buried for the next meal. Everything that the wolf eats will be placed in a “natural refrigerator” and will be perfectly preserved.
Features of the seasons
With the onset of spring, the proportion of domestic animals in the diet of wolves increases. The peak of growth occurs after mid-summer, when wolves have an ever-growing brood. The liver, heart and lungs are considered a delicacy. They go to the “beater” - the strongest wolf in the pack. This is the leader. Contrary to existing stereotypes that wolves eat people, there is no documented case of a wolf attacking a person of its own free will.
In winter, the wolf pack hunts up to 15 individuals: young animals from the last two broods are attracted. Sometimes the flock encounters resistance from large forest animals. It happens that a skirmish ends with the death of one of the wolves and the retreat of the survivors. In search of prey, they are able to travel up to 50 kilometers in deep snow. At the same time, it is impossible to determine the number of individuals in the flock based on the trail, since predators follow the trail.
Feeding the puppies
Up to eight weeks, the female feeds the puppies with milk every three hours for 1-4 minutes. Starting from three weeks, the entire flock takes part in this process, bringing meat back from the hunt and regurgitating meat for the puppies. At eight months of age, puppies see the sun for the first time. At the age of five to six months, they follow the pack to hunt and eat fresh meat. Wolf cubs have natural enemies, but today there is simply no clear answer to the question of whether they eat wolves.
For most people, the wolf is not just a wild animal, but an archetypal image familiar from childhood. It is no coincidence that he became a character in fairy tales. People have long feared and revered this beast. They frightened naughty children with a wolf, called them a man’s elder brother, and composed fairy tales and legends about him.
In languages different nations peace, the word wolf is consonant. It is worth noting that it was born in the Old Slavic language and means “drag” or “drag.” Apparently, the name comes from the manner of moving prey by dragging (dragging in front of you).
Habitat and distribution in the world
In past centuries, the wolf was the most common animal on earth. Today, the habitat has been significantly reduced. The reason for this is the widespread extermination of animals by humans. Nowadays, most of the species lives in the territory of the following countries: Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Georgia, China, Korea, Iran, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Scandinavian and Baltic countries, South American countries, Italy, Poland, Spain , Portugal, Mexico, USA, Canada.
The wolf adapts to life in any terrain, but tries to settle in places with few trees. Often lives in close proximity to human settlements. In the taiga, for example, it invariably follows people, choosing to live in places cleared of trees.
IN mountainous area They live up to the border of meadows, choosing weakly rugged areas.
The wolf is one of the territorial animals. During the cold period, flocks lead a sedentary lifestyle. The flock's habitat is marked with tags. The area of such a territory can reach up to 44 km. With the onset of warm months, the animals form pairs.
The strongest individuals continue to live in their territory, while the rest scatter. It is worth noting that wolves accompany herds of deer and domestic animals.
Ancestors of wolves and evolution
The probable ancestor of the modern wolf is Canis lepophagus. This is a representative of the canine breed that inhabited North America during the Miocene period.
The first true wolves appeared during the early Pleistocene. Among the species was Canis priscolatrans, characterized by its small size. This species is believed to be the ancestor of the red wolf, which migrated to Europe and Asia.
Subsequently, Canis priscolatrans modified and evolved, which led to the appearance of C. Mosbachensis, a species that has many things in common with modern representatives. Over time, C. mosbachensis evolved into Canis lupus.
Types and features of each type
Science knows about 32 species and subspecies of wolves. The following will describe the most interesting views.
Arctic (polar)
The rarest subspecies of the gray wolf. Distributed in Greenland, northern Canada and Alaska. The absence of humans in the cold, snowy area made it possible to preserve the habitat in its original form.
The Arctic wolf has a large and powerful body build. The male at the withers can reach 1 m, weighing 100 kg. This species is characterized by sexual dimorphism (males are 15-16% larger than females in size).
The animal is ideally adapted to life in the conditions of the polar night, covering vast distances across the snowy plain to search for prey. An adult can eat up to 12 kg of meat at one time. Often nothing remains of the prey, since polar wolves do not chew the meat, but swallow it along with the bones.
