Everyone remembers the fairy tale about the gray wolf that we were told in childhood. So who exactly is a wolf? An image from a fairy tale or a dangerous animal? The common wolf is a large predator of the Canidae family. The gray wolf is the master of the tundra and taiga, a hardy and very intelligent animal. In this article you will find a description and photo of a wolf and learn a lot of interesting things about the harsh life of this formidable predator.
Externally, the common gray wolf is very similar to 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 tail length can be 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 geographical location. The colder the climate, the larger the animal. Males are always larger than females.
The wolf animal has thick, rather long and warm fur, which consists of two layers, which makes the wolf look larger. The first layer of the common wolf's fur is tougher and protects against dirt. The second is a waterproof undercoat that protects the wolf from the cold and various extreme conditions of nature. The gray wolf animal is very hardy.
The wolf looks menacing and dangerous beast, has a strong muscular body, high strong paws and a large broad-browed head with pointed 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. Tail gray wolf quite long and usually drooping downwards. By its movement and position one can judge the mood of the predator.
The common wolf has completely different colors, depending on its habitat. In forests it is a gray-brown color. In the tundra it is 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 animal's undercoat is always gray.
How is a wolf different from a dog? The common wolf differs from the dog not only in appearance, but also in its tracks. The track of the gray wolf's tracks is smoother than that of 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. The two middle fingers of the wolf’s paw are more forward, the fingers are not spread out and form a significantly more prominent print than that of a dog.
Where do wolves live?
The wolf is an animal that is the most common land predator. This wild animal has a wide habitat. The wolf lives mainly in cold countries and in various landscapes. In forests, steppes, deserts, taiga, tundra, forest-steppe and at the foot of the mountains.
Wolves live in many areas 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 the island of Sakhalin.
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 switch to a nomadic lifestyle.
How do wolves live?
The common wolf is a social animal. That's why wolves live in packs, they hunt, play and even howl together. 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 themselves - this is a wolf pack.
A pack of wolves has its own hierarchy. The leader of the pack has unquestionable authority. This is a wise leader and he is friendly towards all members of the pack. But the seasoned wolf greets strangers exceptionally aggressively. A beta male is often present in a pack - the most likely successor to the leader. Usually this is the common son of the leading couple or the brother of the leading male. The contender for the position of head of the pack periodically demonstrates aggression towards the alpha male, as if checking his status, since he is ready to take his place at any moment.
A wolf that has left the pack on its own or has been driven out is called a lone wolf. Such animals have every chance to create their own pack.
Wolves live relying on their feelings. They use these senses to hunt and communicate with other wolves. The beast's excellent hearing 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 can run at a speed of 55 km/h.
Wolves live in packs and each pack has its own hunting area, which the animals carefully guard from other wolves. In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves live peacefully and do not fight. Skirmishes occur with strangers and lone wolves who have violated the boundaries of the site. Each wolf pack has its own territory and hunts only on it.
The owners carefully guard and mark their territory, leaving scratches on fallen trees or old stumps. Thus, they 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 can be heard around is a way of notifying that the territory has already been occupied.
The size of the common wolf's family territory depends on the landscape and ranges from 50 to 1500 km². The survival of the pack depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves carefully protect them. If there is more than enough food on a family hunting plot, then several generations of wolves will live in one plot. The largest hunting grounds of wolves are found in open landscapes of the tundra and steppe and amount to 1000-1250 km². In the forest zone they are much smaller in size - 200-250 km².
When wolves do not have small cubs, they wander. Wolves travel both in packs and alone. As a result of wandering, animals sometimes appear in areas where wolves have not 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 move in single file. Each animal follows each other, stepping in the same tracks whenever 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 their way of communicating with each other. With the help of howls, wolves find out where their family members are, announce the capture of prey and seizure of territory, or simply to communicate with their relatives. Wolves usually howl in the late evening hours. During the year, wolves howl most often in winter, when the number of pack members reaches its maximum. Wolves begin to howl more actively towards the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, as well as when the puppies begin to develop the family plot and begin to move into 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 eats hares, various rodents and birds, because he is not picky. Sometimes wolves can eat dead members of the pack.
Large concentrations of livestock attract wild and predatory wolves. Therefore, it is common to encounter a gray wolf near farms. The wolf eats meat, so on average the animal requires 3-4.5 kg of meat per day. Wolves store their food. Having had enough, the animal wolf buries the remaining pieces of meat. Wolves can go without food for more than two weeks. In the summer, 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 time Wolves hunt collectively for large ungulates. Wolves use this type of hunting in winter. The main advantage of a wolf's winter hunting is the presence of snow cover, on which it can easily move. Snow makes it much more difficult for ungulates to escape from a wolf, a wild and predatory animal.
It is curious that the collective hunting of wolves involves the distribution of responsibilities: part of the pack participates in the pursuit of prey, while the other cuts off the path of the prey. When hunting, the wolf's nose is the main adviser. He tells the wild predator where to look for prey. Wolves can smell even a small animal that is a couple of kilometers away from them. It is with the help of their acute sense of smell that wolves can follow the tracks of their prey. The wolf hunts almost silently.
The wolf's main weapon is its teeth. With sharp fangs 5 cm long, the wolf holds and drags the victim, and with the remaining teeth it cuts up the game. A wolf’s teeth are not only its weapon, but also its protection, so their loss is disastrous for the animal.
Wolves kill especially large ungulates by attacking as a whole pack and attack until their prey falls. At the same time, the primacy to feast on the prey rightfully belongs to the leader and his female; they eat the best pieces of the carcass.
