ONE WOLF, TWO WOLVES

Wolves are a class of the canine family. In fact, they are the largest of all canines with exception of some dog species. They are basically carnivores. Some of them are only about 20 kg while others can be up to 80 kg. They can be from 1.20 to 1.80 m long, from the nose to the end of the tail.They have had a bad reputation for a long time. Remember that they appear in a lot of children’s stories (Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs…) They are very intelligent animals that live in small groups (packs). Wolves have thick fur to help them survive in a variety of climates in the Northern Hemisphere. Wolves’ packs can have from 6 to 20 members. They hunt as a group, so they can attack large animals. such as deer. Surprisingly, wolves are usually not aggressive, but they will fight other animals or even other wolves to protect their pack. Right now the biggest problem they have is the reduction of their habitat. Wolves can live between 6 and 8 years, but in captivity they can live up to 16 years. In the past people hunted them for their fur. This animal is now in danger of extinction. Wolves very rarely attack humans. They howl to communicate at long distances. The alpha male and beta female, the leaders in the pack, are generally the only two that will have sex. The entire pack of wolves is responsible for the care of the little ones (pups). The pups only are 400 gr at birth. They can run up to 50  km per hour for short periods of time. This can be up to 20 minutes. There are 42 teeth in the mouth of an adult wolf. The American Indians considered the wolf as a very powerful animal and they respected it a lot. A wolf has a sense of smell well developed. They have a very complicated level of social ranking. There is a separate ranking for the males than for the females. Some people find a wolf as a pet is a great way to have something exotic. They find them to be fun as pups but it is very hard to domesticate a wolf. They will always have their wild instincts in them. During the winter months, wolves can be found moving around during the day. The rest of the year they are nocturnal. Young wolves are ready to go on hunts with the adults when they are about three months old. It is mostly a learning process for them to observe.