Five main misconceptions about wolves. What does a wolf eat: habitat, nutrition, breeding Do wolves feed on carrion?

Everyone remembers the fairy tale about the gray wolf that we were told in childhood. So who exactly is a wolf? An image from a fairy tale or a dangerous animal? The common wolf is a large predator of the Canidae family. The gray wolf is the master of the tundra and taiga, a hardy and very intelligent animal. In this article you will find a description and photo of a wolf and learn a lot of interesting things about the harsh life of this formidable predator.

Externally, the common gray wolf is very similar to a dog, which is not surprising, because these animals have common ancestors. However, the wolf looks much larger. The body length of a wolf can reach 110-160 cm, the tail length can be up to 52 cm, the height at the withers ranges from 60 to 90 cm, and the body weight of a wild predator can reach up to 80 kg.

There were cases when the weight of individual individuals exceeded 92 kg. The average weight of wolves varies from 30 to 65 kg. The size and weight of wolves depend on geographic location. The colder the climate, the larger the animal. Males are always larger than females.

The wolf animal has thick, rather long and warm fur, which consists of two layers, which makes the wolf look larger. The first layer of the common wolf's fur is tougher and protects against dirt. The second is a waterproof undercoat that protects the wolf from the cold and various extreme conditions of nature. The gray wolf animal is very hardy.

The wolf looks like a threatening and dangerous animal, has a strong muscular body, high strong paws and a large broad-browed head with pointed ears. The elongated and large muzzle with dark stripes is combined with almost white cheeks and light spots in the eye area. The massive muzzle of the wolf is also very expressive. The gray wolf's tail is quite long and usually hangs down. By its movement and position one can judge the mood of the predator.

The common wolf has completely different colors, depending on its habitat. In forests it is a gray-brown color. In the tundra it is lighter, almost white. In the desert – grayish-reddish. There are even white individuals that are found in the Arctic, as well as red or almost black ones. The animal's undercoat is always gray.

How is a wolf different from a dog? The common wolf differs from the dog not only in appearance, but also in its tracks. The track of the gray wolf's tracks is smoother than that of dogs and forms an almost straight line. Also, the wolf has a different track length, which is 9-11 cm, and the width is 6-7 cm; for the she-wolf it is 7-9 cm and 5-6 cm. The two middle fingers of the wolf’s paw are more forward, the fingers are not spread out and form a significantly more prominent print than that of a dog.

Where do wolves live?

The wolf is an animal that is the most common land predator. This wild animal has a wide habitat. The wolf lives mainly in cold countries and in various landscapes. In forests, steppes, deserts, taiga, tundra, forest-steppe and at the foot of the mountains.

Wolves live in many areas of Europe (from Russia to Portugal), Asia (from Korea to Georgia) and North America (from Alaska to Mexico). Large individuals inhabit the tundra, and small ones inhabit the southern regions. It is curious that in Russia the wolf is absent only on the island of Sakhalin.

The common wolf is a territorial animal. Packs of wolves live in conquered areas, the boundaries of which are marked with marks. In summer, when the wolf pack breaks up, the occupied territory is divided into several sections. The best of them is occupied by the main pair, and the rest of the wolves switch to a nomadic lifestyle.

How do wolves live?

The common wolf is a social animal. That's why wolves live in packs, they hunt, play and even howl together. A wolf pack is a family group that consists of animals of different ages and can number from 3 to 40 individuals. The pack is controlled by a leader or a seasoned wolf - the dominant male. This is the smartest, wisest and strongest male in the wolf pack. The leader of the pack has a girlfriend - a dominant female. Together they form a pair, thereby uniting other wolves around themselves - this is a wolf pack.

A pack of wolves has its own hierarchy. The leader of the pack has unquestionable authority. This is a wise leader and he is friendly towards all members of the pack. But the seasoned wolf greets strangers exceptionally aggressively. A beta male is often present in a pack - the most likely successor to the leader. Usually this is the common son of the leading couple or the brother of the leading male. The contender for the position of head of the pack periodically demonstrates aggression towards the alpha male, as if checking his status, since he is ready to take his place at any moment.

A wolf that has left the pack on its own or has been driven out is called a lone wolf. Such animals have every chance to create their own pack.

Wolves live relying on their feelings. They use these senses to hunt and communicate with other wolves. The beast's excellent hearing allows you to hear a howling wolf at a distance of seven kilometers. Their sense of smell is 100 times stronger than that of humans. The gray wolf can run at a speed of 55 km/h.

Wolves live in packs and each pack has its own hunting area, which the animals carefully guard from other wolves. In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves live peacefully and do not fight. Skirmishes occur with strangers and lone wolves who have violated the boundaries of the site. Each wolf pack has its own territory and hunts only on it.

The owners carefully guard and mark their territory, leaving scratches on fallen trees or old stumps. Thus, they make it clear that it is better to stay away. Unexpected guests are punished, such are the cruel laws of the wolf pack. The wolf howl that can be heard around is a way of notifying that the territory has already been occupied.

The size of the common wolf's family territory depends on the landscape and ranges from 50 to 1500 km². The survival of the pack depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves carefully protect them. If there is more than enough food on a family hunting plot, then several generations of wolves will live in one plot. The largest hunting grounds of wolves are found in open landscapes of the tundra and steppe and amount to 1000-1250 km². In the forest zone they are much smaller in size - 200-250 km².

When wolves do not have small cubs, they wander. Wolves travel both in packs and alone. As a result of wandering, animals sometimes appear in areas where wolves have not been seen for several years. Nomadic wolves run up to 70 kilometers in one night.

Gray wolves gather in packs in winter. If the snow is deep, the wolves in the pack move in single file. Each animal follows each other, stepping in the same tracks whenever possible. The common wolf is very cunning. Therefore, it is very difficult to find out from the tracks how many wolves a pack consists of.

Why do wolves howl? Wolves howl because howling is their way of communicating with each other. With the help of howls, wolves find out where their family members are, announce the capture of prey and seizure of territory, or simply to communicate with their relatives. Wolves usually howl in the late evening hours. During the year, wolves howl most often in winter, when the number of pack members reaches its maximum. Wolves begin to howl more actively towards the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, as well as when the puppies begin to develop the family plot and begin to move into its territory.

What does a wolf eat and how does it hunt?

