Wherever does the gray wolf live? It can be found in Europe and Asia, North America and on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. It can live both in the taiga and coniferous forests (which everyone knows), as well as in the icy tundra and deserts. In Hindustan, the wolf lives up to approximately 16′ northern latitude. The lifestyle of many subspecies is different, in addition, they differ in size and color.
APPEARANCE, PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, FEATURES
The wolf is the largest animal in its family: its body is 160 cm long (including tail); at the withers the height reaches 90 cm; weighs about 60 kg.
The body of a gray wolf is strong, muscular, and broad-chested. The legs are high, with tightly clenched toes. The head is forehead-shaped and at the same time graceful. The ears are not large. The dark stripes on the head are picturesquely combined with almost pure white cheeks and light spots above the eyes. The tail is not very long, hanging almost straight. The long, thick fur reaches 8 cm. The undercoat consists of hard, long, black guard hairs at the ends that repel water and ensure its waterproofness. The common wolf has completely different colors, varying depending on its range. There are even white individuals found in the Arctic. Other color options are various variations of white with brown, gray, cinnamon, black, sometimes completely black. North American wolves boast three different coat colors. The first is a mixture of gray, black and cinnamon, the top is brown. The second is a mixture of black and dark brown. The third is gray and brown.
LIFESTYLE OF THE GRAY WOLF
Habitat
The wolf lives in a wide variety of landscapes, but prefers steppes, semi-deserts, tundra, forest-steppe, avoiding dense forest areas. In the mountains it is distributed from the foothills to the area of alpine meadows, sticking to open, slightly rugged areas. Can settle close to human habitation. In the taiga zone it spread after humans, as the taiga was cut down.
The wolf is a fairly territorial creature. Breeding pairs, and often flocks, live sedentary in certain areas, the boundaries of which are indicated by odorous marks. The diameter of the area occupied by the flock in winter is usually 30-60 kilometers. In spring and summer, when the flock breaks up, the territory occupied by it is divided into several fragments. The best of them is captured and held by the main pair, the rest of the wolves switch to a semi-vagrant lifestyle. In open steppes and tundra, wolves often wander after moving herds of livestock or domestic reindeer.
Sociality, habits, other features of life
Wolves live in packs - family groups of 3 to 40 animals. At the head of the pack are the leader, the strongest and smartest male of the pack, and his girlfriend. Single and young wolves unite around them. The leader enjoys unquestioned authority in the pack. Those wolves who do not like the power of the leader are expelled from the pack, or leave on their own in the hope of creating their own pack. Each flock has its own territory, which the animals carefully guard from uninvited guests.
The famous wolf howl, heard far around, is one of the ways to make it clear that this territory is occupied.
Nutrition, methods of obtaining food
The wolf's main prey is large ungulates. These could be moose, reindeer or other deer, roe deer, wild boar. Wolves also hunt smaller mammals: hares, ground squirrels, other rodents, and birds. In times of famine, this formidable predator will not disdain such “undignified” food as insects or carrion. In winter, wolves hunt elk, deer or roe deer in a pack. Wolves master different hunting techniques: they starve the victim, attack from an ambush, replace each other in a grueling pursuit, try to single out a weak or sick animal from the herd and attack. However, only one out of ten wolf hunts ends successfully. The leader and his female are the first to get their fill, choosing the best pieces of the carcass.
Reproduction, growth, lifespan
During the mating season, skirmishes and serious fights occur in the flock, sometimes with fatal results. After the formation of a pair, the “young” are removed from the flock. Pregnancy lasts about two months, then the she-wolf gives birth to three to ten blind cubs. The whole pack helps feed the young offspring, bringing selected pieces of meat to the den where the she-wolf and her cubs are located.
Dens are built for breeding; They usually serve as natural shelters - crevices in rocks, thickets of bushes, and the like. Sometimes wolves occupy the holes of badgers, marmots, arctic foxes and other animals, less often they dig them themselves. The female is most attached to the den while raising offspring; the male does not use it. Young animals are bred in sheltered places: in the forest belt - mainly in dense bushes, on manes among marshy swamps; in the steppes - along ravines overgrown with bushes, gullies and dry reed beds near lakes; in the tundra - on the hills. It is characteristic that wolves never hunt close to their home, but at a distance of 7-10 km and further. After the wolf cubs grow up, the animals stop using a permanent den, but settle down to rest in different but reliable places. Small brownish wolf cubs are very similar to ordinary domestic dog puppies.
INTERESTING FACTS!
Did you know that:
A wolf pack can consist of two or three wolves or contain dozens of individuals.
A hungry wolf is able to consume about 10 kg of meat in one sitting.
All newborn wolf cubs have blue eyes, and at the age of 8 months the eyes of these wonderful predators become yellow.
There are currently countless images of wolves in the world. However, the oldest ones were found in Europe. Their age is 20,000 years.
Under excellent weather conditions, the wolf is able to hear at a distance of up to 9 kilometers in forested areas and up to 16 kilometers on the plains
GRAY WOLF AND MAN
Harm or benefit?
For humans, the wolf has always been enemy number one: the beast attacked livestock and posed a danger to people, so the wolf was exterminated everywhere. Wolves are not nearly as numerous now as they once were in the past. Meanwhile, the wolf, being a large predator, plays an important role in the ecological balance: it regulates the number of large ungulates, hunts mainly sick and weak animals in the herd, thereby promoting the survival of the strongest. We should not forget about this and needlessly scold the “evil” and “predatory” wolf - there are no “unnecessary” and “useless” animals in nature.
