INFORMATION PAGE 2
Believed to be an ancestor of the domestic dog, the wolf is a highly intelligent and courageous hunter. Its remarkable powers of endurance are legendary. Although it is not a fast runner, it can maintian a loping run for many miles, running throughout the night if necessary. Wolves belong to the dog family Canidae, which includes the coyote and the jackals. Only two species of wolves remain today-the gray, or timber wolf, largest member of the dog family, and the red wolf. Because of human persecution and habitat destruction, the gray wolf, once among the most widespread mammals outside the tropics, is now found in substantial numbers only in a few regions in Europe,Asia, and North America. The pure red wolf is thought to be virtually extinct in the wild as a result of hybridization with migrating coyotes. Both species resemble shepherd dogs, though their heads and muzzles are broader and their tails shorter and bushier. The gray wolf has a coat usually of gray to tawney-buff.The red wolf has a cinnamon or tawny coat with gray and black highlights.
Wolves generly travel in packs and frequently establish territories ranging from 40 to more than 400 square miles. They define their ranges with scent markings and such vocalizations as growls, barks, and their legendary howl. Wolves will eat a wide range of food, including small animals such as mice and squirrels, large animals such as deer and moose and occasionally carrion and plant material. Attacks on humans are believed to occur only in isolated cases of famine or epidemic among the wolf population. Where domestic animals are available, wolves often prey on them because of thier vulnerability; it is this practice that has resulted in the wolf's persecution by poisoning,trapping,and shooting. In regions where typical prey is small, packs may consist of seven or less. Where larger animals are prevalent, packs of up to 30 individuals may occur. In this case the members of the pack cooperate in a grueling contest of wits and endurance, maneuvering in an attempt to make the hunted animal expose it vulnerable flanks.
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia Copyright (c) 1994,1995 Compton's NewMedia,Inc.
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