The wolf is a picky predator. The main diet of the common wolf includes large ungulates: deer, elk, saigas, sheep and goats. But the wolf also eats hares, various rodents and birds, because he is not picky. Sometimes wolves can eat dead members of the pack.

Large concentrations of livestock attract wild and predatory wolves. Therefore, it is common to encounter a gray wolf near farms. The wolf eats meat, so on average the animal requires 3-4.5 kg of meat per day. Wolves store their food. Having had enough, the animal wolf buries the remaining pieces of meat. Wolves can go without food for more than two weeks. In the summer, the diet of the common wolf includes plant foods, so in the summer the wolf also eats fruits and berries.

The principles of wolf hunting are very diverse. In winter, wolves hunt collectively for large ungulates. Wolves use this type of hunting in winter. The main advantage of a wolf's winter hunting is the presence of snow cover, on which it can easily move. Snow makes it much more difficult for ungulates to escape from a wolf, a wild and predatory animal.

It is curious that the collective hunting of wolves involves the distribution of responsibilities: part of the pack participates in the pursuit of prey, while the other cuts off the path of the prey. When hunting, the wolf's nose is the main adviser. He tells the wild predator where to look for prey. Wolves can smell even a small animal that is a couple of kilometers away from them. It is with the help of their acute sense of smell that wolves can follow the tracks of their prey. The wolf hunts almost silently.

The wolf's main weapon is its teeth. With sharp fangs 5 ​​cm long, the wolf holds and drags the victim, and with the remaining teeth it cuts up the game. A wolf’s teeth are not only its weapon, but also its protection, so their loss is disastrous for the animal.

Wolves kill especially large ungulates by attacking as a whole pack and attack until their prey falls. At the same time, the primacy to feast on the prey rightfully belongs to the leader and his female; they eat the best pieces of the carcass.

The wolf hunts very carefully. Stealthily sneaking up on the animal, with a deft leap he grabs it by the throat and throws it to the ground. It can sit in ambush for hours and wait for prey all day long. Often they can follow a herd of ungulates; predators do not give away their presence, but wait for the right moment to attack.

Wolves are very cunning; in pursuit they stop pursuing, allowing the prey to go far ahead. When the victim slows down, the wolf attacks again. Wolves often attack foxes. But most often they don't eat them. By attacking a herd of livestock, wolves can distract dogs. Part of the wolf pack attacks the dogs, and the rest attacks the herd.

Wolves are very good at navigating the terrain. Many packs use the same areas of territory to drive prey into a dead end. When hunting rodents, the wolf jumps on the prey, crushes it with its paw and eats it. This hunting technique is common for wolves in the summer.

In summer, the flock splits up and predators live alone or in small groups. Wolves feed on a variety of animals, using well-established hunting techniques. In the summer, the wolf most often feeds on hares. But even with all the calculated moves and deft maneuvers in the hunt, it does not always end successfully.

Wolf cubs - birth of puppies. How does a pack raise wolf cubs?

A wolf's lair is a hole where a she-wolf raises wolf cubs. Wolves make their dens in secluded places. In this case, the place must have a good overview. Wolves often use empty burrows of other animals as dens.

Wolves breed annually in January-February, the first breeding period begins at the age of 2-3 years. The duration of pregnancy for a she-wolf is about two months. In the spring, wolf cubs are born in the den. Typically, a female gives birth to 4 to 8 wolf cubs. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind; during the first days of the babies' lives, the she-wolf is constantly nearby. They begin to see and hear at about 10-12 days of life.

After three weeks, the wolf cubs leave the den for the first time and begin to taste meat at the same time. The entire pack takes part in raising and raising wolf cubs. Wolves bring the best meat to the den with their babies.

In small wolf cubs, the color has a grayish-brown tint, which changes with age. At the age of 2 months, the wolf cubs leave the den, but still stay close to the hole. Such places are protected by vegetation from prying eyes. Wolf puppies learn the basics of hunting and attack shrews and mice.

Wolf cubs grow rapidly and their weight increases almost 30 times in the first four months. Newborn wolf cubs have blue eyes. At the age of 8 months, the cubs' eyes change to yellow. By the end of the first winter after birth, the wolf cubs reach adult size. The common wolf lives 12-15 years.

Are wolves necessary and why?

Why are wolves needed, because for humans, a wolf is an enemy. It is dangerous to people and destroys livestock. Gradually, the fight between people and wolves led to a reduction in their numbers. But the wild predatory animal the common wolf plays an important role in the balance of the ecological system.

Wolves are needed to regulate the population of large ungulates. Wolves are also a kind of “orderlies”, since by destroying sick animals, wolves prevent diseases from spreading. Hunting weak animals promotes the survival of the strongest.

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Nowadays, attempts to domesticate wild animals are no longer surprising with the novelty, so the long-standing progenitor of the domestic wolf is no exception. In addition, today breeding work is actively carried out in livestock farming, aimed at breeding wolf-dog hybrids by crossing both. Until recently, wolves were kept and bred in state zoos and menageries, but now this seems possible even for private individuals at home.

Food in the wild

The wolf is one of the largest animals in the canine family: its body length reaches one and a half meters, and its tail reaches 50 centimeters.

In terms of height at the withers, the highest height it can reach ranges from 90-100 centimeters, and body weight can reach up to 80 kilograms (but this is already rare, on average - 50-60 kilograms).

Important! The color of wolves' fur depends on the main area of ​​their distribution. For example, desert and tundra inhabitants are reddish and snow-white in color, respectively; forest dwellers can be recognized by their basic gray color with varying shades from ash gray to dark brown. And the black color is not characteristic of real wolves at all, so this appearance can serve as evidence of a hybrid mutation.

The original range of wolves was the entire northern hemisphere of the Earth. But after a long time, the total number of this type of predatory mammals decreased significantly due to changes in natural landscapes by people, an increase in the number of cities, as well as the mass extermination of the animals themselves.

Today, the wolf population exists stably in the northern part of Eurasia and America; in other regions of the world, animals are on the verge of complete extinction.

Despite the traditional fear of it, the wolf is a very cautious animal, so it is used to staying away from people.

And even after centuries, during which man hunted the wolf and exterminated it by all possible means, the animal’s instinct of aggression towards people does not manifest itself, since it is very smart. Wolves do not attack people, and cases that suggest otherwise are rare and have specific causes.