DISTRIBUTION AREA, NUMBER, PROTECTION
In historical times, among terrestrial mammals, the wolf's range occupied the second largest area after the human range, covering most of the Northern Hemisphere; has now decreased greatly. In Europe, the wolf is preserved in Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, the Balkans, and the Baltic states. In Asia, it inhabits Korea, partly China and the Hindustan Peninsula, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the north of the Arabian Peninsula; extinct in Japan (subspecies Canis lupus hodophilax). In North America it is found from Alaska to Mexico. In Russia it is absent only on some islands: (Sakhalin, Kuril Islands).
RELATED SPECIES OF THE GRAY WOLF (Canis lupus)
The gray wolf has a relative living in eastern North America, the red wolf (Canis lupus rufus). It is somewhat smaller and truly red in color. Unfortunately, this species is now on the verge of complete extinction due to excessive persecution by humans and is listed in the Red Book.
Municipal state educational institution of Shelekhovsky district
"Secondary school No. 5"
______________________________________________________________________________________
DISTRICT SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE
JUNIOR SCHOOL CHILDREN
"FIRST STEP - 2015"
Wolf - enemy or friend?
Performed:
Chichko Diana, 4th “B” grade
Supervisor:
Robova Larisa Valentinovna,
primary school teacher
MKOU ShR "Secondary School No. 5"
Shelekhov
2015
I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………
II. Main part: Wolf - enemy or friend? ……………………………….
1. Wolf in nature………………………………………………………….
2. What happens if wolves disappear? ........................................................ ....
3. What does a person think about a wolf?..…………………………………………….
4. The wolf as imagined by fourth graders…… …………………………
III. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………..
List of sources used…………………………………….
Annex 1 Questionnaire for students ……………………………………….
Appendix 2 Analysis of survey results……………………….
Appendix 3 Reminder: How to behave when meeting wolves ………..
Introduction
Even kids know who a wolf is. Starting with a lullaby with the words “A little gray top will come...”. For centuries, people have considered the wolf one of the most vicious animals. At different historical times, people worshiped him, but most often the wolf was hated and feared. Unfortunately, wolves are still being exterminated. If you look in the Red Book of Russia, you will find out that the gray predator is not protected in our country. In Russia, its total number is quite large, but in European countries there are practically no wolves left. This was the reason why the gray wolf is listed in the Red Book of several European countries. It is possible that Russia will soon remain the only country where it will be possible to admire a live wolf of this species. There are now a lot of wolves in the Irkutsk region, they are being shot. This made me very upset. Some believe that these animals should be exterminated altogether. It is a pity that scientists have not yet come up with a way to solve this problem differently. I like wolves because they are strong and beautiful. What is a wolf really like? Is it possible to change people's attitude towards this interesting animal? As we began working on these issues, we determined:
Object of study:
Gray wolf.
Subject of study:
The attitude of man to the wolf.
Target:
Study the relationship between wolves and humans.
Tasks:
Explore the life and role of the wolf in nature;
Identify the attitude towards the wolf among fourth-graders;
Find out what caused people’s negative attitude towards the wolf;
Try to influence the attitude towards the wolf through a story about him.
Research methods:
Collection and analysis of information from various sources;
Questionnaire;
Conversation.
Research hypothesis: The wolf is a necessary part of nature and deserves careful treatment from humans.
In order to prove our hypothesis, we studied theoretical material. Looking for information in books, encyclopedias and the Internet, I learned a lot of new and interesting things about this animal.
Main part
Wolf in nature.
In Russia, the gray wolf, or common wolf, mainly lives. He is the largest representative of the canine family. No one knows for sure when the ancestors of our domestic dog divided into two groups: the domestic dog and the gray wolf. It is believed that this happened about 4 million years ago.
Most adult gray wolves weigh between 34 and 56 kilograms. There is reliable data that they can reach 79 kilograms. The length of their body is about two meters, with the tail accounting for a quarter of the length of the beast. In 1969, a wolf skin 2 meters 27 cm long from nose to end of tail was hung in Alaska.
The wolf has five toes on each front paw, although only four are active. There are only four toes on each hind leg. Wolves walk, jog or gallop. They usually jog at different speeds, usually 12-16 kilometers per hour.For a long time, wolves can run almost without stopping. They are known to cover a distance of 96 kilometers in one night. They swim well.
Wolves are smart animals, as evidenced by erect ears, an attentive gaze, and a pointed, elongated muzzle. The long and very fluffy tail of the wolf is an important feature of this animal. When going to bed at night, the wolf curls up into a ball and covers his nose and legs with his tail, which are exactly in the center of the circle. Thanks to this position of the tail, the warm air exhaled from the lungs warms the paws and nose well. Cold air also warms up upon entering, and thus the wolf breathes warm air.
They have a very keen sense of smell. The wolf's mouth contains forty-two sharp teeth. In nature, wolves live up to 15 years, but already at 10-12 years old they show signs of old age.
