Wolf (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain everything about wolves, their behavior, diet and other characteristics. Also, what do they use their howls for?

In the past, wolves were abundant predators.

Table of Contents show

What are wolves?

The wolf, scientific name Canis lupus, It is a type of quadrupedal carnivorous mammal, genetically related to the dog domestic (in fact, they are considered basically the same species). It lives in packs and before its encounter with humans, it was one of the most abundant predators in North America, Eurasia and the Middle East.

Wolves have intrigued humans since ancient times, and many cultures chose to identify with them, since are characterized by their ferocity, their pack spirit and their tenacious survival in hostile environments such as the frozen tundras of northern America and Europe.

The word wolf comes from the Latin word lupuswhich has the same meaning, and which was used in the feminine to refer to prostitutes (perhaps because of working under the moon). Words like “lupanar” (brothel) also come from there.

This is also how the idea of the werewolf was born (werewolfin English), which would be the cross between the two species, whose transformations obey the full moon. The wolf is also usually the protagonist of very diverse myths, such as that of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, who were orphaned and were suckled by a wolf.

He is also a common antagonist in children's stories, always being depicted as hungry and angry, possibly because in ancient times he constituted a real danger to travelers, lost children or the flock.

Today, however, although they remain abundant in various wild habitats, much smaller than they once were, are considered a threatened species by the way of life of the human being.

Characteristics of wolves

wolf pack fur colors — The wolf's thick fur can have different colors, from brown to white.

Wolves have the following general characteristics:

They are quadrupedal animals, mammals, with bodies between 60 and 90 cm tall and weighing between 32 and 70 kg . They usually measure between 1.30 and 2 meters long. They have a long tail, and are, in principle, not too different anatomically from a dog.
Their bodies are configured to withstand long-distance travel, with a narrow chest and powerful back and legs. That's why, can reach 10 km/h when jogging and 65 km/h in full pursuit . They have been seen covering about five meters in a speed jump.
in the paws have non-retractable claws which allow them to grip various slippery surfaces. Its body is covered with thick fur, of different colors, ranging from brown to white.
The teeth of wolves are formidable, identical to those of dogs, but larger. have a keen sense of smell as well as night vision which make them fearsome hunters.
They are distinguished from coyotes and jackals in their long thick snouts and of foxes in size and shape of ears.

Wolf Behavior

alpha female wolf — The male and female who lead the pack are called alphas.

A wolf rarely walks on its own. In fact, usually organize themselves in herds of two to twenty individuals with a strict social hierarchy, whose behavior is evident during the hunt.

At the head of the herd are a breeding male and female whose bond is almost always monogamous, and which are called alphas. They are the ones who impose order within the herd and who control resources, such as the feeding order.

Sometimes, a wolf abandons its pack and forms a new one, for which they must find a partner and a territory to claim, since wolves control their habitat. That is why it is rare for a wolf to trespass on another's territory, unless it is a pack willing to claim it as its own. Other types of intruders, such as dogs and even humans, will receive the same degree of hostility from wolves.

Wolves feeding

carnivorous wolf feeding — A wolf can eat a ton of meat a year.

Wolves are hunters, and Their diet is eminently carnivorous . A wolf can only eat between 3 and 4 kilos of meat per meal, which amounts to an incredible one ton of meat per year. This may vary in adverse weather conditions, in which they will eat more to have energy reserves.

Their diet consists mainly of sheep, goats, pigs, deer, reindeer, horses, elk, yaks, antelopes, bison, birds and rodents and other small animals. Depending on the habitat, they may even feed on salmon, seals or stranded whales. Cannibalism is not uncommon in times of scarcity, although these animals can survive a long time without eating a bite.

You may be interested: Herbivorous Animals

Wolf habitat

These animals have been among the most widely distributed throughout the planet, especially in the northern regions of America and Eurasia. But much of Their habitat was lost due to the expansion of human communities .

From North America, Japan, Western Europe, Russia and India, Currently, significant numbers of wolves are preserved only in Russia . There are also small populations in Greenland, Canada and some Arctic islands, China, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Mongolia, as well as in Africa and the Middle East.

Types of wolf

wolves types canis lupus arctos — The polar wolf is common in Canada and other circumpolar regions.

There are several subspecies of wolves, that is, types that have adapted to their environmental environments over time, and which include the common dog. This classification responds to its place of origin, and covers 37 subspecies, the main ones being the following:

Canis lupus familiaris. The domestic dog in its wide variety of breeds.
Canis lupus lupus. The wolf itself, the one from the stories of the Brothers Grimm, typical of Europe and part of Asia.
Canis lupus albus. White fur, typical of northern Russia and the Siberian steppes.
Canis lupus arctos. Also known as the polar wolf, thick-haired, common in Canada and other circumpolar regions.
Canis lupus baileyi. The Mexican wolf, the smallest of all subspecies, is typical of Mexico and the southern United States.
Canis lupus manningi. Known as the Baffin wolf, because it lives only on the island of that name in Canada and other islands east of Greenland. It is the smallest of the arctic wolves.
Canis lupus pambasileus. Also called the Yukon wolf or the Alaskan black wolf, since it is obviously endemic to those northern regions of North America. It is one of the largest subspecies in the world.
Canis lupus dingo. Simply called “dingo”, it is a short-haired subspecies, native to Australasia, that is, Australia and Southeast Asia.
Canis lupus arabs. The Arabian wolf, small in size and grayish in color, lives in the Middle East: Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Arabian Peninsula.
Canis lupus italicus. Endemic to the Italian peninsula, it is the most recent of the subspecies, as it was previously thought to constitute a totally different species.
Canis lupus crassodon. Called the Vancouver wolf, since it lives on this North American island in the Pacific Northwest. Endangered, it is one of the most sociable of all wolf subspecies, and lives in packs of up to 35 individuals.
Canis lupus occidentalis. Known as the Mackenzie wolf, it is a large variant with gray to black fur, endemic to Alaska and northwest Canada, around the Mackenzie River.
Canis lupus pallipes. The Indian short-haired wolf lives in the southern regions of Pakistan, and other countries such as Iran, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Canis lupus signatus. Better known as the Iberian wolf, it is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
Canis lupus hallstromi. The rarest subspecies of those listed here, it is known as the “New Guinea singing dog”, and is a very close relative of the Australian dingo, which would have been isolated in this region for long enough to change its appearance.

wolf howls

One of the most characteristic features of the wolf, for which it has become famous, is its prolonged, nocturnal howl, which serves as a herd location mechanism and demarcation of the borders between their territories.

The wolf howls to communicate with its peers and rivals, thus avoiding unwanted encounters between packs. That's why lone wolves rarely respond to howls they hear: they lack a territory to demarcate.