Optimal habitats for them:

• forests in temperate latitudes of the globe;
• tundra;
• coniferous forests;
• plains covered with grassy vegetation;
• territorial associations of mountains.

This animal belongs to the order of predators, and according to its way of life, it obtains its food by hunting.
The basic basis of wolf nutrition is ungulates, and in different parts of the world these can be different representatives of the fauna: reindeer (in the tundra), elk, roe deer, wild boar (in the forest), antelope (in the steppe and desert zones).

Also in the natural ecosystem, the prey of wolves, who hunt alone, are mainly weak, sick or already killed animals: hares, gophers, foxes, mice, beavers and others.

If predators have settled near human dwellings, their prey may be poultry (geese, chickens), livestock (cows, horses, sheep) or, no matter how strange it may seem, (apparently, the feeling of hunger is more important for them than the feeling of kinship) .

Winter food is more varied: it can be deer, roe deer, elk, wild boar, bison, or even bears. Wolves are omnivores and, to diversify their diet, can eat eggs, chicks, fruits, berries, mushrooms, carrion, and insects.
The method of hunting of wolves often consists in the technique of attacking in a pack: they surround the prey, and, pouncing on it, grab it by the neck, paws, sides until the latter, weakened from wounds, weakens and falls.

Animals never leave their “leftovers” just like that: most often they bury them or hide them under fallen leaves, remember the place, and when they get hungry again, they look for their own food storage.

Wolves are also called “the orderlies of the forest”, since they are the ones who cleanse the “kingdom of animals” from sick representatives of the fauna, preventing diseases from spreading further.

According to the theory of evolution, the strongest survive: by destroying some of the herbivores that cannot defend themselves or escape, wolves thereby enable others to eat and not die of hunger.

Diet at home

Those who are wondering whether it is possible to keep a wolf at home should know that there are different types of raising it in captivity:

• zoos;
• large wildlife parks;
• , built at home.

Taking into account the living conditions, a special nutrition system is also selected. For example, a wildlife park is a place that closely resembles the natural habitat of a wolf.

Did you know?According to observations, if you do not pick up the body of a shot wolf from a hunt, then soon other members of the pack will literally eat it.

In a zoo or menagerie, nutritional conditions are slightly different: here the wolf is fed daily for six days a week, and on the seventh the animal goes hungry. For one adult head, 2-3 kilograms of fresh carcass on bone is calculated, with the possible presence of skin and hair.

To strengthen the musculoskeletal system, this diet includes fish oil, protein and mineral feed (meat and bone meal), as well as dry and ground fish remains.
Animals can be given meat or poultry several times a month; vegetables and herbs also play an important role in maintaining immunity.

Did you know? A distinctive feature of these animals is their unique ability to “adapt to the local diet”: for example, inhabitants of the northern parts of the hemisphere can catch river salmon, and residents of the southern regions canThere is even melons (watermelon, melon, pumpkin).

And finally, let’s figure out what a wolf eats when he lives in an enclosure. This can be dry food intended for, as well as a variety of cereals and deli meats.

In the first option, it is best to choose feed that contains high levels of fat and protein (the main material for protein synthesis in the animal body). This is due to constant exposure to the street, as well as excessive activity of the animal.

The interval between feedings must be observed taking into account the weight of the animal, the norm is twice a day, and it is necessary to ensure the constant availability of clean water for drinking.

As for the second option, the domestic wolf can also be fed with porridge made from processed durum wheat, unpolished particles of barley kernels, buckwheat, crushed and polished corn grains. You can also diversify your diet by adding eggs and dairy products. Game, especially venison, works well as meat.

Vitamin-mineral complexes (preferably containing calcium and vitamin D3) can be purchased in stores where dog food is sold, or you can independently add fish oil, meat-bone and fish meal to the diet.

Domesticated wolves are quite unpretentious animals; as we have already said, they easily adapt to the conditions of the local diet, so they are unlikely to become capricious and will eat what you give them.

But still, it is necessary to carefully monitor their well-being and general health, since this is not exactly what a wild wolf eats in the forest.
If there are any symptoms of malaise, decreased activity, lethargy or other factors indicating any disturbances, the animal should be taken to a veterinary clinic for an appointment.

A timely visit to a doctor who diagnoses diseases and deviations in the animal’s normal functioning will help avoid bad consequences and adjust the animal’s care plan in a timely manner.

What is prohibited

• a real wild wolf cub;
• wolf-dog hybrid: wolfdog or breed of domestic wolf.

Important! If we talk about the breeding and hybrid work done, then n A real wolf is considered to be one who had this wild animal in his family no more than five generations ago.

In the first case, the animal can be taken from a nursery, after consulting with a specialist.

As for the second, there are such types of this exotic mixture:

• low content of wolf breed (1-49%) - these are not quite our usual friends, but not quite predators (suitable for beginners); good companions, amenable, but show traits inherent in wolves (stubbornness and independence);
• average level of wolf origin (50-74%);
• high standard for keeping wolf breeds (75-100%), which are almost impossible to distinguish from wild wolves; They have very little of the temperament characteristic of dogs.

If you have adopted a real wolf cub or a wolfdog with the highest or average content of the wolf breed for your upbringing and maintenance, remember: under no circumstances should you shout at small animals, treat them rudely, beat them for disobedience or for biting.
Wild wolves are very calm parents and never punish their babies.

Be that as it may, the psychological instincts of wild animals do not disappear anywhere, and in order not to harm yourself or your loved ones, before getting such an animal, study special literature, talk with specialists and then make the right decision.

Remember: You need to treat an animal whose relatives are wild forest dwellers with extreme caution. Statistics show that rarely anyone has managed to make a close friend out of a wolf.

Nevertheless, this is possible, but requires a lot of effort, patience, time and a full understanding of the biological and psychological characteristics of this animal.

And one more thing: do not try to tame a wild wolf cub that has been left without a mother or father after a hunt. This is truly a wild beast, and if at first it seems sweet and kind to you, then after a couple of years this “sweet” creature will try to “crush” you with its authority.
Predators do not tolerate submission, equal relationships, or excessive display of feelings; moreover, it can be life-threatening.

