wolf

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The wolf

The gray wolf is one of the oldest species on earth - has more than 100,000 years living in this world. The gray wolf is currently restricted to a few large forests of eastern Europe, some mountain refuges in the Mediterranean region, mountains and deserts of the Middle East, and barren areas in Asia and North America. This decline is the result of human persecution and habitat destruction.

The wolves measure between one and two meters, and its color can be white to black, with combinations of gold, brown and red. A litter of wolf pups can be of many colors. Wolf's fangs can measure up to 6 cm. in length.

The wolf lives from 6 to 12 years within an established territory that belongs to his flock and usually includes 150 to 1000 km2.

Mark their territory as they stroll, through the foot glands that emit an odor, and their urine. The wolf has some blood vessels in your legs to control his body temperature and prevents the formation of ice balls between their feet, even during the winter.

Wolves are animals very social. Live, travel and hunt in highly organized groups, usually 6 to 12 animals. Every group has a dominant pair whose dominant male dominates the males and dominant female dominates other females.

The dominant partner is the only one that can have puppies. About three weeks before calving, the female digs a tunnel in the earth creating a shelter. After giving birth to her cubs, it stays there with them until 8 to 10 weeks. The female must choose carefully where do the shelter, a place where the other wolves in the group can hunt and defend without problem, and that is near a water source.

The Wolves take only milk for a month and then eat pre-engineered food by other members of the group.

When the cubs are still very small, some wolves of the pack make of babysitter, caring for the wolves when the mother goes to drink water, exercise or do their business.

Wolves have several ways to communicate through howling, growling, barking, smell and body language. Use their tail to transmit force, submission, aggression and fear. Wolves use their howls to announce their presence and warn intruders. Group members also howl to locate each other when they are away. Some people even believe that wolves made his famous howl just for fun.

Wolves eat a wide variety of foods. In the taiga and the tundra, the typical prey, are moose, deer and caribou, animals weighing up to ten times more than the wolf and are hunted by packs. Young or old animals or the weakest, are the most likely victims. The smaller mammals such as badgers and hares, are often important prey especially in summer.

Habitat:   Forests, grasslands and deserts of northern Mexico, using rocks, caves and burrows as shelter.

The gray wolf today is found in zoos in the United States and Mexico, fortunately in breeding programs and in the process of release into the wild. The wolf was exterminated by control agents predators authorized by the government, the pursuit of human self-indulgent hunting, habitat destruction and capture for zoos.

It is now considered a priority for recovery between animals that are cataloged in Endangered Species.