Keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws, and the ability to pursue prey at 60 km (37 miles) per hour equip the gray wolf well for a predatory way of life.
Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. A lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another.
They have keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws and the ability to run at 37 miles per hour. Gray wolves typically hunt and move overnight, especially in area with a high human population.
Wolves have a very acute sense of smell that they use to detect other animals more than a mile away. A huge part of a wolf's brain is used to process smell, just as a huge part of our brain is used to process visual information.
Wolves are complex, highly intelligent animals who are caring, playful, and above all devoted to family. Only a select few other species exhibit these traits so clearly. Just like elephants, gorillas and dolphins, wolves educate their young, take care of their injured and live in family groups.
They leap and pounce, chase and wrestle, play hide-and-seek and tag—a lot like you do! A new wolf couple will produce one litter of pups every year.
Like many large carnivores, wolves are generally afraid of humans and will avoid people, buildings, and roads if possible.
Wolves are tremendous walkers. Day after day, wolves commonly walk for eight hours a day, averaging five miles per hour. They commonly travel thirty miles a day, and may walk 4,000 miles a year. Wolves living in packs walk for two basic reasons - to capture food and to defend their territories.
Their intensified quickness, agility, reflexes, and endurance makes them faster than any regular werewolf and human. all have been known to be so fast that their speed is nearly equivalent to an Alpha Elder Vampire. Alpha Werewolves can use this ability in human or werewolf form.
Their long teeth and powerful bite are enough to kill much larger creatures, like wildebeests. Wolves are also effective at fighting, using their long canine teeth, strong bites, and sharp claws to kill enemies. They can even pursue some creatures a short way up trees.
A wolf's teeth are highly specialized to hunt and cut through meat. The smaller front teeth, the incisors, are used to nibble meat off the bone. The longer canine teeth are used to grasp and hold their prey. The black teeth, the carnassials, are extremely sharp and used to cut through meat like a knife.
Wolves have over 200 million scent cells. They can hear up to six miles away in the forest. A wolf's jaw has a crushing power of nearly 1500 pounds per square inch! A wolf can eat 20 pounds of meat in one meal.
Marathon runners. Although the above-noted speed is not super fast for a top predator (a cheetah can travel at up to 75 mph in short bursts), wolves are ultra marathon endurance hunters. They have been known to track and trace their prey for hours well into the night.
Wolves are one of the most loyal animals. They mate for life, care for their young and return to their parents each year. With human interaction, they can be as loyal as domesticated dogs if they feel comfortable.
Their favorite prey is large ungulates (hoofed mammals) such as deer, elk, moose, caribou, and bison. Since many of these animals are larger than wolves, the only way wolves can catch them is to live and hunt in groups. Wolves will also catch and eat rabbits, mice, birds, snakes, fish, and other animals.
Wolves hate fire and a smoky campfire will discourage a wolf from coming too near. If you are alone, climb a tree. Wolves cannot climb trees. You may be in for a long wait however, and could find yourself surrounded by a full wolf pack in time.
”One for all and all for one.” Wolves are known for their courage. Even a single courageous wolf can take down a fierce bison. But the courage of wolves is primarily collective and remarkably calculated.
Everyone knows "music soothes the savage beast." Consider adding a diffuser with a good quality lavender oil. Lavender is well-know for its calming effects. Bring your pup into the room and give him plenty of time to settle down.
The massive molars and powerful jaws of a wolf are used to crush the bones of its prey. The biting capacity of a wolf is 398 pounds of pressure per square inch. The strength of a wolf's jaws makes it possible to bite through a moose femur to get to the bone marrow.
Body Language
Wolves convey much with their bodies. If they are angry, they may stick their ears straight up and bare their teeth. A wolf who is suspicious pulls its ears back and squints. Fear is often shown by flattening the ears against the head.
The American red wolf – a distinctly different species from the grey wolf – is the rarest wolf in the world, expected to go extinct in less than a decade without substantial intervention.
What's the Story? In 100% WOLF, Freddy (voiced by Ilai Swindells) expects to turn into a werewolf on his 13th birthday but instead finds out he's a poodle. Shunned by his family, Freddy must make new friendships to save his pack from an evil plot.
Genetic and genomic analyses confirm that the Mexican gray wolf is the most genetically distinct subspecies of gray wolf in North America. The Mexican gray wolf represents a smaller form of the gray wolf and inhabits a more arid ecosystem than the gray wolf.