Important! It is unlikely that a wolf will have warm feelings for all family members; he will have a certain amount of respect for you as his master, but at the same time provoke you to one day obey him.

You can get a wolf at home by adopting it from a nursery or buying a wolfdog hybrid.

Conditions for keeping:

Important! Today, wolves and dogs are sold at a price that is equal to the cost of a good purebred dog. It is almost impossible for ordinary people to check the pedigree of an animal, and according to statistics, more than half of the hybrids do not have wolf genes.

This is not for you, so if you do not have animal training skills, do not buy a wolf or mixed breed.
Basic rules for training a wolf cub:

• Working with it will require a lot of effort, patience and time.
• become his alpha: already at a young age, the wolf cub must understand who is boss in the family, and if you stop his attempts to dominate in a timely manner, but very carefully, sooner or later he will agree;
• as we have already said, when training, do not shout, do not hit, do not humiliate him, do not be rude to the animal;
• it is necessary to prevent the wolf cub from becoming bored: it is necessary to build all sorts of obstacles for him to overcome, and then give him rewards in the form of various delicacies;
• build more structures in the yard, you can also make sandboxes and play pits, a pond or a small pool;
• From childhood, accustom your domesticated animal to a leash, it should be a social animal.

Unpredictability, cunning and intelligence are the character traits of a wolf that can manifest themselves when trying to train him.

In addition to the fact that the wolf is a representative of the wild animal world, accustomed to independence, authority, the rules of the pack, and not equality in relationships, behavioral features are also differences from dogs in the manifestation of friendliness.

When wolves are happy, they may bite you or your children, try to drag you somewhere by grabbing your limbs, which is often perceived as an attack.

Did you know? Although we all consider our best friends - dogs - to be the smartest animals, in comparison with them, the brain mass of wolves is 30 percent heavier. Scientists at the Veterinary University of Vienna conducted an experiment: 15 yard puppies and 14 six-month-old wolf cubs watched as a specially trained dog independently opened a wooden box of food using its paws and teeth. A test of the ability to remember and repeat what they saw showed that all the wolf cubs coped with this task, accurately repeating the actions of the trained animal. As for the mongrels, only 4 of the 15 present managed to complete the task.

The display of affection in this animal is similar to signs of aggression. They greet each other by biting each other's faces, so imagine this situation: your dear friend will come up to you, touch your cheek with his muzzle and lick his teeth.

Naturally, when you see such a picture, you will be scared, because a grin is not perceived by people as a sign of greeting. However, if you try to distance yourself, you can get yourself into trouble: wolves do not understand when they don’t want to greet them - this is a sign of disrespect and disgust.

Therefore, he may bite you on the face, making an attempt to establish contact. Despite the conservation status of wolves, it is worth saying that these are truly “unbroken” animals: not a single representative of the predators was destroyed so long and purposefully, so hatefully and mercilessly.

Today, these noble animals are the heroes of many fairy tales and poems, legends and myths, cartoons and films. They are feared, legends are written about them, scripts for science fiction films are written, and even attempts are made to tame them.

Well, if you have good intentions, you can try, but remember: you need to approach this issue very seriously and responsibly.
If in the future you refuse to raise a wolf cub, to some extent the already tamed animal will not be able to live a full life either in the “free”, which is no longer such for him, or in a nursery, where everyone will already be strangers to him.

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Contents of the article:

Dogs are so similar to wolves that some breeds cannot be distinguished from wild predators. Therefore, many people wonder if they are related? After all, if you look closely, they have the same structure. How then does a wolf differ from a dog, is it just the habitat? Or maybe they can be tamed and they will help people?

Origin, similarities and differences between species

Few people know, but dogs and wolves belong to the same family and genus – canids. But this was not always the case; initially the former were identified as a separate species.

However, science does not stand still, and when it became possible to conduct high-quality analyzes of DNA and genetic drift, scientists proved that the wolf is the direct ancestor of domestic pets.

And it’s not for nothing that some breeds are so similar to forest orderlies. These include the northern Inuit, wolfdogs, and duckfoots. When you meet them in the forest, you won’t understand that it’s someone’s pet before your eyes.

However, knowing some features designated species, you can easily determine who is in front of you:

• The wolf does not wag its tail in greeting;
• The ears usually stand up, only occasionally does he press them to his head;
• Doesn't bark;
• Has larger teeth and fangs;
• The chest is wider than that of a dog of the same size.

Among other things, the forest dweller is particularly careful. He is not used to the person and will look studyingly. If you see footprints in the forest, then take a closer look at them.

In dogs, the distance between the toes will be narrower than in a wolf. The latter has a paw that seems to be spread out, as the front toes protrude more forward.

What does a wolf eat?

During the process of domestication, dogs' diets became more selective. They will not eat bugs or frogs, or their own kind.

Wolves are typical predators. Their food is:

1. Any ungulates: in the forest - elk, wild boars, deer; in the desert - antelopes;
2. Pets, including dogs;
3. Small animals: hares, various rodents;
4. Birds, their eggs and chicks;
5. Corpses;
6. On the sea coasts - seals and any carcasses washed ashore;
7. In times of famine, these predators do not disdain frogs, large beetles, and even berries or mushrooms.

Residents of the steppe say that they are often met at the melon patch. Wolves raid at night to feast on melons and watermelons. The point here is not hunger, but thirsty. The steppes have dry, hot summers, and sometimes it happens that the already few streams and rivulets dry up. Then the animal has to quench its thirst in this way.

Do wolves attack people?

There are different opinions on this matter. But with the exception of a few of them, it all boils down to the fact that forest predators are dangerous. There are statistics that say that on average in the European part of Russia in 1870 - 1897, about 1,500 people were eaten. Now nothing has changed and this figure has remained approximately the same - about 200 dead and injured per year.

People are not the main food of the beast. And as Russian zoologist M.P. Pavlov explains in his teachings, attacks occur only in extreme cases. Most of the animals that were caught after the killing turned out to have rabies.

This is often due to the area being extremely poor in natural production. When an animal begins to starve, it goes to a person.

On the other hand, American scientists are trying to refute the generally accepted opinion. They claim that the North American representatives living in their country do not rush at people, even if they climb into their lair.

One way or another, cases of attack are known and there are many of them. Almost every one of them ended fatally. Therefore, you should not treat a wolf like a dog, despite their similarities.

