Wolf Species
The largest member of the wolf family is the gray (or grey) wolf (Canis Lupus), also known as the Timber Wolf. It originated in Asia, later to Europe and North America, and probably shared a common ancestor with the domestic dog.
The grey wolf now inhabits only a small portion of its former range across Europe, Asia and North America, because so much of its habitat has been destroyed and because it has been specifically exterminated by humans. Wolves have begun to be re-introduced back into some of their former habitats, and the gray wolf is not considered close to extinction.
Gray wolves vary in size, and tend to be larger the further north they live… the largest wolf ever recorded was 189 lb from the former USSR. They hunt by tiring the prey rather than killing it quickly by speed, and their paws enable them to cope with a variety of surfaces (such as snow) better than most of their prey animals. Wolves typically live and hunt in packs, although single animals sometimes survive.
Wolf Pack Ways – Arrival of the Wild Wolf Pups
Why study wild wolf society? Wild dog behavior and dog instinctive behavior have their genesis in the dog pack. The similarities of dogs with their cousin, the wild wolf, are so striking that we can gain much dog behavior and communication understanding through glimpses into wild wolf society. This series of articles deals with the wolf pack, pups in the wild wolf lodge, the alpha leader of the pack, treatment of different pack members according to their wolf pack rank, and similar issues.
Let’s start at the beginning, with the pups and the wild wolf lodge. Wolf pups are born at the same time of spring as the caribou and moose calves. This gives the hunter and the hunted fair time to raise their offspring in peace. As anyone can see, if things were not set up in this order, a herd would soon be wiped out due to over harvest of the defenseless young.
Wolves generally use the same wolf den (also called wild wolf lodge) for all members of their pack to birth their pups. Wild wolves only mate once a year — in springtime. Only one pair of wolves from each wolf pack will mate (not always the alpha leader), and that impregnated female uses the den that year.
Wolf Hybrids – Wolf-Dogs – A Controversy
I recently read an interesting study from Stanford University that said that wolves with black pelts are the result of wolf-dog hybridization. It was an interesting read, and brought to my mind some of the other ways that wolf hybrids differ from domestic dogs.
As you can imagine, I receive a lot of calls and emails about wolf hybrids. Everyone has an opinion, but I have always been of the mindset that wolf hybrids are NOT a good idea as domestic pets and an even worse idea as a protection dog.
Wolf hybrids certainly have their proponents. One of my closest friends owns one and it is a striking looking and powerful animal, great with his children. The South African Defense Force, a pre-apartheid organization, used hybrids as what they termed “attack” dogs. As you can guess, the program failed. It’s true, hybrids have shown remarkable tracking skills due to their powerful sense of smell (some studies say it is even better than a dog’s) and their long canine teeth and strong bite pressure are overwhelming and devastating. Hybrids have great endurance and generally suffer from less health problems.