Wolves make their dens in sheltered, well-protected places. They can be overhangs in rocks, deep cracks, niches, gullies in ravines, and dead wood. Wolves often use the burrows of other animals as dens: foxes, arctic foxes, badgers, and marmots. It is difficult to approach a wolf's lair without being noticed. As a rule, animals detect a person and do not attack, but manage to take cover before the person detects them. In April-May, 4-8 wolf cubs are born. Wolves are caring parents. Wolf puppies are born blind and deaf. The she-wolf feeds them with milk and carefully hides them from prying eyes. If the family is in any danger, the she-wolf carries her cubs one by one in her mouth to another, more secluded place. Parents bring live prey to grown wolf cubs. The wolf cubs play with her and learn to hunt.
Contrary to a persistent myth, the most faithful animal is not the swan, but the wolf. Pairs form for an indefinitely long period until one of the partners dies. Wolves raise wolf cubs together, teaching them all the intricacies of forest hunting. A wolf, having created a family, will never give offense and will not abandon either the she-wolf or his cubs to the mercy of fate.
The wolf is a brave and strong animal. Wolves often hunt in packs. Part of the flock drives prey, while the other waits for it in ambush. To get to the sheep or calf, the wolf manages to dig a hole under the barn. It will also fit through a hole in the roof. Surprisingly, the wolf never hunts near the place where it lives. He can make his lair near a village, even a farm where animals are kept, but he will not give himself away in any way, and will go far for prey.
All dogs trace their ancestry to the gray wolf; some of their breeds are similar to it. Especially German Shepherds. A wolf is larger than a dog and never curls its tail. Unlike dogs, the wolf does not bark, but growls or howls. The wolf howl is long and alarming. You feel uneasy when you hear it in the evening twilight.
The wolf is a predator that obtains food by actively searching for and pursuing victims. The basis of wolves' diet is ungulates: deer, elk, roe deer, wild boar, antelope. Wolves also attack domestic animals. They also catch, especially solitary wolves, smaller prey: hares, gophers, mouse-like rodents. In summer, wolves do not miss the opportunity to eat birds. Occasionally, hungry wolves in a pack attack bears. At the same time, the gray predator is invaluable to nature: it destroys sick animals. With all its strength, a wolf alone cannot cope with a fully developed adult elk or wild boar. Even when hunting in a pack, most often, wolves choose a weak or sick animal. In this way, they prevent the development of epidemics in their victims. Yes, wolves are predators, but they are rightly called “forest orderlies.”
What happens if wolves disappear?
What happens if wolves disappear? An interesting case is known. In 1926, as part of measures to protect red deer, all wolves were exterminated in Yellowstone Park - the only inhabitants of the park that hunted large ungulates. But this led to a result that scientists did not expect.
Having ceased to be the object of hunting, deer began to get sick much more often. After all, previously wolves fed on sick and weak animals, preventing diseases from spreading. In addition, numerous deer began to harm the fauna of the park, eating young shoots of willow and aspen, trampling bushes and grass. And this, in turn, affected the diet of grizzly bears. They began to take measures aimed at protecting wolves. Predators returned to Yellowstone in 1990, when 66 wolves were released, and by 2005 their numbers had reached 118. During this time, vegetation began to revive. The number of trees has increased several times. Beavers have appeared and need trees to build dams. Muskrats, ducks and fish appeared in the creeks. Wolves reduced the jackal population, which led to an increase in the number of hares and mice, which in turn attracted hawks, ferrets and foxes to the park. But the most amazing thing is that the wolves changed the flow of the rivers. The influence of wolves on deer led to explosive growth of trees and grass along river banks. From this the banks became stronger.
What does a person think about a wolf?
I only managed to see a live wolf at the zoo. Although I have known about this beast since early childhood. I believe that opinions about the wolf are beginning to take shape from folk and original fairy tales. In them he is most often called the “gray robber”. Who isn't afraid of the evil wolf? Since childhood, when we were read the fairy tales “The Three Little Pigs”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”, we decided that wolves were evil and scary. The wolf also often looks stupid, for example, in the fairy tale “The Little Fox and the Gray Wolf.” But in the fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” he is endowed with wisdom, speaks in a human voice and helps the hero overcome any obstacles and distances. And in R. Kipling’s fairy tale “Mowgli,” wolves replaced a child’s family and treated him as their own cub. By the way, such cases actually happen. It turns out that, unlike the fox, which is always shown as cunning in fairy tales, the wolf can be different.
The word wolf in Russian is included in stable comparisons, for example, angry like a wolf or hungry like a wolf.
The appearance of the wolf, his gaze, and voice are reflected in a number of phraseological units: wolf's gaze - they talk about a person with an evil look; a ravenous appetite occurs in a person who has not eaten for a long time; even a wolf howls - they will say in a very difficult situation, suffering from the hopelessness of the situation. In Russian, one can say about a hypocrite who hides evil intentions under the mask of kindness - a wolf in sheep's clothing. The wolf's constant search for food gives rise to the Russian proverb: The wolf's legs feed him. The impossibility of taming a wolf is reflected in the proverb: No matter how you feed the wolf, he keeps looking into the forest. This is what they say about a person who does not change his habits, despite someone else's desire to change them.
Ancient peoples treated the wolf with great respect, considering it the ancestor and patron of the clan. The ancient Romans believed that Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, owe their lives to the she-wolf who suckled them.
Unpleasant people are often hidden under the mask of a wolf in I.A.’s fables. Krylova: “The Wolf and the Lamb”, “The Wolf in the Kennel” and others.