The wolf hunts very carefully. Stealthily sneaking up on the animal, with a deft leap he grabs it by the throat and throws it to the ground. It can sit in ambush for hours and wait for prey all day long. Often they can follow a herd of ungulates; predators do not give away their presence, but wait for the right moment to attack.
Wolves are very cunning; in pursuit they stop pursuing, allowing the prey to go far ahead. When the victim slows down, the wolf attacks again. Wolves often attack foxes. But most often they don't eat them. By attacking a herd of livestock, wolves can distract dogs. Part of the wolf pack attacks the dogs, and the rest attacks the herd.
Wolves are very good at navigating the terrain. Many packs use the same areas 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 splits up and predators live alone or in small groups. Wolves feed on a variety of animals, using well-established hunting techniques. IN summer time most often the wolf feeds on hares. But even with all the calculated moves and deft maneuvers in the hunt, it does not always end successfully.
Wolf cubs - birth of puppies. How does a pack raise wolf cubs?
A wolf's lair is a hole where a she-wolf raises wolf cubs. Wolves make their dens in secluded places. In this case, the place must have a good overview. Wolves often use empty burrows of other animals as dens.
Wolves breed annually in January-February, the first breeding period begins at the age of 2-3 years. The duration of pregnancy for a she-wolf is about two months. In the spring, wolf cubs are born in the den. Typically, a female gives birth to 4 to 8 wolf cubs. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind; during the first days of the babies' lives, the she-wolf is constantly nearby. They begin to see and hear at about 10-12 days of life.
After three weeks, the wolf cubs leave the den for the first time and begin to taste meat at the same time. The entire pack takes part in raising and raising wolf cubs. Wolves bring the best meat to the den with their babies.
In small wolf cubs, the color has a grayish-brown tint, which changes with age. At the age of 2 months, the 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 and 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, the wolf cubs reach adult size. The common wolf lives 12-15 years.
Are wolves necessary and why?
Why are wolves needed, because for humans, a wolf is an enemy. It is dangerous to people and destroys livestock. Gradually, the fight between people and wolves led to a reduction in their numbers. But the 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. Wolves are also a kind of “orderlies”, since by destroying sick animals, wolves prevent diseases from spreading. Hunting weak animals promotes the survival of the strongest.
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The wolf, perhaps, is not just a predatory animal from the canine family found in our forests, but already a whole archetypal image, perfectly familiar to us from the very beginning. early years at least from children's fairy tales, cartoons, where he, as a rule, personifies a negative, evil character who wants to feast on Little Red Riding Hood, the three little pigs, or some other fairy-tale living creature. In fact, from ancient times, people’s attitude towards the wolf was ambiguous; it was either revered (at the same time feared) or demonized; we see an echo of this demonization in many children’s fairy tales. The very name of this beast “wolf” is not without reason consonant in many languages, the English “wolf”, the “Bulgarian” vylk, the Serbian “vuk”, our Ukrainian “vok” perhaps comes from the Old Slavonic word “vylk” meaning to drag, drag away, the fact is , that when dragging away prey, the wolf dragged it in front of him, hence its name.
Wolf Ancestors
According to the theory of evolution, the ancestor of the wolf was Canis lepophagus, an ancient mammal resembling a coyote and living in North America. Over time, the wolf's ancestor increased its size, including the size of its skull. The most ancient representative of the wolf family, already similar to the modern wolf, was found during the study of an early pleistocyte that existed 1.8 million years ago. Although he was only similar to the modern wolf, which was somewhat later - from a million to 150 thousand years ago.
In general, zoologists have discovered as many as four family trees of wolves: African, Himalayan, Indian and Tibetan lines. The Himalayan line is the oldest of them, which means that the Himalayan wolf is the most venerable representative of the wolf order, its appearance took place about a million years ago. The Tibetan wolf is conditionally the “youngest”, since it appeared “only” 150 thousand years ago.
Wolf - description, structure, characteristics. What does a wolf look like?
All wolves are notorious predators, there are no options here, and they are quite predators large sizes, the largest are the gray and polar wolves: their height reaches 85 cm, body length - 150-160 cm, this does not include the tail, weight - 85-90 kg. Moreover, the harsher the habitat, the larger the animal; it is not for nothing that the largest representatives of the wolf family live in the Siberian taiga.
The smallest wolves are Arabian, their maximum height does not exceed 66 cm, and their average weight is only 10 kg. Also, in general, in all wolves, females are slightly smaller in size than males.
Outwardly, wolves look like dogs, which is not surprising, because they are their distant relatives.
The wolf's mouth has 42 teeth, including four fangs, which serve the owner to tear prey into pieces, grind bones, and the fangs are excellent for dragging the victim.
Interesting fact: all wolves are born gob-eyed, but by the third month their eyes turn orange or golden yellow. Although there are wolves who remain blue-eyed.
Wolf fur is thick and double-layered; it perfectly protects them from the cold in the cold conditions of the tundra or taiga, and also has waterproof down.
Coat colors can vary depending on the type of wolf and its habitat, with a wide variety of grey, white, brown and black colors found. Red wolves are also found. Often their color helps them blend in with their surroundings.
You may know the proverb “the wolf’s legs feed him”; it also has scientific and zoological basis, since his legs really feed him, and for this reason they are well developed, allowing him to move considerable distances in search of food. Wolves usually trot at an average speed of 10 km per hour, but the speed of a wolf chasing prey can reach 65 km per hour.
A wolf's vision is not the strongest quality, it is not very developed, and besides, it does not distinguish colors, but this deficiency is more than compensated by excellent hearing and especially charm - it can smell prey 3 km away, in general, its nose distinguishes millions of shades of smell.
