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Facts About Wolf

Buzzle Staff
A wolf is an intelligent creature that is able to adapt to different circumstances. Being a skillful hunter helps it survive almost anywhere. This AnimalSake post lists out some interesting facts about the wolf.
The wolf is a member of the Canidae family. It has a tarnished reputation, as various stories and movies have depicted it as a cruel and mean beast. There is one legend I know of, which broke the norm; it is the one about Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who were the sons of the god, Mars.
Legend has it, that when the brothers were abandoned on the banks of the River Tiber, they were rescued by a she-wolf who kept them alive on her own milk till a shepherd found the brothers and took them home. This legend surely depicts the wolf in better light.

Captivating Facts About the Wolf

  • A wolf is considered the largest member of the wild canine family.
  • It has rounded ears.
  • It has a broad, heavy muzzle.
  • It is able to live up to 13 years in the wild, with an average lifespan of 6 - 8 years.
  • An adult male is 95 - 100 lb in weight, while a female weighs around 50 lb or less.
  • The average speed of a wolf is 5 miles per hour.
  • He has a sprinting speed of 25 to 35 miles per hour while covering short distances.
  • He can grip and hang onto struggling prey with his canine teeth, which interlock. It uses the back teeth or carnassial molars, to crush bones and shear meat.
  • The young one of a wolf is called a pup. They are unable to see or hear at birth, each weighing approximately one pound.
  • The color of the wolf's fur ranges from tan and brown to pure white, gray or black.
  • Guards and undercoat are the two types of fur that a wolf has.
  • The average size of a wolf's litter is 4 to 6 pups, depending upon the health of the female.
  • February and March is their breeding season.
  • The gestation period lasts for 63 days.
  • The young pups are cared for by all the members of a pack.
  • Wolves use harmony and integration to communicate with each other.
  • To protect their territory, wolves will attack other wolf intruders.
  • They have the ability to catch and kill large animals.
  • It is always on the lookout for an chance to catch the most defenseless animal.
  • The wolf usually eats mice, elk, deer, bison, and beavers.
  • A wolf is at risk of skull injury from a prey that kicks.
  • The sense of smell that a wolf is blessed with is 100 times greater than that of a human.
  • It uses its tail to keep its face warm in winter.
  • A wolf howls to indicate its location, to define its territorial boundaries, to greet one another as well as to assemble its pack together.
  • Wolves have front feet that are larger than their hinds.
  • Its vocalizations include howls, barks, yaps, whines, and growls.
  • A pack can have 2-30 members. A pack's home range might overlap the territory of another pack.
  • Wolves are animals that hunt at any time of the day or night.
  • Two levels of hierarchy are maintained in a wolf pack, one is for the females and the other one for males.
  • The North American Wolf can weigh between 40 to 175 pounds.
  • Unfortunately, the wolf is threatened by loss of habitat, which is taking places due to destruction and encroachment by humans.