Why don't wolves perform in the circus?

Yes, the presence of a wolf act in the circus repertoire is exotic, but such performances do exist. Man has learned to train more dangerous animals. Of course the forest robber poorly trained and there are several reasons for this:

• They live poorly in captivity, become depressed, begin to get sick and die quickly;
• They cannot resist their instincts. Even if they get used to a person, they quickly forget him and can bite him to death;
• They cannot stand noise, bright light and fuss around, as they are cowardly by nature. They are easily frightened and then irreparable things can happen.

There is one well-known experience in Russia when a trainer managed to create a real performance with these predators. In 1995, Ekaterina Korenkova took in several still blind puppies. By feeding them from a nipple and being constantly nearby, she was able to raise a group of four-legged artists. But, according to her, it was not easy. even becoming their “mother”.

Considering the listed difficulties, it is more convenient and safer to train dogs that are already accustomed to obeying people.

Why is the wolf called the forest orderly?

Nothing in nature happens just like that. A dog benefits humans, and the forest robber is an important part of the forest ecosystem. It destroys weak and sick individuals and regulates the size of the herd. If there are no wolves, elk, for example, will begin to reproduce uncontrollably. Since such a large and strong animal has no other natural enemies.

The artiodactyls will begin to eat up the grass in large quantities, depriving the rest of the inhabitants of their home and food. On the bare ground, many bacteria accumulate from the decomposing bodies of dead animals. Diseases will begin to spread throughout the area.

In addition, famine and pestilence will begin in countless herds due to overpopulation. Elks will die from infections and lack of food.

Today, the number of wolves has declined greatly, and environmentalists are sounding the alarm. Measures are being introduced to preserve them. If previously hunting for them was always allowed, now it is only during a certain period, from October to February.

We have talked in such detail about the life of a forest animal so that you can better understand how a wolf differs from a dog. It turned out that these are representatives of the same species, which are relatives. But the domestication of some individuals in ancient times led to the fact that they now cannot live without humans, while others remained faithful to the wild way of existence.

Video about the characteristics of canid species

This video will tell you about 5 dog breeds that can defeat any wolf:

The wolf is by nature a predatory animal from the canine family. A wolf is a larger animal compared to a dog. The length of its body, including its tail, reaches one hundred and sixty centimeters, its height is up to ninety centimeters, and its weight is up to sixty-two kilograms. Based on DNA and gene studies, the wolf is the ancestor of the common domestic dog. There are even dogs with the coloring of wolves, if you see one in the forest by chance, you can get very scared and then tell everyone that you saw a wolf.

Previously, there were much more wolves than now, and all because the natural landscape changed, urbanization and, of course, extermination. There are areas where wolves are on the verge of extinction altogether. On continents further north, the wolf population remains more stable. Despite the fact that there are fewer and fewer wolves, there are places where they pose a danger to villagers and livestock. Therefore, wolf hunting still remains open and also for fun and entertainment.

Wolves usually feed on animals: domestic and wild. These can be wild boars, horses, moose, deer, cows, as well as hares, muskrats, beavers, marmots, and mice. If the wolf cannot find such food, then it can even feed on lizards and frogs. If a wolf is very hungry, he can eat twelve kilograms of meat in one meal. If he has not finished his food, he will definitely hide it in a secluded place. And, if he gets hungry, he always comes to his secluded hiding place and eats the remains of the hidden meat. The wolf mainly navigates the area using hearing and smell, because wolves' vision is poorly developed, but still a wolf sees better at night than a dog. The wolf has well-developed conditioned reflexes, so it adapts well and quickly to the situation.

Wolves usually hunt only wild animals, but due to lack of food they can also hunt domestic animals, even dogs. And so the main food for wolves is mainly sheep, calves, roe deer, goats. If the wolf is old or sick, due to injuries and worn teeth, he goes to where the prey is easy for him. For example, running into a village, he lures dogs, and then pretends to run away, naturally the dog runs after him, and at that moment he turns around and attacks it.

Both in summer and winter, they stay in hunting areas, where they can constantly feast on the caught prey. Wolves are more active at night. When they attack, they try to kill several animals at once. There are times when wolves are divided into two packs, one sits in ambush, and the other attacks. And during the chase, one flock runs on the heels, and the other runs across or slowly trails behind, and then, when the flock gets tired, they begin to run after the herd until the prey runs out of steam and they catch it.

Wolves (females) reproduce after sixty days of pregnancy and at a time give birth to from three to thirteen blind wolf cubs, which gain their sight only on the twelfth or thirteenth day. When the wolf cubs grow up, their parents feed them from the burped meat they eat, and then from the killed prey. Usually the entire pack takes part in feeding small wolf cubs. Then, when the wolf cubs grow up, they begin to actively take part in hunting along with other adult wolves.

In nature, wolves live up to fifteen years, but at ten to twelve years old they show the first signs of old age. Wolves come into heat once a year, unlike domestic animals, they come into heat twice a year. Thanks to this, wolf cubs are born warm spring, when there is more than enough food. But despite this, few wolf cubs survive; about sixty percent of small wolf cubs do not survive.

A wolf is a predatory mammal that belongs to the order Carnivora, family Canidae (canines, wolves).

The Russian word “wolf” is consonant with some Slavic names of the beast: Bulgarians call the predator vylk, Serbs - vuk, Ukrainians - vovk. The origin of the name goes back to the Old Slavonic word “vylk”, which meant to drag, to drag away.

Predators have a long and thick tail, which in some species grows up to 56 cm in length and is always lowered down. The wolf's head is massive, with pointed ears set high, and the muzzle is elongated and wide. The skull of the red and maned wolves is shaped like a fox.

The wolf's mouth is armed with 42 teeth: the carnassial teeth are designed to tear prey into pieces and grind bones, and with the help of fangs the animal firmly holds and drags its victim.

Only red wolves have a dental formula that contains fewer molars.

Wolf cubs are born with blue eyes, but by the third month the iris becomes orange or golden yellow, although there are wolves who remain blue-eyed all their lives.

The wolf's fur is thick and two-layered: the undercoat is formed by waterproof down, and the top layer is made up of guard hairs that repel dirt and moisture. The low thermal conductivity of wool allows animals to survive in the harshest climatic conditions.