Also one more characteristic feature wolves are their famous howl, which actually has a practical meaning for them - wolves do not just fight against the moon (as was previously thought), but in this simple way they inform the members of the pack of their location, and at the same time drive away strangers.
How is a wolf different from a dog?
A wolf differs from a dog, first of all, in more powerful paws, an elongated muzzle, set eyes and, of course, sharper teeth with sharp fangs.
How long do wolves live?
The lifespan of a wolf ranges from 8 to 16 years. In captivity, it can reach up to 20 years, the fact is that in wildlife old wolves, unable to hunt with the same prowess, die faster than, say, in a zoo, where they are guaranteed to be fed.
Where do wolves live?
Unfortunately, in our time, the wolf's habitat has noticeably decreased; in past times, wolves lived throughout the territory of Eurasia and North America, where humans lived. For example, historical chronicles indicate that during the Hundred Years' War between England and France there was such great devastation and desolation that wolves even appeared on the streets of Paris. Now, of course, you are unlikely to meet a wolf not only in the vicinity of Paris but also in other cities; they remain, and even then in small numbers, in wild places, including in our Carpathians, in the Siberian taiga.
Wolves are social animals that live in packs, which always have a pair of leaders: a male and a female. The remaining members of the pack: the offspring of the leaders, their relatives or lone wolves who have joined are subject to a strict hierarchy. A pack of wolves has its own area of territory, up to 300 square kilometers, which they mark with special odorous marks that serve as a warning to intruder wolves.
What does a wolf eat?
Wolves are excellent hunters, and they hunt equally successfully both in a pack and alone. Their prey in the forest is many herbivores: moose, deer, roe deer, saigas, antelopes, hares, and gophers. At the same time, wolves are a kind of useful orderlies of the forest, because old, weak, sick animals first come to them for dinner, thus natural selection occurs. Interesting feature The wolf's practical habit is to hide excess meat in reserve.
Types of wolves, photos and names
Let us describe the most interesting species of wolves in our opinion.
He is the Himalayan wolf, as we mentioned above, he is the oldest of the order of wolves, since he appeared a million years ago. Outwardly, it combines the features of a wolf and a jackal. It is 76-110 cm in length, weight is 17-21 kg. It has a short, pointed muzzle and large ears. The color is red. Also distinguishing it from other wolves is the smaller number of teeth. The red wolf lives in Asia: from the Altai Mountains to the Tien Shan, but most of them live in the Himalayan Mountains, southern Iran, India and Pakistan. As a rule, it feeds on various small animals. It is on the verge of extinction.
A unique representative of the wolf kingdom, its other name is guar or aguarachay, which translates as “short-tailed golden dog.” It has long hair on the back of the neck, which forms a thick mane. Outwardly very similar to a fox. The length of its body is approximately 125-130 cm, weight - 20 kg. Lives exclusively on the plains, feeding on rodents, rabbits, and armadillos. Habitat of the maned wolf - South America: Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay.
He is also a North American timber wolf, lives in North America, especially in Canada - from Ontario to Quebec. Interestingly, it does not have its own classification; some scientists consider it a hybrid of a gray wolf with a red wolf or coyote. Its height reaches 80 cm, body weight – 40 kg.
common wolf
He is also the gray wolf - the same type of wolf that is widely known, starting with children's fairy tales. It is one of the largest representatives of the wolf kingdom and, moreover, one of the most formidable predators in our temperate latitudes. The habitat of the gray wolf is wide - the territory of Eurasia and North America; everywhere in dense and wild forests you can meet this formidable predator.
It is a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote. Red wolves are smaller than their gray relatives, but larger than coyotes, their size reaches 79 cm, weight - 40 kg. It is also distinguished by greater slenderness, more elongated ears, but shorter fur. They especially like to hunt hares and other small rodents, but they can also attack larger prey. The red wolf lives in the eastern United States, in Texas, Louisiana, and is one of the most rare species wolves on the ground. Now, unfortunately, it is on the verge of extinction.
Living in the tundra, this species of wolf is the least studied. Outwardly similar to its closest relative, the polar wolf, but not so large, its average weight is only 42-49 kg. Like their polar relatives, they have a white coat color, which helps them blend perfectly with the white snowy landscape of the tundra itself.
Also one of the largest representatives wolf family, living in the extreme northern regions of our planet. It has a white color and the weight of the polar wolf can reach 95 kg. Loves to feast on both small and larger Arctic musk ox. During the famous lemming migrations, polar wolves may also migrate along with their favorite food.
Wolves breeding
Female wolves become sexually mature in the second year of life, males in the third, mating season for wolves usually occurs from January to April. There are frequent fights for a female between competing males, as well as mutual courtship and flirting of both males and females.
During mating, “loving” wolves leave the pack, retire, setting up a den in a secluded place. A she-wolf's pregnancy lasts 62-65 days and from 3 to 13 cubs are born at a time. True, not all of them survive; the weaker wolf cubs die.
Little wolf cubs feed on milk and burps from their mother, and after just six months of life they become able to take part in hunting.
Enemies of wolves
The wolf has practically no natural enemies in nature, except that sometimes the wolf can suffer from an even larger predator of temperate latitudes - but only if they do not share the prey. And so the main enemy of the wolf (as well as many other animals) is, of course, man, whose destructive activities have brought many species of wolves to the brink of extinction.
- In the Middle Ages, wolves were often endowed with demonic powers; fear of them even led to the appearance of such a character as the werewolf, a man who turns into a wolf on a full moon.