4. The wolf as imagined by my classmates.
What people think about an animal often affects their attitude towards it. We conducted the first survey among students in grade 4B (25 people) and found out that the children’s ideas about the wolf are approximately the same. They think that the wolf is a sullen and angry wild gray beast. A predator that kills many animals. Wolves howl at the full moon at night, gather in large packs in winter and look for lonely travelers in the dark forest. Are they true? Studying encyclopedias and Internet materials, we found out that in fact many of them are not entirely correct.
1. The wolf is an inhabitant of the thicket of the forest.
Yes, gray predators love secretive wilderness areas, but they do not live only in the forest (by the way, wolves avoid the thicket of the forest, where it is more difficult to get food). This predator is distributed from the steppes to the tundra and semi-deserts of the country. It rises even in the highlands to a height of 3–4 thousand meters above the sea surface.
2. Gray.
Once a year, wolves change their skins. Although most wolves are gray, as reflected in their name, their color can vary from yellow to black. There are albino wolves. Our ancestors considered white wolves to be magical creatures.
3.Howl at the full moon.
Scientists say that the wolf does not care which moon is in the sky. On dark nights during the new moon, they howl no less, because these chilling, melancholy sounds are not intended for the Earth’s satellite - the Moon, but for their “brothers”. Thus, predators convey information about themselves, about the presence of people, about prey and other wolf affairs. Although from time to time it seems that such a howl to a wolf does more harm than good in life. Hunters are well aware of the fact that as soon as they begin to imitate the howl of a gray predator (even if ineptly), the most cautious pack of wolves will immediately give themselves away by raising their voice.
4. Huge flocks.
Packs of wolves are not that huge. Wolves live in families of 2 to 15, usually 4 to 8 animals. A pack is a family group consisting of animals of different ages.
5. Kills many animals.
In fact, gray predators kill only to get enough. If the prey is caught, they hunt no more. Well-fed wolves do not go hunting. The hungriest wolf can eat no more than 10 kilograms at a time, but usually 2 kilograms are eaten, and the rest is used as reserves for a rainy day. Wolves also eat plant foods: various berries and mushrooms, they even eat vegetables. They sometimes have to eat carrion.
6. Many people believe that if you get into the forest, you should be afraid of wolves, that it is dangerous for humans.
A wolf attack on a person is possible. A lone wolf infected with rabies will attack. But in general, wolves are afraid of humans, especially several of them. Rare cases of attacks by healthy wolves on people still exist. They occur mainly during periods when food becomes very scarce. It is also possible to be attacked by wolf parents if you pose a threat to the wolf cubs. We found tips on how to behave if you encounter wolves.
Since man began to domesticate animals, a hostile attitude has arisen towards the independent animal. Man has always considered it a dangerous animal and destroyed it wherever he built houses, developed land, and developed livestock farming. By the end of the 17th century, wolves were completely exterminated in England; they are not found in France, Holland, Denmark and Belgium. So people are more dangerous to wolves.
We held a special class hour for the students of our class. I told about the wolf, everything I learned myself. We also watched a film from the “Wildlife” series. After this, the survey was conducted again. The guys' answers have changed. We are confident that new knowledge has helped change opinions about the wolf, and this in turn will help my classmates better understand nature in general. Strive to live in peace with all the inhabitants of the Earth.
Conclusion
Our research has revealed a lot of new and truthful things about the life of wolves and their role in nature. Our hypothesis was confirmed: in the natural world for wolves, they live in balance with other animals and deserve careful treatment. Where wolves hunt, not only the habitat, but also the overall health of various herbivores improves. Human interference in wildlife should be of greatest concern.
This work has practical value. My classmates, who learned more about the wolf, had the most truthful image of an animal living according to the laws of nature. And these laws surprise and show that we have a lot to learn from nature. Getting to know the life of different animals helps you understand how important it is to preserve each species on Earth. Recognize that every animal on our planet has the right to exist. There are no “bad” and “good” animals in nature. All of them are our neighbors on planet Earth.
List of sources used
1. Akimushkin I.I. “Animal World” in 4 volumes. 3rd edition, Volume 1. “Mammals, or animals” M: Mysl, 1998
2. Shustova I. B. ABC. Animals and birds of Russia. - M: Bustard, 2008.
3. Shchekotova L. M. Predators of our forests. - M.: Slovo/Slovo, 2001.
4. The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats: Russian folk tale. – M.: Malysh, 2003.
5. Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf: Russian folk tale. - M.: Children's literature, 1989.
6. Little Fox and the Gray Wolf: Russian folk tale - M.: Children's literature, 1983.
7. Encyclopedia ABC of living nature: Plants and animals of the forest (Auth.-compiled by O.V. Konyaeva) “Astrel”, 1999
Annex 1
Questionnaire for students
Is a wolf necessary in nature?
Which animal should you be afraid of when you get into the forest?
Do you think the wolf is dangerous for humans?
How to distinguish a wolf from a dog?
Do you know how to behave when meeting wolves?
Appendix 2
Analysis of the survey results (total – 25 students of grade 4B)
Describe how you imagine a wolf?
1 survey:
Grey
Wild animal
Wicked
Lives deep in the forest
Cruel
Predatory
Howls at the moon
Gathers in large flocks and attacks animals and people
Beautiful
Looks like a dog
Strong
Voracious
Number of responses
% of total
84%
80%
64%
72%
40%
72%
24%
48%
24%
52%
44%
2 survey:
Recurring characteristics in student responses
Gray and other colors
Wild animal
Wicked
Lives in the forest, steppe, and mountains.
