Did you know these Wolf Facts?

Loss of habitat and persecution by Humans are leading factors in the Wolves “Endangered Species Status”.
The weight of the North American Wolf can be as little as 40 pounds or as large as 175 pounds.
The length of the North American Wolf varies between 4’6″ and 6’6″ from muzzle to tip of tail.
The height of an average Wolf is between 26 and 32 inches at the shoulder.
Wolves have large feet, the average being 4 inches wide by 5 inches long.
Wolves can live up to 13 years in the wild but the average is only 6 to 8 years.
Wolves in captivity have been known to live up to 16 years.
Wolves have 42 teeth.
The wolf’s jaw can exert up to 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch, twice the jaw pressure of a German Shepherd. Wolves can crush large bones in just a few bites.
What is the social structure of the pack? There is an alpha male and alpha female who are the leaders of the pack. They are also the most likely pair to breed. The beta wolves’ are in second position and finally the omega wolf is in the lowest position within the pack.
Wolves breed once a year, December through March, depending on latitude, the gestation period is 63 days.
Wolf pups are born in northern climates as late as early June and in southern climates as early as late February
The average litter size is 4 to 6 cubs.
The cubs weigh approximately one pound at birth and cannot see or hear.
Fur color varies from gray, tan and brown to pure white or black.
Packs can have as little as 2 members or as many as 30 members. Average Pack size is 6 to 8.
Pack Territories vary with location. In the Alaskan or Canadian Wilderness the territory for one pack ranges from 300 to 1,000 square miles while in the continental U.S. the territory is between 25 and 150 square miles.
How do wolves communicate? They communicate is a variety of ways. Vocalizations include howling, growling, whimpering, whining, and barking. They also communicate by eye contact, facial expressions, and body movement and posture. Scent marking is also used.
A Wolf in a hurry can go as fast as 35 miles per hour for short distances.
The Wolves’ diet of choice consists of deer, moose, caribou, elk, bison, musk-oxen and beaver. They have been know to survive on voles and mice if need be.