- Some European coats of arms contain an image of a wolf, meaning that the distant ancestor of this family was a bit of a werewolf.
- To raise morale and rage in battle, the Vikings, and especially their elite warriors - berserkers, not only ate special “magic” ones, but also drank wolf blood and wore the skins of these animals.
- Wolves often crossed with dogs, and thus several dog breeds were developed, such as the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and the Saarloos Wolfdog.
Wolves, video
And in conclusion, we invite you to watch an interesting film about wolves from the channel National Geographic- "Rise of the Black Wolf."
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Wolves, which have long lived in the neighborhood of humans, have always been attributed with many “bad things.” For example, in the Middle Ages it was believed that the flesh of a wolf was poisoned because it feeds on insects and snakes, and its poisonous breath can deprive a person of his voice.
Alas, one should not think that with the development of science, myths about wolves have sunk into oblivion. And today our ideas about these animals are often far from the truth.
Five main misconceptions about wolves.
Misconception 1.
Many are convinced that, due to the status of a seasoned predator, the wolf does nothing but slaughter poor sheep, and in case of emergency, catches hares. In reality, everything is not so simple. Of course, wolves are carnivorous by nature, but at the same time they eat both fish and purely vegetarian food. In the southern steppe regions of Russia in the summer, wolves are regular visitors to melon fields, where they eat watermelons and melons. Moreover, they do not eat everything that comes under their paw. Sometimes a wolf chews more than a dozen watermelons until he finds the most delicious one. Wolves also consume pears and apples.
It is interesting that most of the diet of polar white wolves, which are traditionally attributed to feeding almost exclusively on reindeer, is, oddly enough, voles and lemmings.
Seasoned predators do not pay attention to reindeer as long as they hope to swallow a mouse, which makes up 90% of their menu from spring to autumn.
It is known that in England, France, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and a number of other countries, wolves were completely exterminated. So maybe we should also eliminate the “gray scourge”? ( Misconception 2) No, it’s not worth it! Nature itself provides many arguments in favor of the existence of wolves. The main one is that wolves hunt mainly the sick and weak and animals. By destroying them, the wolf “works for the benefit of nature” and it is not for nothing that he is called the “forest orderly.” Where wolves hunt, there are also many agile, fast and strong animals and birds. Otherwise, there will be too many living creatures in the forests, which simply will not have enough food. It turns out that the wolf, without knowing it, saves the fauna from hunger, disease and degeneration.
Other misconceptions about wolves
And a little about other misconceptions about wolves. In all fairy tales, the relationship between the wolf and the fox is usually more or less friendly ( Misconception 3). And although, being the wolf’s godfather, the fox often makes fun of him, he still remains his “strategic ally.” Therefore, many children, and adults too, think that in real life The fox and the wolf are not at odds in any case. But this is a myth. In nature, there is antagonism between these animals. Moreover, wolves kill foxes quite often, but eat them very rarely. This feature of wolf behavior is scientifically called interspecific competition, and hunters have a sign: where there are many wolves, foxes disappear.
It must be said that foxes, if possible, “pay the wolves in the same coin.” If a fox comes across a brood of wolves and there is no adult wolf nearby, then she will immediately take the opportunity to destroy her enemies.
Misconception 4. Wolves and the full moon
But perhaps the most common misconception is about the howl of a wolf on a moonlit night. In reality, wolves howl mainly at dawn, less often at night, and sometimes, especially after the death of one of the pack members, during the day. Experts consider wolf howls to be a fairly developed means of communication and distinguish between threat, melancholy, despair, sadness, messages about caught or found prey, love calls and much more.
There are single and group howls. Each of them has its own functions. Thus, a single howl is a means of communication between family members, warns about the occupancy of the territory, invites the female to mate, is a signal of prey, alarm, etc. A group howl is necessary to maintain the motivation for consolidation and the desire for unification in a family-pack.
Misconception 5.
And finally, the fifth misconception about wolves. For some reason, it is generally accepted that wolves hunt in packs. But is it necessary to form a flock in order to catch a mouse, a rabbit, or eat a watermelon or an apple? They hunt in packs only in winter, when there is a lack of food and there are not enough mice. But these packs are rarely large (most often it is one wolf family. Wolves generally never gather in large packs, but live only in families, and if necessary they can live alone).
Nowadays, attempts to domesticate wild animals are no longer surprising with the novelty, so the long-standing progenitor of the domestic wolf is no exception. In addition, today breeding work is actively carried out in livestock farming, aimed at breeding wolf-dog hybrids by crossing both. Until recently, wolves were kept and bred in state zoos and menageries, but now this seems possible even for private individuals at home.
Food in the wild
The wolf is one of the largest animals in the canine family: its body length reaches one and a half meters, and its tail reaches 50 centimeters.
In terms of height at the withers, the highest height it 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 wolves' fur depends on the main area of their distribution. For example, desert and tundra inhabitants are reddish and snow-white in color, respectively; forest dwellers can be recognized by their basic gray color with varying shades from ash gray to dark brown. And the black color is not characteristic of real wolves at all, so this appearance may 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 carnivorous mammals significantly decreased due to changes in natural landscapes by people, an increase in the number of cities, as well as the mass extermination of the animals themselves. 
Today, the wolf population exists stably in the northern part of Eurasia and America; in other regions of the world, animals are on the verge of complete extinction.
Despite the traditional fear of it, the wolf is a very cautious animal, so it is used to staying away from people.