Predatory
Strong
Howls “talks”
Lives in a flock, sometimes alone
Beautiful
Looks like a dog
Loyal to his family
Hunts when hungry
Forest orderly
Number of responses
14
6. Do you know how to behave when meeting wolves?
1 survey: (Yes – 10h – 40%, no – 15h – 60%)
2 survey: (Yes – 25h – 100%)
Appendix 3
Memo: How to behave when meeting wolves.
Don't run. This will make you a prey, which is of course bad. Remember, wolves are hunters.
Do not look at the animal point-blank, it looks like a threat to them.
Don't turn your back on the wolves. Back away slowly.
Try to confuse and scare them: swear, speak calmly and loudly, throw stones, raise your arms above your head to appear taller.
Try not to look scared, this will more likely provoke them to attack.
Wolves are animals that are known to everyone predators. About wolves There are many fairy tales and sayings that describe him either as a ferocious beast or as a domesticated animal. In fact, the wolf cannot be classified as either one or the other.
Wolf is an animal, which is a mammal from the order Canidae. According to research, it is he who is the ancestor of the domestic one. They grow about 160 centimeters in length and weigh 60 kilograms.
Today this animal has more than 35 subspecies of its genus. “Relatives” live in different parts of the world. They are all different sizes and colors, but they have one thing in common - they are predators!
In appearance, the wolf resembles a large, pointy-eared dog. The paws are tall and thin, they can hardly be called massive. The withers are set high, the muzzle is large, which distinguishes this genus from dogs.
Wolves have a good ability to adapt. They can travel long distances and still feel at home. These predators have an excellent sense of smell and acute hearing. They can smell their prey 2-3 kilometers away.
Below in the photo there is a wolf, has thick and beautiful fur. It consists of two layers: the inner down and outer long hairs. They are tough and repel water well. This representative of the animal world has a large and thick tail, which is always lowered down.
A wolf's teeth are sharp as a blade; it is with them that he tears apart his prey. Plus, teeth are a wolf’s defense against other predators. Speaking about wolves, we need to mention their special voice. Unlike all animals, they can make different sounds:
- Grunt;
- Whistling;
- Squeal;
- Whining.
Listen to the wolf growl
Habitat and lifestyle of the wolf
Wild wolves are formidable predators whose habitat extends over almost the entire Northern Hemisphere. Representatives of this species could be found in Belarus, Alaska, and so on.
Wolves can live in completely different areas, but they prefer forest-steppes, tundra, steppes, and semi-deserts. They also love forest areas. The wolf will not like high humidity. They can calmly settle close to people and approach them at close distances.
Wolves live in packs, which always have a leader. He chooses the best female for himself. In summer and spring, the flock breaks up, but all animals remain in their territory. The best place goes to the leader and his companion. The remaining members of the pack either pair up or begin to lead a wandering lifestyle. Wolves mark territory like dogs.
Typically, one flock occupies an average of 50 kilometers. At night, but not every day, wolves start singing in chorus. The leader begins to howl, then the others join him. Thus, wolves show cohesion and belonging to the pack.
The life of wolves, as animals, can be classified as nocturnal. Very often these predators make themselves known by starting to howl loudly. When hunting, a wolf can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h and run about 70 kilometers.
Before they start hunting, wolves often begin to howl. Sometimes they thus warn their fellows about the upcoming hunt. The leader of the pack gives a battle cry - this is the beginning of their action.
Wolf character
Wolves, as a rule, do not have a hot temper. Of course, it’s hard to call them friendly. A wolf pack always defends together, just as it hunts.
Males always protect females and young animals. If a female or a wolf cub is attacked by a predator many times larger, not a single wolf will stand aside. He will rush to protect them, no matter the cost. This is life of an animal - a wolf.
Wolves are indifferent towards other predators. Of course, they don't like animals that try to hunt in their territory. But they don’t just get into a fight.
There are legends about wolves as bloodthirsty animals, but in reality everything is completely different! Fauna of wolves designed so that they are diligent family men who hunt to feed themselves.
Nutrition and reproduction
What kind of animal is a wolf?? The wolf is a clear representative of carnivores. He resorts to plant foods in extreme cases, when there is no food at all. An adult consumes from 2 to 6 kilograms of meat at a time. These predators have a habit of hoarding food for later.
Even though the wolf is very voracious, it is capable of starving for a long time. The main diet of wolves includes sheep, ,.
In fact, these predators eat all the animals they can get. The difference in feeding of wolves directly depends on their habitat. Wolves are monogamous creatures, so their marriages usually last for many years. From two to three years the animal is ready to reproduce.
The mating season occurs from January to April, depending on the habitat. At this time, the situation in the pack is heating up. The dominant male and female protect each other from other members.
The remaining males begin to actively court the she-wolves and fight for them. Typically, a female produces only one offspring per year. Pregnancy lasts about 65 days. There are from 3 to 13 puppies in a litter. During the feeding period, the female does not move far from her burrow and protects it in every possible way. The father wolf does not participate in the life of the cubs during this period.
After milk feeding, the whole pack makes sure that the wolf cubs are well-fed. Any wolf shares his piece with the kids. Depending on their habitat, puppies may remain in the pack or leave to look for new territory.
