Wolf Pictures

Folklore from around the world tells of children being raised by wolves.  Though none of these stories has been proven true, wolves are more likely to befriend humans than attack them.  Yet since the arrival of Europeans in North America, wolves have been hunted down and driven off as a threat to both livestock and humans.  One unique species, the red wolf, is all but extinct and the gray wolf has been drastically reduced.  The general public is only now beginning to become aware of the great worth of the wolf.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

Members of the gray wolf species can vary in color from white to black and display every shade of gray in between.  They also vary in size from 60 to 120 pounds, with the heaviest wolf on record weighing 175 pounds.  Wolves once dominated North America and lived in harmony with Native Americans who saw them as competitors for food, not enemies.  Destruction of habitat and wide-spread killings have greatly reduced their numbers in modern times.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

The gray wolf mates for life and lives in packs of family members and relatives.  The strongest male is the leader of the pack and all members help care for the young of the group.  Known for its howl, the wolf's whines, yelps, growls and barks help to keep the pack together.  A lone wolf will give a beautiful and haunting howl when separated from its pack.

Gray Wolf or "Timber Wolf" (Canis lupus)

Unsubstantiated hatred against wolves by humans is only recently beginning to be dispelled by scientists interested in preserving this threatened species.  In the early days of colonization a great bounty was put on the head of a dead wolf, and Native Americans in some territories were required by the colonizers to kill at least two wolves each year.  Even today, wolves are attacked and persecuted as a threat to humans and livestock.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

The wolf is a flesh-eating mammal that belongs to the dog family.  Wolves live in North America, Europe, and Asia.  There was a time when wolves ranged through almost every part of the United States and Canada, but this is no longer true.  Timber wolves, also called gray wolves, are seldom seen today.  They still live in the Rocky Mountains and in heavy forests of Canada and the northern United States.  Coyotes, or prairie wolves, are fairly common from the western plains to the Pacific Coast.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

For the first few weeks of their lives, gray wolf pups remain in the den.  Once they are one month old, they begin to crawl out of the den and explore the outside.  During the summer, the pups accompany the parents on the hunt, and by autumn they learn to become fairly good hunters.  At two or three years old, they are fully grown and take mates of their own.          

Red Wolf (Canis rufus)

When European colonists arrived in the New World, the red wolf they encountered was completely new to them.  The red wolf had evolved from primitive wolves of North America that had existed a million years before.  It was persecuted as a threat to livestock, and by the time modern science turned its interest to this species, the red wolf had all but disappeared―killed off or interbred with the coyote.  Thus, little is known about the red wolf.

Gray Wolf Pack (Canis lupus)

Unlike wild cats that stalk and kill large prey alone, wolves attack only with their jaws, and thus need the support of other pack members to surround and ambush their prey.  The gray wolf is a social animal in many other ways as well, and it relies on other pack members for leadership and the care for the young.  Pack size varies with the availability of food.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

The Mexican gray wolf, a sub-species of the gray wolf, may be completely extinct in the wild.  There are approximately 24-30 held in captivity for breeding.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

The breeding season of the gray wolf comes in late winter and in early spring, approximately 63 days after mating, five to seven pups are born.  Their nursery is an underground burrow prepared by the female with the help of the male.  The pups are blind and covered with soot-colored fur at birth, and soon learn to hunt and care for themselves by watching their parents.

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

The gray wolf rarely dens up against the cold of winter.  Even during a blizzard, the wolf will simply curl up and allow the snow to cover its body as insulation against the harsh winds.  Although the wolf has long been feared and persecuted by humans, wolf attacks against humans are very rare.