And even after centuries, during which man hunted the wolf and exterminated it by all possible means, the instinct of aggression towards people in the beast does not manifest itself, since it is very smart. Wolves do not attack people, and cases that suggest otherwise are rare and have specific causes.
Optimal habitats for them:
- forests in temperate latitudes of the globe;
- tundra;
- coniferous forests;
- plains covered with grassy vegetation;
- territorial associations of mountains.
This animal belongs to the order of predators, and according to its way of life, it obtains its food by hunting. 
The basic basis of wolf nutrition is ungulates, and in different parts of the world these can be different representatives of the 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, who hunt alone, are mainly weak, sick or already killed animals: hares, gophers, foxes, mice, beavers and others.
If predators have settled near human dwellings, their prey may 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 omnivores and, to diversify their diet, can eat eggs, chicks, fruits, berries, mushrooms, carrion, and insects.
The method of hunting of wolves often consists in the technique of attacking in a pack: they surround the prey, and, pouncing on it, grab it by the neck, paws, sides until the latter, weakened from 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 storage.
Wolves are also called “the orderlies of the forest”, since they are the ones 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 whether it is possible to keep a wolf at home should know that there are Various types his upbringing in captivity:
- zoos;
- large wildlife parks;
- , built at home.
Taking into account the living conditions, a special nutrition system is also selected. For example, a wildlife park is a place that closely resembles the natural habitat of a wolf.
Did you know?According to observations, if you do not pick up the body of a shot wolf from a hunt, then soon other members of the pack will literally eat it.
In a zoo or menagerie, nutritional conditions are slightly different: here the wolf is fed daily for six days a week, and on the seventh the animal goes hungry. For one adult head, 2-3 kilograms of fresh carcass on bone is calculated, with the possible presence of skin and hair.
To strengthen the musculoskeletal system, this diet includes fish oil, protein and mineral feed (meat and bone meal), as well as dry and ground fish remains. 
Animals can be given meat or poultry several times a month; 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 “adapt to the local diet”: for example, inhabitants of the northern parts of the hemisphere can catch river salmon, and residents southern regions canThere is even melons (watermelon, melon, pumpkin).
And finally, let’s figure out what a wolf eats when he lives in an enclosure. This can be dry food intended for, as well as a variety of cereals and deli meats.
In the first option, it is best to choose feed that contains high levels of fat and protein (the main material for protein synthesis in the animal body). This is due to constant exposure to the street, as well as excessive activity of the animal.
The interval between feedings must be observed taking into account the weight of the animal, the norm is twice a day, and it is necessary to monitor the constant presence clean water for drinking. As for the second option, the domestic wolf can also be fed with porridge made from processed durum wheat, unpolished particles of barley kernels, buckwheat, crushed and polished corn grains. You can also diversify your diet by adding eggs and fermented milk products. Game, especially venison, works well as meat.
Vitamin-mineral complexes (preferably containing calcium and vitamin D3) can be purchased in stores where dog food is sold, or you can independently add fish oil, meat-bone and fish meal to the diet.
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. 
If there are any symptoms of malaise, decreased activity, lethargy or other factors indicating any disturbances, the animal should be taken to a veterinary clinic for an appointment.
A timely visit to a doctor who diagnoses diseases and deviations in the animal’s normal functioning will help avoid bad consequences and adjust the animal’s care plan in a timely manner.
What is prohibited
- a real wild wolf cub;
- wolf-dog hybrid: wolfdog or breed of domestic wolf.
Important! If we talk about the breeding and hybrid work done, then n A real wolf is considered to be one who had this wild animal in his family no more than five generations ago.
In the first case, the animal can be taken from a 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 (suitable for beginners); good companions, amenable, but show traits inherent in wolves (stubbornness and independence);
- average level of wolf origin (50-74%);
- high standard for keeping wolf breeds (75-100%), which are almost impossible to distinguish from wild wolves; They have very little of the temperament characteristic of dogs.
If you have adopted a real wolf cub or a wolfdog with the highest or average content of the wolf breed for your upbringing and maintenance, remember: under no circumstances 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 disappear anywhere, and in order not to harm yourself or your loved ones, before getting such an animal, study special literature, talk with specialists and then make the right decision.
Remember: You need to treat an animal whose relatives are wild forest dwellers with extreme caution. Statistics show that rarely anyone has managed to make a close friend out of a wolf.
Nevertheless, this is possible, but requires a lot of effort, patience, time and a full understanding of the biological and psychological characteristics of this animal.
And one more thing: do not try to tame a wild wolf cub that has been left without a mother or father after a hunt. This is truly a wild beast, and if at first it seems sweet and kind to you, then after a couple of years this “sweet” creature will try to “crush” you with its authority. 
Predators do not tolerate submission, equal relationships, or excessive display of feelings; moreover, it can be life-threatening.
Important! It is unlikely that a wolf will have warm feelings for all family members; he will have a certain amount of respect for you as his master, but at the same time provoke you to one day obey him.
You can get a wolf at home by adopting it from a nursery or buying a wolfdog hybrid.
Conditions for keeping:
Important! Today, wolves and dogs are sold at a price that is equal to the cost of a good purebred dog. Check the animal's pedigree ordinary people almost impossible, 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 mixed breed. 
Basic rules for training a wolf cub:
- Working with it will require a lot of effort, patience and time.
- become his alpha: already at a young age, the wolf cub must understand who is boss in the family, and if you stop his attempts to dominate in a timely manner, but very carefully, sooner or later he will agree;
- as we have already said, when training, do not shout, do not hit, do not humiliate him, do not be rude to 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 him 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, accustom your domesticated animal to a leash, it should be a social animal.