Representatives of this species live in flocks of 12-15 individuals. The head of such a group can be not only a male, but also a female. There are times when a pack accepts lone wolves (if they obey the leader).
Ruffed
The species is named because of the long fur that covers the neck and shoulder area. The skin resembles a horse's mane. The main place of residence is South America.
The maned wolf has a red color. A distinctive feature of the species are large ears and an elongated head. In appearance, the animal looks lean. The body weight of an adult does not exceed 25 kg.
The maned wolf is a solitary hunter. It chooses small livestock, birds, and reptiles as prey. It also eats fruits.
INTERESTING! Several years ago there was a threat of extinction of this species. Today the problem has been resolved, but the animal continues to remain in the Red Book.
Makenzensky
The most common species found in North America. The weight of the animal can reach 80 kg, and its height is 90 cm. The individual hunts deer, musk oxen, elk and bison.
Mountain (red)
The mountain wolf is beautiful appearance. Its fur is similar in color to fox fur. Weight is slightly over 20 kg. The length does not exceed 100 cm. The color depends on the region of residence. During the cold period, the fur becomes soft, fluffier and thicker. With the onset of warmth, it takes on a dark color and begins to become coarse.
Predators of this species live and get food in a flock of 12-15 individuals. Their community rarely has a clear leader. Deer, antelope or large rodents are chosen as prey. A strong pack can attack a bull and even a leopard. In case of food shortage, the red wolf can feed on carrion.
INTERESTING! A distinctive feature of the mountain wolf is its method of attacking the victim. Unlike other species (and all canids), it attacks prey from the back, without trying to bite into the neck.
The animal lives secretly and tries to set up camps away from human habitation. This hinders learning.
Ginger
The appearance of the red wolf is similar to the appearance of gray individuals, only red ones are inferior in size and weight, and also have shorter ears and fur. The body can reach a length of 130 cm and a weight of 40 kg. The color is not uniform, the muzzle and legs are red, and the back is dark.
Predators settle in swamps, steppes and mountains. There are individuals in flocks different ages. There is almost never aggression towards individual members in the group.
The red wolf eats not only meat, but also vegetation. Mainly hunts rabbits, rodents and raccoons. Very rare, but attacks large mammals. There are times when the predator itself becomes prey to a lynx or alligator.
common wolf
This type collectively called the gray wolf. It is the most common animal in the family. Body length reaches 160 cm, weight – 80 kg.
The animal lives in North America and Eurasia. Behind last years the total number has decreased greatly. The reason for this is extermination by man. And only in North America does the population remain stable.
What do wolves eat?
The wolf is a predator. Most often it chooses the following animals as prey:
- Roe.
- Antelope.
- Boar.
- Deer.
- Hare.
- Elk.
Small species, as well as solitary individuals, attack smaller animals - rodents, gophers, birds. Very rarely can it choose a victim in the person of a large predator, although there are cases when packs attack wounded or sleeping bears and foxes.
During the hungry period, they can return to half-eaten carcasses. At such times, predators do not disdain carrion.
In addition to meat, they eat forest fruits, berries, grass, watermelons, and melons. This food allows you to get required amount liquids.
Reproduction and raising of offspring
A pair of wolves is usually formed for life. If one partner dies, the other does not look for a replacement. Animals live in packs of 12 to 45 individuals (depending on the species).
There is a clearly constructed hierarchy in the wolf community. The head is the alpha animal (this can be either a male or a female). This is followed by adults, lone wolves, and pups. Very often single individuals are accepted into the flock. The main condition is a tolerant attitude towards other members of the pack. When the puppies reach three years of age, they are driven outside the conglomerate. The time has come to find a mate on your own and start a family.
INTERESTING! It should be noted that puppies born in the same litter will never mate with each other.
The most stressful time in the life of a pack is mating season, when alpha males and females try to fight off other members. Often fights between animals end in death.