Species of wolves
There are more than 35 subspecies, but only a few of them are worth noting; they are interesting for their lifestyle and behavior. These include:
- White wolf - animal famous, which differs from its fellows in beauty. Usually hides from enemies. He has an easy-going and peaceful character. He does not like to meet people and often sits in his hole. Being a hermit, he prefers to live in the tundra and the Arctic.
- Black wolf - animal, which looks like a pointy-eared dog. Because of its appearance, people often confuse it with pets. This subspecies lives in Alaska and North America.
- Red wolf - animal, which may outwardly resemble a kutsuyu. Compared to its brothers, it is small in size. His weight is only about 21 kilograms. The peculiarity of these predators is their habitat – mountains.
- Steppenwolf - animal small in size, which, judging by the name of the species, lives in the steppes. Favorite places to live are cliff lines along river banks. They feed on hares and partridges. They most often live in fox holes.
In the photo there is a white wolf
Keeping a wolf at home
Making a wolf a pet is almost impossible. You need to realize that the wolf is a predator that can consider human flesh as food. Taming may take a long time, but if it succeeds, the wolf will become your best friend and protector. He will always be a danger to you, your family, and your guests.
If you decide to get a wolf, then the first thing you need to do is surround the wolf cub with love and care. You can’t shout at him and, of course, hit him. Wolf is an animal of the forest, so it is necessary to provide him with personal space. In general, of course, it’s difficult to imagine wolf as a pet.
It is recommended to feed the wolf with fresh meat and fish. Give the animal a lot of time and attention; the animal should feel your love. You need to play with a wolf like a dog and train it.
In the photo there is a red wolf
We must not forget that this is a predator and it is dangerous to humans. In the wild, people often hunt these animals for their skins, although wolf hunt banned in many countries. Although most of these predators pose absolutely no danger to humans.
Wolves have lived side by side with humans for thousands of years. These beautiful and dangerous predators have a highly developed psyche, and relationships in the wolf “family” are subject to a strict hierarchy. As a result of many years of observations, scientists have come to the conclusion that the behavior of representatives of the canine family is based not only on instincts and reflexes. Animals have the makings of intelligent behavior, that is, they are able to analyze the situation, skillfully avoiding danger, and predict events, applying accumulated knowledge in various hunting methods. But these are not all the amazing facts that a graceful, strong and intelligent wolf can amaze.
An interesting experiment was conducted in Austria. A group of six-month-old wolf cubs and dogs of the same age were shown a video. It showed the dog opening a box to get to a treat. After viewing, each puppy found itself in front of the same box that had to be opened. In the end, all the wolf cubs completed the task “excellently,” when only 4 puppies from the dog group opened the box.
Appearance
Wolves are the largest in their family. The first true species appeared almost 2 million years ago. The external characteristics of the animal directly depend on the geography of its habitat and, accordingly, the surrounding climate - the further from the equator, the larger the size they can reach.
The male wolf is larger than the female:
- weighs about 50 kg;
- height at withers - 70-80 cm.
- body length - from 1 to 2 m.
Thanks to its powerful legs and special paw structure, it can run tens of kilometers in search of food. The predator moves at a speed of about 10 km/h, although when in danger it can accelerate to almost 60 km/h. In addition, there are small membranes between the toes, which not only make it easier to move through the snow, but also allow them to swim perfectly. An adult wolf can swim 10 km.
The Arabian wolf is considered the smallest in the family, the weight of which in an adult can be only 10 kg. Larger representatives weighing 80 kg and more live in Alaska and Siberia.
The tail is a kind of wolf “tongue”. By its position you can find out about the position of the animal in the pack. For the leader it is raised like a “pipe”, for those lower on the hierarchical ladder it is lowered, for those at the bottom level it is tucked towards the belly.
Sense organs
Predators can distinguish sounds at a distance of up to 16 km on the plains. Their eyes reflect light, have a characteristic glow and help in night hunting. But among the most amazing facts about wolves, an extraordinary sense of smell stands out, which is 100 times stronger than that of a human. Predators are able to distinguish about 200 million shades of odors and can easily smell prey at a distance of 1.5-3 km. In more than 80% of hunting cases, a pack detects its prey using scent rather than hearing.
Howl
To communicate, predators use a wide variety of vocal frequencies, among which the leading one is howl. In this way, they significantly exceed the capabilities of most representatives of the animal world. The howl is not just the voice of an animal, but a kind of encrypted message with a specific purpose (attractive, calling, warning). Contrary to the prevailing stereotype that animals emit a very long howl, especially during the full moon, it has been proven that it lasts no more than 5 seconds. It’s just that the sound carries an echo, making it prolonged, and animals howl at dawn and dusk, and even then not every day. They also make many other sounds (snorting, whining, barking, etc.).
Lifestyle
The wolf's range once covered most of the Earth, but has recently declined greatly. Due to human hunting and rapid urbanization, some species are on the verge of extinction.
Predators live in forests, plains, and mountains. These are territorial school animals that lead a sedentary lifestyle, occupying a certain territory. If a “stranger” violates the property, he is severely punished.
Without food, an adult wolf remains active for up to 10 days.