Besides the fact that the wolf is a representative wild world animals, accustomed to independence, authority, pack rules, and not equality in relationships, features in behavior are also differences from dogs in the manifestation of friendliness.
When wolves are happy, they may bite you or your children, try to drag you somewhere by grabbing your limbs, which is often perceived as an attack.
Did you know? Although we all consider our best friends - dogs - to be the smartest animals, in comparison with them, the brain mass of wolves is 30 percent heavier. Scientists at the Veterinary University of Vienna conducted an experiment: 15 yard puppies and 14 six-month-old wolf cubs watched as a specially trained dog independently opened a wooden box of food using its paws and teeth. A test of the ability to remember and repeat what they saw showed that all the wolf cubs coped with this task, accurately repeating the actions of the trained animal. As for the mongrels, only 4 of the 15 present managed to complete the task.
The display of affection in this animal is similar to signs of aggression. They greet each other by biting each other's faces, 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 scared, because a grin is not perceived by people as a sign of greeting. However, if you try to distance yourself, you can get yourself into trouble: wolves do not understand when they don’t want to greet them - this is a sign of disrespect and disgust.
Therefore, he may bite you on the face, making an attempt to establish contact. Despite the conservation status of wolves, it is worth saying that these are truly “unbroken” animals: not a single representative of the predators was destroyed 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 science fiction 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 “free”, which is no longer such for him, or in a nursery, where everyone will already be strangers to him.
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The wolf is a predator whose diet consists of medium and large mammals. Almost everywhere it is associated with ungulates, which constitute its main food. Its quantity and availability also determine the number of predators. The lifestyle of wolves also depends on the characteristics of the life of ungulates, which differ in different regions, primarily because they are not the same species composition and the biology of wild ungulates or the management of domesticated animals in these areas. If not the main one, then still important in the diet of wolves are animals of medium and small size - marmots, hares, badgers, foxes, ferrets and some others. In many places, wolves successfully hunt dogs, and in areas where raccoon dogs are acclimatized, they destroy them in large numbers. Among small mammals, wolves catch gophers, mice, hamsters, voles and other rodents, as well as insectivores. In agricultural forest-steppe and steppe areas, wolves eat small rodents in the fields. They successfully hunt waterfowl, especially during their molt. Chicken birds, mainly clutches and young ones, also suffer from wolves. Wolves destroy many domestic and wild geese. Reptiles (lizards and snakes), frogs, less often toads, and also large insects wolves eat when there is a lack of other food. In times of famine, predators willingly eat carrion, visiting cattle burial grounds, slaughterhouses, salo dumps, or specially laid bait. If such carrion release sites are constant, they may determine the winter routes of wolf packs.
In many, if not all, areas, plant food is added to the animal food of wolves. Animals willingly eat rowan berries, lily of the valley, blueberries, blueberries and lingonberries (in the forest zone), nightshade (Solarium nigrum), apple and pear fruits, etc. (in the south). In the summer they willingly visit melon trees, eat watermelons and melons, and often cause significant damage not so much by eating the fruits as by spoiling them. They often eat various grains, and in the Ural steppes, tender and sweet reed shoots.
Cannibalism is also common among wolves. In hungry winter times, a weakened or wounded animal is often torn apart by a pack. They also tear apart the male who was severely wounded in the fight for the female. Cannibalism in captivity was observed when wolf cubs were transferred from meat food to dairy and plant foods. The stronger cubs tore and ate the weaker one. Hungry wolves fight fiercely over food and often kill weaker ones, who are then almost always eaten. Cases are described when wolves killed and ate wounded animals or the corpses of dead relatives. Thus, these animals are generally indiscriminate when it comes to food, but if possible, they eat only the best food; this especially applies to summer time and concerns plant feeds, the need for which is not so great.
The wolf is a very hardy animal - it is capable, without losing strength and running speed, of going through long hunger strikes of a week or more. But if the hunt is successful, it is very voracious and, according to some authors, can eat right away a large number of food - up to 25 kg, eating as if for future use. A brood of 7-10 wolves was observed to completely eat a horse carcass during the night. In the lower reaches of the river. Or (Kazakhstan) a pair of wolves at one time ate a roe deer weighing 25-30 kg or a wild pig weighing 30-40 kg. In Badkhyz (Turkmenistan), a wolf was observed to eat a young argali weighing about 10 kg. However, these figures do not characterize the exact amount of food eaten at one time. Part of it is usually taken away and hidden, especially when there is an excess of food. In addition, animals killed by wolves are often eaten by hyenas, jackals and especially vultures. In Badkhyz, the skeleton of a donkey, killed by a pair of wolves at the beginning of the night, was completely cleared of meat in the morning. More than 1.5-2 kg of food at a time was rarely found in the stomachs of wolves. According to precise data from P.A. Mertz, a wolf eats no more than 3 kg of food at one time, and anything swallowed beyond this is soon regurgitated. The relatively small amount of meat eaten by a wolf at one time is also indicated by the figures given above about the weight of wolves.
The diet of wolves in different seasons differs significantly, and these changes are associated with a change in the lifestyle of predators - their transition from a sedentary existence in the warm season to a nomadic lifestyle winter - summer A variety of food is available for wolves, the quantity of which is maximum during this period. Therefore, the summer diet of wolves is varied. The main share in it in different regions is occupied by different feeds, but predominantly by animals of medium and small size. The importance of ungulates during this period is the least, although wolves also hunt for them. Thus, a young wolf killed on July 3, 1944 in the Bashkir Nature Reserve had the remains of a baby deer, a mole’s paw, and 2 passerine chicks in its stomach; a arrived wolf, killed on August 17, 1941, had 16 lizards found in its stomach. In the river valley In the Ural, wolves often visited melon fields in the summer and ate watermelons, and in Shaitantau, in the year of the steppe cherry harvest, most wolf excrement contained its seeds. At the end of summer and beginning of autumn, wolves hunt grazing livestock, wild ungulates, catch hares, dig muskrat holes and huts, catch small animals and birds, and successfully hunt moulting waterfowl near water bodies.