In one litter, a she-wolf has from 3 to 15 puppies. The offspring are gestated for more than two months. Puppies are born blind. The eyes open 10-14 days after birth.
Wolves in zoos - features of captivity
Wolves in zoos live longer than their wild relatives (the former live 20 years, the latter from 8 to 15). This is due to the fact that in the wild, old individuals, unable to obtain food, die or become victims of relatives.
For a full life in captivity, special conditions must be created. The fact is that an animal in its natural environment travels up to 20 km daily. This is a normal and necessary load, so there must be an enclosure of appropriate size. It’s a good idea to recreate the conditions of the area in which the animal should live.
An adult should consume up to 2 kg of fresh meat daily. In winter, the norm increases to 3 kg.
Live food should be brought in periodically to maintain the hunter's instinct.
History of the domestication of the wolf into a dog
Very often small wolf cubs fall into the hands of hunters. They don't always hand over animals to the zoo. Some people bring them home, others sell them. Such a product is in demand; there are risky people who want to get their hands on the predator. And the desire to raise a pet from a wild animal fuels the excitement even more.
In most cases, such decisions are erroneous and unsafe. The wolf is primarily a predator. Starting it at home is like setting a time bomb. Sooner or later it will explode.
If such a predator appears in the house, then first of all it is necessary to create all the conditions that ensure safety. The wolf is an intelligent, freedom-loving and cunning animal, so everything free time he will spend trying to get out of the cage. In addition, he is able to learn primitive actions from humans. In other words, he can remember how a person opens the cage and do it himself.
Another point that everyone who wants to tame a wild animal should know. He will never perform the functions of a dog. The wolf is a predator, and man is his enemy, he will always be afraid of him. Consequently, when a stranger tries to enter the territory of the house, he will try to hide.
Video information
- Numerous experiments by breeders made it possible to develop mixed breeds of wolf and dog. Today, two mixed breeds have gained recognition - the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and the Saarloos.
- In the Middle Ages he personified the servant of the devil. There were many stories, fairy tales, and legends in which the image of a wild animal appeared.
- Many coats of arms belonging to noble families of Europe had the image of a wolf. Representatives of ancient families claimed that their family arose from werewolves (a mixture of a human and a wolf).
- Before the battle, the Scandinavian Vikings wore wolf skins and drank the blood of predators. In their opinion, this ritual was supposed to bring good luck.
- In the 16th century, Ireland was called the land of wolves. The reason for this was the numerous packs of predators that lived on these lands.
- During a calm period, the animal can hear a sound at a distance of 17 km.
- Wolves are excellent swimmers. They are able to swim a distance of 10 km at a time.
- Hitler was an admirer of these animals. For this reason, many Wehrmacht headquarters had names associated with predators.
- It was customary among the Aztecs to puncture a dying person in the chest with a wolf bone. In their opinion, with the help of the ritual it was possible to escape death.
- In Japanese, the word wolf means "great god".
Having watched wolves for centuries, man realized that the predator is a disciplined and intelligent animal, and not just a hunter and killer. Image of survival in wildlife, life in pairs, building a hierarchical ladder in a pack, allows us to talk about the uniqueness of this mammal.
Of course, the appearance of this animal does not require a detailed description; I think that almost all people know what a wolf looks like. In most zoos in our country there is sure to be an enclosure where at least one wolf lives. The appearance and habits of these animals often confuse people.
I have seen wolves both in the wild and in the zoo. Wolves are very proud and majestic animals. Well, now I’ll tell you what they eat.
What does a wolf eat
The wolf is a predator and belongs to the canine family. These are quite large animals that can weigh up to eighty kilograms.
What does a wolf eat:
- musk oxen;
- deer;
- wild boars;
- pheasants;
- guinea fowl, etc.
When large prey is not available to the wolf, it can feast on lizards, frogs, beetles, and small rodents. There's no need to be picky here.