Wolves come in a rich range of colors, including various variations of grey, white, black and brown, although the fur is often red, pure white or almost black. It is believed that the color of the coat allows predators to blend harmoniously with the surrounding landscape, and the mixture of different shades emphasizes the individuality of the animals.

Wolves are digitigrade animals: relying on their toes allows them to balance their weight while moving. Strong limbs, a narrow sternum and a sloping back allow predators to travel long distances in search of food. The usual gait of a wolf is a light trot at a speed of about 10 km/h. The speed of a wolf chasing prey can reach 65 km/h.

The wolf has excellent hearing, vision is much weaker, but the sense of smell is excellent: the predator can smell prey 3 km away, and the ability to distinguish between several million different shades of odor is of great importance during the rutting season, during hunting and in the communicative communication of animals. Urine and fecal marks are used to mark territory boundaries.

The vocal range of wolves is rich and varied: predators howl, grunt, bark, squeal, growl, whine and convey complex messages to other members of the pack. At dawn you can hear the “choral singing” of wolves. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon, but in fact, by howling, animals inform pack members about their location and drive away strangers. Solitary animals that live outside the pack rarely howl, so as not to get themselves into trouble.

The facial expressions of wolves are also very developed: thanks to the position of the mouth, lips, ears and tail, as well as the display of teeth, predators express their emotional state. Like a domestic dog, a wolf's raised tail and ears indicate wariness or aggression.

Lifespan of wolves

In nature, wolves live from 8 to 16 years; in captivity, life expectancy can reach 20 years.

Historically, wolves' range was second in area to that of humans in the Northern Hemisphere, but today it has declined significantly. Wolves live in Europe (the Baltics, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Poland, the Balkans and Scandinavian countries), Asia (countries such as China, Korea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran , Iraq, northern Arabian Peninsula), Africa (Ethiopia), North America (Canada, Mexico, USA, including Alaska), South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). In Russia, wolves are distributed throughout the entire territory, except for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The following types of wolves live in Russia:

• red wolf (2 subspecies out of 10);
• Gray wolf;
• tundra wolf;
• steppe wolf;
• Eurasian wolf, also known as Tibetan or Carpathian;
• polar Wolf.

Predators have mastered and adapted to life in a wide variety of natural zones: wolves live in the tundra, forests, deserts and semi-deserts, on plains, in mountain forests, and sometimes settle near populated areas.

Wolves are territorial and social animals, forming packs of 3 to 40 individuals that occupy a personal range of 65-300 square kilometers, marked by scent marks. At the head of the pack is a monogamous pair of leaders: an alpha male and an alpha female, the remaining members of the pack are their offspring, other relatives and lone wolves, subordinate to a strict hierarchy. During the rutting period, the flock breaks up, the territory is divided into small fragments, but the best area always goes to the dominant pair. While moving through their territory, leaders leave scent marks once every 3 minutes. At the border of the territory, the density of tags may be even more frequent.

Being nocturnal animals, during the day wolves rest in various natural shelters, thickets and shallow caves, but they often use the holes of marmots, arctic foxes or badgers, and they themselves dig holes extremely rarely.

What does a wolf eat?

Wolves are one of the most agile, fast and hardy predators, tracking and tirelessly pursuing their prey. The wolf's diet depends on the availability of food and in most species consists primarily of animal food. Wolves hunt equally successfully in a pack or alone, but they can only drive and attack large prey, for example, a reindeer, bison or yak, through a united hunt. In 60% of cases, wolves attack young, old, sick or wounded animals, and they perfectly sense whether the animal is strong and healthy or sick and weakened.

In the wild, the wolf feeds on large animals (elk, deer, roe deer, saigas, antelope, bison, wild boars), smaller mammals (hares, ground squirrels, beavers, armadillos, mice, lemmings), as well as fish, brooding birds, and their eggs. Wolves often prey on large and small domestic animals and birds (geese, ducks, sheep, cows, horses), as well as foxes, wild dogs and corsacs.

In the absence of a main source of food, wolves do not disdain small amphibians (for example, frogs), lizards, insects (beetles, locusts) and carrion (for example, dead seals washed ashore). In the warm season, berries, mushrooms and ripe fruits appear in the diet of predators.

In the steppes, wolves quench their thirst in fields with melons - watermelons and melons. Hungry predators even attack bears in hibernation; they will not miss the opportunity to tear apart a weakened and sick animal, eating up to 10-14 kg of meat at a time. A hungry polar wolf eats a white hare whole, with bones and skin. An interesting feature of wolves is their habit of returning to the corpses of half-eaten prey, as well as hiding excess meat in reserve.

Types of wolves, photos and names

In the canine (wolf) family, there are several genera, which include different types of wolves:

1. Genus Wolves (lat. Canis)
   • Wolf, also known as the gray wolf, or common wolf (lat. Canis lupus), which includes many subspecies, including domestic dogs and Dingo dogs (secondary feral):
     • Canis lupus albus(Kerr, 1792) – tundra wolf,
     • † Canis lupus alces(Goldman, 1941)
     • Canis lupus arabs(Pocock, 1934) – Arabian wolf,
     • Canis lupus arctos(Pocock, 1935) – Melville Island wolf,
     • Canis lupus baileyi(Nelson and Goldman, 1929) – Mexican wolf,
     • † Canis lupus beothucus(G. M. Allen and Barbour, 1937) - Newfoundland wolf,
     • † Canis lupus bernardi(Anderson, 1943)
     • Canis lupus campestris(Dwigubski, 1804) – desert wolf, also known as steppe wolf,
     • Canis lupus chanco(Gray, 1863),
     • Canis lupus columbianus(Goldman, 1941)
     • Canis lupus crassodon(Hall, 1932) – Vancouver Island wolf,
     • † Canis lupus deitanus(Cabrera, 1907) (in some classifications it is a synonym of the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus dingo(Meyer, 1793) - Dingo dog, or secondarily feral domestic dog,
     • Canis lupus familiaris(Linnaeus, 1758) – dog,
     • Canis lupus filchneri(Matschie, 1907),
     • Canis lupus floridanus(Miller, 1912)
     • † Canis lupus fuscus(Richardson, 1839)
     • Canis lupus gregoryi(Goldman, 1937)
     • † Canis lupus griseoalbus(Baird, 1858)
     • Canis lupus hallstromi(Troughton, 1958) – New Guinea singing dog (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus dingo),
     • † Canis lupus hattai(Kishida, 1931) - Japanese wolf, or shaman,
     • † Canis lupus hodophilax(Temminck, 1839),
     • Canis lupus hudsonicus(Goldman, 1941) – Hudson wolf,
     • † Canis lupus irremotus(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus labradorius(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus ligoni(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus lupus(Linnaeus, 1758) - European wolf, also known as Eurasian wolf, Chinese wolf, or common wolf,
     • Canis lupus lycaon(Schreber, 1775) - eastern wolf, or North American timber wolf,
     • Canis lupus mackenzii(Anderson, 1943)
     • Canis lupus manningi(Anderson, 1943)
     • † Canis lupus minor(M. Mojsisovics, 1887) (in some classifications it is a synonym of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris),
     • † Canis lupus mogollonensis(Goldman, 1937)
     • † Canis lupus monstrabilis(Goldman, 1937)
     • Canis lupus nubilus(Say, 1823) - buffalo wolf, or Great Plains wolf,
     • Canis lupus occidentalis(Richardson, 1829) - Mackenzi plains wolf, also known as Alaskan wolf, Canadian wolf or Rocky Mountain wolf,
     • Canis lupus orion(Pocock, 1935)
     • Canis lupus pallipes(Sykes, 1831) – Asian, also known as Indian or Iranian wolf,
     • Canis lupus pambasileus(Elliot, 1905),
     • Canis lupus rufus(Audubon and Bachman, 1851) – red wolf,
     • Canis lupus signatus(Cabrera, 1907) - Iberian wolf (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus tundrarum(Miller, 1912) – polar wolf,
     • † Canis lupus youngi(Goldman, 1937) is a wolf of the southern Rocky Mountains.
2. Genus Maned wolves (lat. Chrysocyon)
   • Maned wolf, or guara, or aguarachai (lat. Chrysocyon brachyurus)
3. Genus Red wolves
   • Red wolf, or mountain wolf, or Himalayan wolf, or buanzu (lat. Cuon alpinus)

Below is a description of several varieties of wolves.

• Red Wolf, aka mountain wolf, Himalayan wolf or buanzu(Cuon alpinus)

A large predator, externally combining the features of a wolf, fox and jackal. Mature males grow from 76 to 110 cm in length. At the same time, the weight of the red wolf is 17-21 kg. The animals' tail is longer than that of other wolves, fluffy, like a fox's, and grows to 45-50 cm in length. The red wolf has a short, pointed muzzle and large, high-set ears. The main color of the animals is various shades of red, and the tip of the tail is always black. A distinctive feature of the subspecies is a smaller number of teeth and 6 to 7 pairs of nipples. Differences in fur density, color and body size made it possible to divide the species into 10 subspecies.

The biotopes of predators are tied to mountains, rocks and gorges (up to 4 thousand m above sea level). The red wolf feeds on small animals - amphibians and rodents, as well as large animals: sambar, axis and antelope. In summer, wolves happily eat various vegetation.

A significant part of the animals’ range extends across Central and South Asia; predators live from the Altai Mountains and Tien Shan to Hindustan, Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The largest population is found in the Himalayas, southern Iran, India and Pakistan's Indus Valley. In other habitats, the red wolf is extremely scarce or completely extinct, so the species is classified as endangered and is protected.

• Maned wolf, aka guara or aguarachai (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

A unique representative of the family, its name translates as “short-tailed golden dog.” Long hair up to 13 cm long grows on the nape of predators, forming a thick mane. Externally, the maned wolf resembles a large long-legged fox, the body length of adult individuals is 125-130 cm, due to excessively elongated limbs, the height of the wolf at the withers reaches 74-87 cm, and the animals weigh from 20 to 23 kg. The obvious disproportions of the body are especially emphasized by the long muzzle, large, high-set ears and a short tail with a length of 28 to 45 cm. The wolf's fur is reddish-yellow in color, a strip of black fur runs along the spine, the legs are almost black, and the chin and the end of the tail are light.

Maned wolves live exclusively on the plains, and, having evolved, acquired their surprisingly long limbs, allowing them to make their way through thickets of grass. The species' range extends from the northeast of Brazil to the eastern regions of Bolivia, in the south it covers Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande Do Sul. According to the IUCN, the population is becoming vulnerable.

Predators feed on rodents, rabbits, armadillos, amphibians, insects, and also eat guava, bananas and nightshade, which rids animals of nematodes.

• Eastern wolf, aka North American timber wolf(Canis lupus lycaon)

It still does not have a specific classification: a number of scientists consider it as an independent species ( Canis lycaon) or is considered a hybrid of a gray wolf with a red wolf or coyote. The height at the shoulders of mature males reaches 80 cm, females - 75 cm, with a body weight of 40 and 30 kg, respectively. The fur of the eastern wolf is yellowish-brown, shaggy, black hair grows on the back and sides, and the area behind the ears is distinguished by a reddish-brown tint.

Eastern wolves are primarily carnivores, their prey being deer, elk and rodents.

These animals live in forests from the southeast of the Canadian province of Ontario to the province of Quebec.

• Common wolf or Gray wolf(Canis lupus)

One of the largest predators among canines, with a body size reaching 1-1.6 m. The height at the shoulders of seasoned individuals is from 66 to 86 cm, in particularly large specimens it can be up to 90 cm. An ordinary wolf weighs from 32 to 62 kg, among the inhabitants of the northern regions of the range, body weight varies from 50 to 80 kg. The tail of predators grows up to 52 cm. The color of animal fur is quite variable: forest inhabitants are usually gray-brown, tundra inhabitants are almost white, desert predators are gray with red, only the undercoat is always gray.

The favorite food of wolves is various ungulate mammals: deer, elk, roe deer, antelope, wild boar and small animals: mice, hares, gophers. Wolves do not disdain representatives of their own family, for example, small foxes and raccoon dogs; various domestic animals often become their prey. During the ripening period, predators quench their thirst on melon fields, eating watermelons and melons, because they need a lot of moisture.

The range of the gray wolf extends across Eurasia and North America. In Europe, predators are distributed from Spain and Portugal to Ukraine, Scandinavia and the Balkans. In Russia, the gray wolf lives everywhere except Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. In Asia, animals are distributed from Korea, China and Hindustan to Afghanistan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. In North America, the animals are found from Alaska to Mexico.

