Wolves

Wolf Packs

Packs are usually made of 6-8 wolves, but in parts of Canada packs can have over 30 wolves! Packs are lead by the two parents, or alpha dogs. The rest of the group is the children from the past 2 or 3 years.

Wolves Weight

Adult females living in northern Minnesota weigh from 50 to 85 pounds. Adult males weigh from 70 to 110 pounds. Females are usually 10 to 15 pounds lighter than males.

What Wolves Eat

Wolves eat large animals like deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, sheep, musk oxen,and mountain goat. Sometimes they prey on smaller animals, like snowshoe hare, beaver, and and even birds. I Minnesota (1997-1998) wolves killed about 37,000 to 4,000 deer, whereas hunters killed between 36,000 and 110,000 deer.

Wolf Life Span

Most wild wolves live from six to eight years. Some have lived up to 13 years in the wild, and 16 years in captivity. Most wolves die from starvation, and some from fights over territory. In some areas, many die from human causes.

More Wolf Facts

-The biting capacity of a wolf is 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch, whereas a German Shepherd's is only 750 pounds of pressure per square inch.

-Wolves can run at 25 to 35 miles per hour for a short time.

-No human in North America has ever been killed by a healthy wolf.