Sound

Wolves talk to each other in two different ways. They talk by using sounds and body language.

The sounds they can use are a whimper, howl, whine, growl and bark. The growl means they are not happy and they are defending their home. A whimper or whine means they are scared or hurt. Wolves use sounds to keep people and enemies away.

In winter howling can be heard for more than six miles in the cold air. This makes you think they are closer than they really are. A wolf howls by sticking its nose in the air and then making a high pitch sound that ripples down in waves. Wolves can howl standing, sitting or lying down. Some of the reasons wolves howl are to get the pack together before and after a hunt, to find each other after a snow storm, and if they are in new territory, to scare other wolf packs from their hunting grounds. Sometimes wolves howl just for the fun of it.

Wolves use body language to tell each other how they feel. They can use their head, ears, teeth, tail and hair to say how they are feeling. When their ears are laying back on their head they are not happy. If they are showing their teeth they are really mad. When their tail is up and wagging they want to play. If they have their tail between their legs they might be scared, or the alpha male or female is coming by. The leader of the pack usually has its fur fluffed up and the other members keep their fur flat.

Size

Male wolves are bigger than female wolves. A really big male can weigh more than 100 pounds and be 6 1/2 feet long. Small males usually weigh around 70 pounds and are about 5 feet.

A female wolf is usually in between 55 and 90 pounds. She can be from 4 1/2 feet from her nose to the end of her tail and up to 6 feet.