In summer, wolves can eat berries and mushrooms. Wolves that live near sea coasts sometimes feed on seal carcasses if they wash ashore. Like most predators, wolves hunt at night and rest during the day. These animals have an excellent sense of smell and excellent hearing.
I'll tell you six interesting facts about these animals:
- It is very easy to identify the leader of a pack of wolves; he always walks ahead with his tail raised.
- The wolf is a fairly fast animal; it can reach speeds of up to sixty-five kilometers per hour.
- As a rule, a wolf travels about eighty kilometers during the night.
- During harsh winters, wolves may eat weak wolves or dead pack members. This is animal cannibalism.
- Some people keep wolves as pets.
- At birth, wolves have blue eyes.
Where do wolves live?
These animals can live in different landscapes. But they prefer steppes, semi-deserts and tundra. These animals try to avoid dense forest areas.
Wolves live in packs. This “gray wanderer” can also be found in Russia. But in recent decades, the habitat of these animals has narrowed quite significantly, due to technological progress.
The search for an answer to the question “what do wolves eat” leads to the conclusion that they are omnivorous. They say that desperate hungry animals even attack bears wintering in dens.
Features of the diet of wolves
The wolf, like all canines, is carnivorous, but, although it is considered a pronounced predator, from time to time it joins the scavenger family.
Diet composition
The main food of wolves are ungulates, whose availability and numbers determine the survival rate of the wolf population. Its lifestyle also adapts to the specifics of the life of ungulates in a particular region.
Wolves, in addition to ungulates, hunt such animals as:
- hares, foxes, and others;
- and domestic dogs;
- rodents, including voles, and hamsters;
- waterfowl, often during their molting period;
- chicken birds, especially young animals and clutches;
- geese (domestic and wild);
- snakes, lizards, frogs and toads (rare).
This is interesting! Sometimes predators switch to very strange food - in the Kizlyar steppes (when locusts bred there) they discovered wolf droppings, entirely consisting of their remains.
Cannibalism
Eating their own kind is not that uncommon in a wolf pack, whose members do not hesitate to tear apart a wounded/weakened comrade in harsh winters. Hungry predators often kill weaker ones when they have to fight for food. Often they tear apart competitors who received bloody injuries in the fight for the female.
Wolves absorb the tendency to cannibalism with their mother's milk. In one of the zoos, large wolf cubs tore and devoured a weak wolf cub when they were switched from meat food to dairy-vegetable food. Wolves not only kill and eat their wounded animals, but also do not disdain the corpses of their relatives. During the hungry season, animals willingly consume other carrion, finding slaughterhouses, cattle burial grounds, lard dumps, or hunting grounds. In winter, the route of a wolf pack often runs through places where rotten carcasses are constantly thrown out.
Hunting, prey
The wolf goes hunting at dusk, finishing it in the morning. If the hunt was successful, the wolves sleep or continue tracking after an unsuccessful night.
Wolf hunt
In search of prey, wolves travel up to 50 km (even in deep snow). They follow trail after trail, which makes it impossible to calculate how many predators are in the pack. As a rule, there are no more than 15 of them - young animals from the last 2 broods are taken for hunting.
This is interesting! The heart, liver and lungs are considered a delicacy, which is why they always go to the most powerful male, the leader, who takes on the role of “beater” during the hunt.
Having spotted the herd, the wolves begin to pursue until one of the roe deer begins to lag behind. Having overtaken the target, predators surround it: some from the front, others from the rear, and others from the sides. Having knocked the roe deer off its feet, the flock attacks en masse, tormenting the victim until its last breath. Large and healthy ungulates often confront wolves, one of which often dies in a skirmish. The remaining predators retreat ingloriously.
How much does a wolf eat?
The animal can fast for 2 weeks, but eats in reserve after catching game. But even a starved wolf is not able to swallow 25 kg of meat, as some sources attribute to it. In the wolf's stomach they found 1.5–2 kg of food, since at one time it absorbs no more than 3 kg, and anything eaten beyond this is simply regurgitated. Eyewitnesses told how 7-10 predators gnawed a horse overnight, and a wolf in Turkmenistan single-handedly dealt with a young argali weighing 10 kg. But these figures do not indicate the one-time volume of food eaten, because part of the carcass is hidden and taken away. In addition, scavengers like to eat animals killed by wolves - jackals, hyenas and vultures.