After snow falls, nutrition deteriorates. At this time, wolves pay main attention to ungulates. At the hungriest time, wolves approach settlements, hunt dogs, attack livestock in barns even during the day, and willingly visit cattle burial grounds and carrion.
In winter, wolves prowl the roads, reluctantly turning into the snow when not only a single sleigh, but even a convoy appears. At this time, wolves also attack moose. However, an attack by a single animal on an adult moose, especially in more or less deep snow, often ends in the death of the wolf. Thus, in the winter of 1952/53, in the Verkhne-Toemsky district of the Arkhangelsk region, 2 wolves were found killed by moose. Pack attacks are usually successful. In March - April, in the forest zone, when grazing, wolves appear less often near villages and scour mainly through the forests, hunting on the crust for roe deer, elk and deer.
Early spring (after the crust) is the most hungry time, when wolves greatly harm livestock (especially in the steppe), destroying mainly young animals. Around this time, in the steppe and desert, as well as in the tundra, wolves hunt in a pen for pregnant ungulates (gaiters, saigas, roe deer, deer). By the time the young are born, they gather at the calving grounds, where they exterminate both adults and young animals.
After the snow melts and the beginning of spring breeding of animals (late April - May), wolves switch mainly to feeding on medium and small vertebrates. In June, the young begin to be fed mainly with animals, and their mother's milk serves them only as supplementary food. In June, the wolf cubs already go to watering holes on their own. Attacks on livestock usually increase in frequency from August.
The diet of wolves in different areas differs markedly. Among tundra wolves, wild and domestic reindeer (mainly calves and vazhenkas) undoubtedly dominate their diet during snowy times. There are hares, arctic foxes and other animals. In the Nenets National In the district, in the stomachs of 74 wolves killed in the winter and in the spring, remains were found of: reindeer - 93.1% of encounters, small rodents - 5.4%, partridge - 4.1%, mountain hare - 1.3%, foxes - 1, 3% and fish - 6.8%. Of great importance in the life of wolves living off ungulates is group attack and mass “cutting” of prey in herds and flocks. Wolves often visit the places of such “harvests” later, using the remaining remains. Small groups of predators stay along the sea coast or near villages, where they feed on coastal waste, commercial waste, carrion and rob traps and traps of hunters.
Birds (in the second half, especially moulting geese and ducks) and small rodents (lemmings and voles) play a significant role in the summer diet of wolves in the tundra. Deer, especially in early summer (calving time), also play an important role. In the mountainous regions of the northeast, a prominent place in nutrition belongs to bighorn sheep, hares and marmots.
In the taiga of Karelia, wolves attack moose (young animals), reindeer, livestock, and eat carrion; in the summer they catch rodents, birds nesting on the ground, and sometimes lizards and frogs; They also eat berries, especially rowan in the fall.
In the forests of the Tatar Republic during the snowy period, wolves live mainly on mammals (98% of encounters), especially domestic animals and carrion (68%), then mouse-like rodents (24%) and hares (21%). Birds account for only 10% of encounters (as a percentage of the total number of examined stomachs, excrements and food remains; V. Popov, 1952). In the area of the Rybinsk Reservoir, wolves hunt mainly elk in winter. In the Urals they feed on wild ungulates, hares, gophers, domestic animals, and birds; In winter they eat carrion and often chase foxes. In Belovezhskaya Pushcha they hunt mainly wild ungulates (48%), especially wild boars (21%), roe deer (18%), and deer (6%). Residues of domestic animals were found in 28% of stomachs. Brown hares are often hunted (16%). In the warm season, the importance of ungulates decreases to 40% (spring) and 31% (autumn). At the same time, the role of domestic animals in nutrition increases from 32 to 42% (the main prey is sheep). Wolves kill dogs here relatively rarely.
The basis of food for wolves in the forest-steppe central black earth regions is livestock, hares, and small rodents.
In the steppe regions, in 56 data on the diet of wolves (stomachs, food remains), the first place was occupied by mouse-like rodents (35% of encounters), then carrion (17% - mainly in winter), dogs, calves, sheep, goats, pigs (16%). Remains of hares (8%) and ground squirrels (5%) were quite often found in the stomachs; in one case, foxes. The share of birds (mainly domestic geese) accounted for 4%. Occasionally, wolves eat lizards and insects (dung beetles). Among the plants in the food are strawberries, pear and apple fruits (carrion). In the Usmansky Forest, deer, beavers, hares and raccoon dogs are common prey for wolves. In summer and autumn, food contains remains of dogs (38%), hares (18%) and sheep (13%).
In the diet of Ukrainian wolves, vertebrates are found in 99.2% of the data.
Food consists of mammals - 90.7% of encounters, birds - 12.9, reptiles - 5.5, amphibians - 29.6, fish - 18.5, insects - 46.2, plants - 48.1. Among mammals, domestic animals were encountered - 48.9% of encounters, hunting and commercial animals - 32.6, including hares - 22.4, roe deer - 10.2; mice - 14.2, voles - 42.8, shrews - 6.1. Among domestic animals, dogs account for 18.2%.