Pack
At the head of the pack is the leader - the alpha male, who is accompanied by the alpha wolf. Surprisingly, in a pack where there can be from 3 to 40 individuals, it is not the strongest, but the smartest wolf that takes the lead. He makes responsible decisions, keeps order and is responsible for everyone. After his death, the place is taken by the beta male, who was one step lower on the hierarchical ladder, and in some cases the female takes over. The protection of weak individuals and young animals is carried out by the so-called “wars”. All members of the pack pay attention to the wolf cubs.
The leader usually starts the choral howl. Other members of the pack join him. This is a kind of manifestation of the integrity of the wolf “family”, which has a powerful emotional basis. Although animals can express relationships very accurately in other ways. For example, another member of the pack crawls towards the leader. By this he demonstrates unquestioning submission to the leader and complete trust.
Wolf cubs are born blind, deaf and weigh from 300 to 500 grams.
Marriage bond
In a pack, these predators live in married couples, which do not break up until death. In the spring, animals “in love” separate from the pack and show the most tender feelings; they use facial movements, licking, and biting to communicate. During gestation, the she-wolf prepares lairs in secluded places and can even dig a hole no less than 4-5 m long. After the birth of her offspring, the male wolf becomes a loving father, caring for the puppies no less than their mother.
A wounded wolf can escape hunters for several tens of kilometers, and one caught in a trap can even gnaw off its own paw.
The Myth of Flags
It is believed that wolves have one weakness, which is very often used by hunters. A brave and dexterous predator freezes at the sight of small pieces of fabric swaying in the wind. They are tied to ropes and the pen area is fenced off in a circle, leaving a single gap where the shooters are located. Usually, red fabric is used for this, creating the illusion of fire, which, in principle, all animals are afraid of. Recently, hunters have noted that modern representatives of the canine family do not show any reaction when they see flags. In addition, they learned to hide from rangers who use helicopters for hunting, for example, by burying themselves in the snow.
Wolves, despite being easy to train, are practically not trained, so they are very rare in circuses. Even with outward obedience, a predator can break free at any moment and cause harm to others.
Role in nature
Like all predators, the wolf is dangerous to humans. Hungry animals can cause significant harm to livestock production. In addition, there are cases when animals attacked people. But they play an important role in the ecosystem.
Firstly, wolves are forest orderlies who exterminate weak and sick animals, stopping the spread of infection. Secondly, predators restore the natural balance. So, in an American national park at one time a lot of deer appeared and quickly destroyed the vegetation. After the wolf pack was released into the park, the deer population declined. This contributed to the restoration of the flora, the appearance of animals that had not been in the reserve for many years (beavers, ducks, hares, hawks) and the revival of the ecological system as a whole.
Symbolism
People have always had a special attitude towards wolves, and dual symbolism dates back to ancient times. Many warlike tribes perceived the wolf as their ancestor and placed its image on their coats of arms, considering it a symbol of victory over an evil enemy. The beast played an important role in the cult of Mars in Rome and Odin in Scandinavia. The Vikings, going to war, drank wolf blood and wore clothes made from its skin to improve morale.
Scandinavian mythology: Hati and Skol pursue Mani (moon) and Sol (sun)
There are also many stories about people becoming werewolves, which represents the fear of a ferocious and powerful beast. At the same time, courage and care for family were clearly reflected in Greco-Roman mythology. According to legend, the twins Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were nursed and saved from death by the young “Capitolian” she-wolf.
Life of Wolves
The organization of some animal families is more complex than people are accustomed to imagine. Wolves have a so-called “big family”; biologists have only recently figured out the meaning of its order. Having matured, strong young wolves (two and three years old), having chosen a girlfriend of their choice (often for life), leave the pack in the spring and start their own family. Their weak peers are less happy, they usually do not live at home, and do not know marriage (if there are strong wolves in the area). They are “hired,” as they say, as nannies for their brothers. This is their wolf's lot. The seasoned ones allow the young ones to settle somewhere nearby, two or three kilometers away. This is very kind of them: usually the closest distance from lair to lair is seven kilometers.
And family life begins. Actually, it probably starts earlier, a year before. Partners choose each other when they are still considered profitable: rather awkward, funny, but, as expected, attractive “boys” and “girls”.
A whole year of mutual courtship. Wolves, as they say in science, have a “facial orientation.” From muzzle to muzzle they receive information about what they intend to do, and whether, in particular, the she-wolf is ready to become a mother, and the wolf a father. And only then does mating occur. And before that, and along the way, a fan of smiles, acrobatic jumps, various frisky ventures - everything for the sweetheart or for the sweetheart. By the way, among wolves there is not a very noticeable division into the “weak” and “strong” sex in the sense that one must try hard, and the other must only coyly accept advances.
The emergence of a “triangle” very often ends in tragedy. A fight, a quick jerk of terrible teeth, and one of the rivals (or rivals) is defeated. And these are the very animals who rarely fight, whose quarrels are rare. But here the harsh laws of natural selection apply.
When the wolf cubs are born, the mother lies with them in the den for the first weeks. Then, sniffing, it carefully crawls out of the hole, but does not go far, only a hundred or two hundred meters. Somewhere here, members of the “big family” bring her prey: everything they caught. Later, she herself searches around the area. And then the nannies - “aunts”, “uncles”, “cousins” - nurse the wolf cubs. They play with them, feed them with meat swallowed during the hunt and, of course, keep a vigilant guard. The wolf father also does not forget his duty. He is always there (unless he left with the she-wolf). And in the fall, when the kids grow up, the wolf “big family” hunts in a pack, and the young ones learn the laws of the jungle from the old ones.
