Once upon a time, the adaptable gray wolves occupied the entire Northern Hemisphere. Humans and wolves have had a very long adverse history. Although wolves have almost never attacked humans, they are by far considered one of the world’s most fierce villains. These fierce animals have time and again attacked domestic animals and for this reason, they have also been shot several times.
Scientific Name:Canis lupus nubilus Weight: 100 pounds Location: Great Plains
Also known as timber wolves, the Gray wolf has a long bushy tail with a black tip extending at the end. Resembling a huge German Shepherd dog, these wolves have a coat that is a mix of brown and gray.
The Gray wolves occupy over two-thirds of the United States. These wolves are highly carnivorous and love to eat mammals like deer, bison and moose. However, they also prefer to feed on small animals which usually consist of rodents and hares. It is astonishing to note that the gray wolves can eat 20 pounds of meat in a single sitting!
The gray wolves have been declared endangered in some places while in most places, they have a healthy population.
Did You Know?
Gray wolves can travel very large distances, sometimes even 12 miles in a single day!
A Great Plains Wolf measures between 4-6 feet long and weighs 60-110 pounds. They have a gray or black coat with red colours. These wolves are considered to one of the most sophisticated and they are also one of the most deeply studied wolf species.
Their pack consists of 5-8 animals, with the breeding adults being the most powerful and strongest. They have highly advanced senses of smell, sight and hearing. While hunting, these wolves can travel at approximately 5 miles per hour for long periods of time.
Did You Know?
During winters, the great plains wolf can cover 40 miles a day during hunting!
While some believe that the Interior Alaskan Wolf is just an extension of the Alaskan Tundras, these wolves are among the largest in North America. This wolf is also known as the Yukon Wolf and was classified as Canis lupus pambasileus in 1905 by zoologist Daniel Elliot.
These wolves are very large and measure from 5-7 feet in length. Their coat is mostly of a dark colour with black mixed with brown, gray or white. These wolves have a wide distribution and are found throughout Alaska and Yukon.
Did You Know?
This wolf was hunted for its fur by the aboriginal tribes in pre-colonial Canada during the 1800s. These tribes used to line their clothing using this fur.
3. Tundra Wolf
Scientific Name:Canis lupus albus Weight: 125 pounds Location: Northern Europe and Asia
The Tundra Wolf is a subspecies of Grey Wolf and can be found in northern Europe and Asia. These wolves are among the largest of grey wolf subspecies.
The Tundra wolves measure upto a whopping 7 feet in length and their average weight is 45-57 kilograms. However, there are also rumours of this wolf attaining weight of a massive 100 kilograms.
These wolves have a gray coat that is mixed with black, rust and silver grey colours. Compared to other wolves, they have a high body and long legs. Their skull is broad and tapered to a narrow muzzle.
Did You Know?
In the freezing temperatures in the Arctic, these wolves have to keep themselves warm and minimize the loss of heat from their bodies. This is a special mechanism that these wolves possess that keeps them at a much lower body temperature. Due to this, the blood that enters their body from the paws heats up the blood that is leaving and therefore heats up the core of their bodies from being cooled down in extremely harsh conditions.
2. Mackenzie Valley Wolf
Scientific Name:Canis lupus occidentalis Weight: 175 pounds Location: Northwestern United States
One of the largest gray wolf subspecies, the Mackenzie Valley wolf goes by many names – Alaskan Timber wolf, Canadian Timber wolf and the Rocky Mountain wolf. This subspecies of gray wolves was classified so in 1829 by Sir John Richardson, M.D.
The weight of an average male wolf is anywhere between 100-145 pounds while the females weigh about 20% less. One of the heaviest Mackanzie wolf ever to have been recorded was at a whopping 175 pounds! There are also some unconfirmed reports of this wolf weighing a massive 230 pounds by the Guinness Book of Animal World Records.
With their massive size, these wolves can run at an incredible speed of upto 40 miles per hour! They have very powerful jaw and neck muscles which allows them to prey large animals.
Did You Know?
Born deaf and blind, the puppies of the Mackenzie wolves begin hearing after 14 days.
1. Eurasian Wolf
Scientific Name:Canis lupus lupus Weight: 179 pounds Location: Europe
The Eurasian wolf is the largest wolf subspecies, and the largest type of wolf found outside the USA.
The males here weigh around 130 – 179 pounds, while the females are usually about 20% smaller. These wolves have a mix of brown and grey fur. While these wolves are very social animals, some of them are solitary hunters.
The Eurasian wolf has a slightly narrower head and longer ears than its North American cousins. The howl of these wolves is very long and varied.
Did You Know?
The heaviest known Eurasian wolf was killed in Romania and weighed 200 pounds.
Trisha Katyayan is an experienced journalist who has print-media background and loves to research, organize and curate factual information in a presentable way.