Up to 10 water voles and 15 common voles were found in the wolf's stomach. Especially great importance small rodents acquire food from wolves during the years of their mass reproduction. The birds were dominated by mallards, domestic chickens and geese, the reptiles were lizards, and the amphibians were toads. Among the fish, pike were found caught by wolves in flooded meadows (during a flood). Other fish are found along the banks. Among the insects, beetles predominated (100% of sightings), Orthoptera (48%) and Hymenoptera (44%). Among plant foods, we found buckthorn berries (Rhamnus cathartica; up to 389 in one stomach), black nightshade (Solarium nigrum; up to 9082 seeds in the stomach), lily of the valley berries (Convallaria majalis, up to 486 seeds in the stomach) and pear fruits (Pirus communis, 140 seeds in the stomach). In addition to animal food, many grains of corn were found in the stomachs of wolves in the Caucasus, and in the Kyiv region the fruiting bodies of mushrooms p. Tricholoma.
In the Caucasus Nature Reserve, the frequency of encounters in wolf food different groups was as follows: mammals - 90%, ungulates - 81%, wild boar - 38%, deer - 16%, aurochs - 12%, chamois - 12%, roe deer - 7%; rodents (hare and mouse-like) - 9%, carnivores (bear, fox, marten) - 3%, birds (mainly Caucasian grouse) - 7%, fruits, including berries (pear, apple tree, cherry, viburnum, blackberry, rosehip) -12%.
In the Ural-Emben desert, summer excrement and food remains of wolves (268 data) consisted of 37% mouse-like rodents, 9.1% - jerboas, 13.6% - gophers, 2.6% - hares, 2.9% - hedgehogs , 8.8% - livestock, 15.8% - birds, 0.3% - reptiles, 1.1% - insects and 5% - plant remains.
In the northern zone of Kazakhstan in the summer, wolves prey on small rodents (especially water voles), hares, young and moulting ducks, young black grouse and ptarmigan, and less commonly, roe deer and livestock (sheep). When lakes dry out, water birds and water voles are especially accessible to wolves and then become the main food on which wolf broods are fed. In Kazakhstan, wolves also willingly eat carrion of apples and pears and visit melon fields. In winter in Northern Kazakhstan, wolves hunt livestock, roe deer and eat carrion. At the lake Kurgaldzhin wolves all year round live in reeds. In summer they feed on water voles and waterfowl, especially during their molt; in winter they live off wild boars, chasing them along paths that the pigs trample in the snow.
In the Betpak-Dala desert in summer, wolves feed on goitered gazelles, saigas and hares; they also eat gerbils, jerboas, turtles, and insects. In autumn and winter, saigas and goitered gazelles wintering here, as well as livestock, suffer greatly from them. The food of wolves in the southern Balkhash region is dominated by mammals (92-100% of encounters), and among them are ungulates (16-100% of encounters) and rodents (10-84% of encounters). Of the ungulates, the most important are wild pigs (10-50% of encounters) and roe deer (5-100% of encounters). They often eat tolai hares and muskrats. Near reservoirs they feed on fish (mainly carp). Occasionally they attack foxes, among birds - mainly waterfowl and pheasants.
Small numbers in the lower reaches of the river. Or the remains of domestic animals in the wolf's food can be explained by the abundance of wild food here. Excrements containing soil indicate the need of wolves for fine soil, especially during the transition from summer to winter food and vice versa.
Domestic animals are important in the diet of Turkmen wolves; but also wild fauna, especially ungulates, play an important role, especially for the Badkhyz wolf population (southern Turkmenistan). This is obviously due to the richness of Badkhyz in wild ungulates. The main attention of wolves here is focused on the goitered gazelle as the most widespread and more accessible species. Wolves hunt adult goitered gazelles mainly at watering places, hiding them from the comb thickets. There are also known cases of wolves attacking kulans, especially during winter snowfalls and icy conditions. Small animals, especially reptiles, are of known importance in the diet of wolves in Badkhyz. The main food of mountain wolves in Kyrgyzstan is wild ungulates (goats, argali, roe deer, deer) and livestock. Following them, wolves rise high into the mountains in summer, and descend to the valleys in winter. In the summer, wolves willingly and successfully hunt for marmots, hiding and lying in wait for them; They also eat small rodents, birds and carrion. In the Dzungarian and Trans-Ili Alatau, marmots often serve as the main food for wolves.
Changing the amount of basic food or the conditions for obtaining it in different years greatly changes the feeding pattern of wolves. In snowy winters and especially during strong and prolonged crust, wolves sometimes almost completely exterminate wild ungulates (especially roe deer) even over large areas. Thus, during the deep snowy winter of 1940/41 in Northern Kazakhstan, wolves almost completely destroyed roe deer in the Kustanai, North Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Kokchetav, Akmola and East Kazakhstan regions. Only in the Presnogorsk district of the Kustanai region this year the remains of more than 300 roe deer, torn to pieces by wolves, were found. In the Paurzumsky Nature Reserve, a mass death of roe deer was noted after the appearance of strong crusts (March 16). It was repeated in snowy winter 1948/49 In the deep snowy winter of 1947/48, wolves even attacked wild boars, which they do not try to touch under normal conditions. The same effect is exerted by ice and jutes in the steppes and deserts and crust in the forest belt. In all cases, the number of ungulates decreases sharply and their importance in the diet of wolves decreases in subsequent years.
In some conditions, wolves eat seemingly completely inappropriate food. Thus, in the Kizlyar steppes in the 20s, during the mass reproduction of locusts, wolf droppings consisted entirely of the remains of these insects.