Seasonality
The diet of wolves varies (and quite significantly) depending on the time of year. Fluctuations in food preferences are reflected in the lifestyle of a wolf pack - a sedentary existence in warm seasons gives way to a nomadic existence in winter.
Summer diet
The summer menu of wolves is the most appetizing and rich in vitamins, as it is based on a wide range of plant/animal food, with a variety of its species and quantity composition. In summer, ungulates usually fade into the background, giving way to medium-sized and small mammals.
In addition, in the summer, animal protein in the wolf diet is supplemented with plant components:
- berries of lily of the valley and rowan;
- blueberries and lingonberries;
- nightshade and blueberries;
- apples and pears;
- other fruits (in the southern regions).
This is interesting! Wolves inspect melon fields, where they taste melons and watermelons, but often do not so much eat them as spoil them, causing damage to melon growers. In the Ural steppes, predators chew sweet reed shoots and do not refuse a variety of cereals.
In the south, in the year of increased harvest of steppe cherries, its seeds were constantly found in wolf feces.
Autumn-winter diet
At the end of summer and early autumn, wolves continue to prey on wild ungulates, track down grazing livestock, dig out muskrat huts/burrows, hunt small animals (including hares), and catch waterfowl along the banks of reservoirs. The food supply becomes noticeably scarcer as soon as the first snow falls. At this time, wolves almost completely switch to ungulates, including moose.
In winter, animals prowl along snow-covered roads and reluctantly go to the side of the road when they see a convoy or a single sleigh.. In the most severe cold, wolves lose fear when approaching human habitation. Here they climb into the barn for livestock, hunt guard dogs and look for carrion, tearing apart cattle burial grounds.
Spring diet
Most noticeably, the bony hand of hunger grabs the wolf by the throat in early spring when predators turn into worst enemies livestock farmers, especially those whose farms are located in the steppe. As spring approaches, the proportion of livestock in the wolf diet increases noticeably, reaching a peak towards the top of summer, when the ever-hungry wolf cubs begin to grow stronger in the pack.
This is interesting! With the onset of warm weather, predators living in the steppe, desert and tundra begin to drive pregnant ungulates - saigas, deer, gazelle and roe deer. And by the time the offspring appear, the wolves gather near the calving grounds, where they kill both young and adults.
After the snow melts and the start of the rut for most animals (April - May), wolves reorient themselves from ungulates to small/medium-sized vertebrates.
Diet depending on area
The diet of predators is also determined by the region where they live. Wolves living in the tundra hunt wild/domestic animals in winter, with an emphasis on calves and females. At the same time, they slaughter smaller animals, for example, hares. Wolves roaming the sea coasts of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug rob hunting traps and snares, and pick up the carcasses of marine mammals thrown out by the waves, fish and commercial waste.
In the forests of Tatarstan, wolves snowy winters They hunt mainly mammals - livestock/carrion (68%), hares (21%) and mouse-like rodents (24%). The main food items for predators living in the central black earth forest-steppes are domestic animals, small rodents and hares.
This is interesting! Steppe wolf populations in southern Russia specialize in mouse-like rodents (35%), carrion (17%), as well as calves, dogs, goats, sheep and pigs (16%).
In addition to animal food, corn grains were found in the stomachs of Caucasian wolves, and even mushrooms were found in Ukrainian wolves (near Kiev). In the summer in the northern regions of Kazakhstan, wolves massively exterminate:
- small rodents (more aquatic);
- young white and grouse;
- young and molted ducks;
- and sheep (rarely).
The wolves that inhabit the Betpak-Dala desert feed mainly on saigas, goitered gazelles and hares, not forgetting turtles, jerboas, gerbils and insects.
