Wolf

V

Reproduction and Life Span

It is believed that wolves mate for life. The alpha pair has exclusive breeding rights during mating season, which occurs during the spring. After a gestation of about two months, a litter of blackish-brown pups is born. Average litter size is 6 but can be as large as 14. For the first six weeks, the pups remain in the den, or lair, which may be a cave, a hollow tree trunk, or a thicket. At nine days old the pups open their eyes. After one month, they are gradually weaned and then fed regurgitated food by adult pack members. At 3 months they begin learning how to hunt, and by 18 months they are fully grown. Females reach maturity at two years of age, and males at three. The family remains together for at least two years, even when the mother breeds in successive years. Wolves generally live eight to ten years in the wild.

VI

Conservation History

By the early 20th century, wolf populations had been significantly reduced in many areas, and the animal has neared extinction in Western Europe, Mexico, and regions of the United States. Under the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973, the gray wolf was listed as a threatened species in Minnesota and as endangered elsewhere in the United States except Alaska. In 1995 and 1996 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reintroduced gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park and the Sawtooth Mountain region of central Idaho. These reintroductions have been highly successful, and in early 2008 the USFWS announced that it would remove wolves in the northern Rocky Mountain region from the federal list of endangered and threatened species. In early 2007, wolves in the western Great Lakes region were removed from the list. Gray wolves outside these areas remain protected.

The Mexican gray wolf was nearly extinct by the 1970s and listed as endangered in 1976. A successful captive-breeding program was initiated and in 1998 it was reintroduced to areas of Arizona and New Mexico.

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VII

Cultural References to the Wolf

Wolves appear in the stories, legends, and myths of many cultures around the world. Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, and his twin brother Remus are said to have been suckled by a she-wolf. The werewolf myth dates to ancient Greece, and the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood” tells of an encounter between a girl and a wolf. In the Jungle Books written by Rudyard Kipling, the boy Mowgli is raised by a wolf in India. In Norse mythology the giant, terrifying wolf Fenrir is the eldest son of Loki and a giantess.

VIII

Red Wolf

The red wolf is smaller than the gray wolf. An adult red wolf stands about 65 cm (about 2 ft) high at the shoulder, measures 100 to 130 cm (3 to 4 ft) in length excluding the tail, and weighs 20 to 36 kg (45 to 80 lb). It has long legs and ears and its head is not as wide as that of the gray wolf. The coat of red wolves varies in color from light tan to black with reddish head, ears, and legs. Scientists have debated whether the red wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf, a separate species, or a cross between the coyote and the gray wolf.

Like other wolves, the red wolf is territorial, mostly nocturnal, highly social, and an efficient hunter. It frequently preys on white-tailed deer and raccoons. Red wolves usually live in pairs or small family groups, and they establish a territory that ranges in size from 26 to 260 sq km (10 to 100 sq mi). Pack size and territorial area are generally smaller than those of gray wolves.

Red wolves were historically hunted, trapped, and poisoned by North American settlers, who viewed them as a threat. In the early 20th century red wolves were subject to predator control programs due to fears that they caused extensive cattle losses. As the number of red wolves declined, mating patterns were disrupted and they began to interbreed with coyotes. Red wolf habitat has also been destroyed due to logging, mineral exploration, and land clearing.

The red wolf was first protected as an endangered species in 1967 under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act. In 1973 the USFWS initiated a captive-breeding program for the species. By 1980 red wolves were considered extinct in the wild.

Captive red wolf pairs produced their first litters at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, in 1977. The captive red wolf population has since increased and in 1987 four pairs of red wolves were reintroduced to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern North Carolina. In 1991 and 1992 additional red wolves were reintroduced to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These efforts have met with limited success, and the red wolf remains a protected species.

Scientific classification: The wolf belongs to the family Canidae. The gray wolf is classified as Canis lupus, the Mexican gray wolf as Canis lupus baileyi, and the red wolf as Canis rufus.

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