The role of wolves in nature
Alaska, tundra. Thousands of migrating deer. And the wolves are not far away. Two rushed after the herd - straight, with a very fast gait. The herd does not sleep, it rearranges itself as it moves, but does not change direction and stretches out. The hooves clatter louder, and excitement runs through the thicket of deer antlers. No, the wolves cannot catch them. Even thin-legged, fragile fawns run faster. Convinced of the futility of the chase, the wolves quickly fall behind - why waste energy?
But here's another group of deer. Again a swift wolf raid, again the same reaction of the pursued - and suddenly... The fluid mass of the herd seems to squeeze out a drop from itself - a limping male, shaking his head. His comrades quickly move forward, but he hesitates, and the wolves overtake him.
If we carry out an examination, we will find the following: the deer’s front hoof is missing: instead there are rags; the lungs are infected with tapeworm and are already half destroyed; the intestines are corroded by phenol and indole, poisons of intestinal microbes; heart...
There is no need to continue. Any one of these diseases is enough to consider a deer doomed.
Suppose a sick deer were to live: he is a walking breeding ground for infection. He finds a female for himself, and now they have a fawn with heredity that is not resistant to disease. He will grow up and also bring a sickly fawn... This is how herds of deer are dying out, and scientists used to shrug their shoulders: why is this so? Now many people understand why.
In Alaska, in the Nelchinsky Nature Reserve, all the wolves were killed. Four thousand deer found peace, and ten years later there were 42 thousand. And... a huge herd, having eaten and trampled all the lichen in the pastures, began to die out catastrophically quickly. He had to call on the wolves for help; from a position of “outside the law” they were transferred under his protection.
The wolf is the main curator of the forest, tundra, and steppe. If there are no large animals, it eats small rodents - agricultural pests. The wolf is useful again! He catches pike in the channels in the spring, and sometimes he is even forced to eat berries and... insects. An undemanding beast.
Predators, one might say, improve the situation in the forest. Therefore, now in many African countries the leopard, and in some places the crocodile, are under the protection of the law. The leopard is useful because it destroys wild pigs and monkeys that ravage fields, and the crocodile destroys half-dead fish that carry infection, harmful insects and crustaceans. “But, unfortunately,” write African zoologists, “crocodiles sometimes also attack people.”
The impact of the wolf on agriculture
Agriculture is the basis of any society. For centuries it was shallow. To take away a peasant's sheep, cow and horse means putting him in the face of starvation. This is how a wolf becomes a human killer. That situation is irrevocably a thing of the past. Wolves still attack domestic animals and can be cruel: instead of one sheep, which they can carry away, they drive and kill a dozen as they run. Some explain this by the wolf's nervousness caused by the presence of humans. Some are due to his character: he simply cannot resist exterminating the weak. But the matter is simpler: people will not collect all the slaughtered sheep lost in the forest, but the wolves will then find them under the snow and will be fed for a long time. Nowadays, a large livestock farm is almost guaranteed against attacks by wolves, even if they are nearby.
“If you examine the diet of several coyotes, it turns out that they killed poultry and livestock worth N rubles. Otherwise, their food consisted mainly of mice and rats, which, if they had not been eaten by wolves, would have destroyed grain worth N x 1.3 rubles. The conclusion seems clear: thanks to a few wolves, we made a profit.” Many researchers now say that it is wrong to divide wild animals into good and bad, useful and harmful.
In nature, a natural balance has been established between different species of animals and plants over millions of years of their coexistence. The reckless destruction of various animals and birds can upset this balance, and then other animals and even plants will begin to die, and pests and weeds will proliferate. In a word, the consequences can be very bad.
Diseases carried by wolves
Wolf Hunt
Once upon a time, a huge territory, the entire neo- and palearctic with the adjacent countries in the south down to Israel, Iran and India, abounded in wolves. A lot of livestock, and a lot of people, died under their teeth. Cities, villages and entire tribes sometimes united together, organizing raids on wolves, in which thousands of beaters, spearmen, and crossbowmen took part.
The cantons of Switzerland still contain, of course, now only traditional and useless societies of wolf hunters. And in England, it seems, there is still (or until recently there was) the position of the chief royal commander of wolf hunts, although the last wolf was killed in Great Britain in 1680 by a certain Cameron Lokiel. The last wolf of France fell near the borders of Switzerland, near the city of Morestel, relatively recently (wolves apparently enter this country from time to time from the Pyrenees and Apennine mountains). A grandiose, almost imperial raid was organized on the Morestel wolf, on an area of 50 square kilometers: two thousand beaters, a thousand hunters, three planes and 60 gendarmes with radio equipment!
There are no more wolves in France. They survived in Western Europe only in Spain, the Apennines, Sicily, Scandinavia,
Germany, and further - everywhere in the east to Chukotka, Sakhalin and Kunashir Island in the Kuril Archipelago. And in the direction of the meridian - from the shores of the Arctic Ocean to the Crimea and the Caucasus inclusive. In India, wolves are still found, but, apparently, only in the Himalayan foothills and mountains. In North America, gray wolves live in Canada, Alaska, Greenland and some areas of the United States bordering Canada. True, in the south of this country, in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri, there are black wolves of the same genus, but of a different species than gray wolves, and smaller than them.