• Red wolf(Canis lupus rufus)

At first it was considered as an independent species (lat. Canis rufus), but DNA tests allowed it to be considered a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote.

These predators are smaller than their gray relatives, but larger than coyotes, their size ranges from 1 to 1.3 m excluding the tail, and the height of the animals ranges from 66 to 79 cm. Seasoned wolves weigh from 20 to 41 kg. Red wolves are slimmer and longer-legged than their gray relatives, their ears are more elongated and their fur is shorter. The red color of the fur is characteristic of the inhabitants of Texas; other animals have gray, brownish and black tones in color along with red; the back is usually black.

The diet of predators consists mainly of rodents, raccoons and hares; hunting for large prey is rare. The secondary food is insects and various berries; on occasion, carrion is eaten.

The red wolf is the rarest subspecies, its range, originally covering the eastern United States, was reduced to small areas of Texas and Louisiana, and in the 70s of the 20th century the red wolf was completely exterminated, with the exception of 14 specimens preserved in captivity. Thanks to measures aimed at restoring the population, of the 300 individuals bred, about a hundred predators today live within the state of North Carolina.

• Tundra wolf(Canis lupus albus)

One of the particularly large and little-studied subspecies, externally similar to its close relative, the polar wolf, but somewhat inferior in size: the average weight of predators is about 42-49 kg. Although pure white wolves are found among the population, most individuals are gray-white and dark gray in color with a complete absence of brown.

The developed massive jaws of the wolf with strong teeth allow it to hunt large prey, although the diet includes rodents and white hares.

Tundra wolves live throughout the tundra and forest-tundra of Europe and Siberia up to Kamchatka and the Arctic coast.

• Steppenwolf, or desert wolf(Canis lupus campestris)

A poorly studied species of predators of small size, with rather sparse and rough fur of a grayish-ochre color.

Desert wolves inhabit the steppe and desert landscapes of Central Asia, including the Kazakh steppes and southern Russia: the Ciscaucasia, the Caspian lowland, the Ural region and the Lower Volga region.

• Eurasian wolf, aka European, steppe, Carpathian, Tibetan or to Chinese wolf, also called common wolf(Canis lupus lupus)

Externally, the predator resembles the North American subspecies, but its fur is denser and shorter. The height of mature males at the shoulders is about 76 cm with a body weight of 70 to 73 kg.

The smallest individuals inhabit Eastern Europe, the most massive ones are found in northern Russia. Wolves can be solid in color or include various combinations of grey, white, black, red and beige, and the brightest colored specimens live in Central Europe.

The diet of European wolves depends on the range and consists mainly of medium and large prey such as saigas, chamois, mouflons, deer, roe deer, wild boars and even bison and yaks. Predators do not disdain smaller animals, catching hares and frogs, and in the complete absence of food, they feed on slaughterhouse waste in garbage dumps.

The Carpathian wolf is considered a particularly common subspecies of the common wolf and is found over a significant range that extends across Eurasia through Western Europe, the Scandinavian countries, Russia, China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and the Himalayas.

• polar Wolf(Canis lupus tundrarum)

The closest relative of the European wolf and the completely extinct Japanese wolf. Adult males grow from 1.3 to 1.5 m in length, not including the tail, and weigh about 85 kg, their height at the shoulders reaches 80-93 cm. The light fur of the polar wolf is extremely dense, adapted to survive in extremely cold climates and warming the animal during long hunger strikes.

The most accessible prey for predators are lemmings and Arctic hare; if the hunt is successful, the pack gets a musk ox or reindeer.

The species' range extends throughout the Arctic and undergoes minor fluctuations caused by migrations of animals - the main sources of food. The lifespan of a polar wolf is about 17 years.

Wolves breeding

Female wolves mature at 2 years of age, males become sexually mature at the age of 3 years. The wolf rut depends on the area and usually occurs from January to April. The couple's marital behavior consists of mutual courtship and flirting. When new pairs are formed, fierce fights break out between the males, and the weaker opponent often dies.

During mating, partners leave the pack and retire. The den is set up in a secluded place (dense bushes, thickets, rock crevices), and the she-wolf's pregnancy lasts about 62-65 days. There are usually an odd number of puppies in a litter - from 3 to 13; wolf cubs are born blind, and open their eyes only after 12-13 days. Females discard weak puppies so that stronger cubs can get more milk.

Grown-up wolf cubs feed on the burps of their parents, consisting of semi-digested meat, then begin to eat the prey brought, and all members of the pack feed the wolf cubs. By autumn, young (arrived) wolves already begin to participate in the hunt.

Enemies of the wolf in nature

Wolves have few natural enemies. Sometimes predators come into conflict over the division of prey with a lynx or a bear, and they can suffer and even die from injuries received while hunting large prey - elk, deer, bison or horse. Red wolves living in the United States have been attacked by alligators and cougars. Sometimes representatives of two different wolf packs engage in bloody fights among themselves, dividing the habitat, which also leads to fatal injuries. However, the main enemy of the wolf is considered to be humans: the installation of traps and unauthorized shooting of wolves by poachers sometimes lead to a callous and barbaric reduction in the population of these predatory animals.

Wolf as a pet

Recently it has become “fashionable” to keep a wolf as a pet. The wolf is easy to train, but follows the owner’s commands only if it is interesting to him. True, puppies with a gentle disposition become more aggressive with age and are not averse to competing with a person for leadership in the pack. A wolf at home is not always safe, so such a pet should be treated with special attention and great caution.

• Through the targeted hybridization of wolves and dogs, several breeds were developed, among which the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog (Czechoslovakian Wolfdog) and the Saarloos Wolfdog are considered recognized.
• In the Middle Ages, wolves were considered servants of the devil and were often used as mysterious characters in fairy tales and legends, the most famous of which is the werewolf.
• Some European family coats of arms are decorated with the image of a wolf, meaning that the family owes its origin to a werewolf.
• Wolves attack humans extremely rarely, and in most cases, aggression is shown by animals infected with rabies.
• To boost morale, the Vikings drank wolf blood and wore animal skins before battle.
• There were so many wolf packs in 17th-century Ireland that the country became known as Wolfland.