What do people know about wolves? What qualities of a wolf first come to mind when it comes to these animals? Surely you think that they are dangerous and cruel, treacherous and treacherous. However, this is the thinking of those who know almost nothing about the life of these animals. In this article we will try to talk a little more about them. Perhaps some interesting fact about wolves will make you change your mind about them.
Genus Lupus (Wolves)
This genus unites wolves, jackals, coyotes, dogs. These are the largest representatives of the wolf. All Arctic foxes, foxes, a maned wolf and a raccoon dog belong to it .
Each wolf is endowed with its own character - there are individuals who are cautious, self-confident and impudent, some of them behave in the company of fellow tribesmen at ease and freely, while others prefer to stay in the shadow of their more active relatives.
Wolves live on the plains of the northern hemisphere, as well as in the mountains and forests. Unfortunately, in some countries they are completely exterminated. And in the Antarctic, white wolves are on the verge of extinction. They are listed in the International Red Book. Hunting these animals is prohibited.
These predators inhabit various landscapes - in forests, tundra, mountains and steppes. Mostly they are sedentary animals, but at the same time they roam over very long distances in search of food. According to biologists, in the wild they occupy their niche. In habitats, wolves are usually the largest group of predators that prey on large mammals.
External characteristics
A male wolf usually weighs about fifty kilograms, a she-wolf is five kilograms lighter. The height at the withers of an adult is 75 cm, and the body length can be up to two meters. This, of course, is averaged data.
Wolves have a thick and hard coat with undercoat. Color can be different. There are gray, black, red, red, white wolves.
Lifestyle
Wolves are animals that prefer to live in families. Every pack of wolves has its own "charter", in which everyone has a role to play. Aggressive and strong young people rule, and those who need a firm hand obey them.
A wolf pack in which animals are related by kinship is led by a wolf and a she-wolf. The rest of its members, mainly their offspring (from completely unintelligent puppies to 3-year-olds), obey them. Sometimes aliens are beaten to the pack, for some reason having left their pack. Usually in such a family lives up to 15 animals.
Endurance and vitality of wolves
These wolf qualities deserve special attention. A hungry predator without food can remain active for up to ten days. A wounded animal leaves the hunters for several kilometers. Surrounded by hunting dogs, it fiercely defends itself to the last breath. And the wolf, caught in a trap, nibbles its paw to hide from its pursuers.
There is a known case when a wolf that broke a paw during a hunt lay motionless on the ground for 17 days, after which he got up and continued searching for prey. The will to life of wolves is amazing.
But they have small weaknesses that experienced hunters know about. Surprisingly, these brave predators are lost from the sight of a rag that flutters in front of their muzzle. This feature of them served as the appearance of hunting for wolves with flags. Hunters, having discovered a wolf pack, surround it around the perimeter with a rope with rags of any fabric hung on it. Wolves, upon seeing fluttering flags, dare not jump for them, and hunters shoot animals at point blank range.
And one more fact. A wolf in a forest never attacks humans first. He eschews man, prefers to stay away from him.
Wolf den
The wolf hole is quite simple. As a rule, it has one entrance. In the forest-steppe regions of Siberia, they have a depth of about four meters, the diameter of the entrance is about 50 cm.
In Transbaikalia, researchers observed how wolves dig Tarbagany burrows in the fall, and in spring they discovered wolf broods. One of these holes was more than five meters long, forty centimeters wide and twenty-five centimeters high. The nest inside the hole was half filled with dry grass bedding. It contained the skins of tarbagan.
In the Far North, these predators build holes along the banks of streams and rivers. In these areas, the soil is well drained, there is no permafrost, so it is easy to dig a hole.
Many burrows can be found in summer deer pastures. As a rule, wolves roam for the herds of these animals. Before the puppies appear, they go forward, closer to their holes, where deer come, but a little later.
Wolf howl
Each hole is inhabited by one pair of wolves, and they gather in a flock using the means of communication available to them - howl. This is not just the voice of a predator, it is an encrypted message with certain signals. Howling is attracting (especially in the mating season), calling. It can be heard when the leader calls the pack to hunt. The howl can be retaliated when members of the pack respond to the leader’s call. It can be dying and, finally, be entertainment. Oddly enough, wolves often howl for no apparent reason, probably their wolf soul asks for it.
Public way of the pack
The strongest wolf becomes the leader of the pack. A faithful friend, a she-wolf, helps him manage. In order for members of the pack to obey, leaders must have a strong character. All decisions that relate to family life, the wolf and the she-wolf make together. In a pack where the leader keeps order, the males will never fight among themselves. But strangers who violated the border of possessions are usually severely punished. A wolf pack goes hunting only on its own limited territory. The owners are very zealous guard and mark it. This is a warning to neighbors that they should stay away from this land.
Interesting fact about wolves
Sometimes in large packs of a single wolf, for unknown reasons, all his brethren poison. Sometimes it becomes difficult for an outcast animal to live in a family, and he leaves it. He becomes a wandering loner. True, he has a chance to create his flock if he meets the same lonely she-wolf. If these animals want to rule the flock, they must completely subordinate all its members to their will and force them to comply with the laws of the family.
How does a leader manage?
A pack of wolves unconditionally accepts the leadership of the leader. He dominates the males, and his girlfriend keeps order among the she-wolves. The leader does not get tired of reminding his subordinates who the boss is in the pack - he growls at them, bites, even knocks them down, doing this in front of the whole family.
As a rule, a single gaze and stern gaze of a leader or his she-wolf is enough for those whom he is aiming to obey. Grinning, and quite ingenuously, the wolves fall to the ground, and then, if they succeed, sneak out of the place of punishment. Sometimes they lie on their backs, as if to say: "We agree that you are the most important."
An interesting fact about wolves - the position of a predator in a pack can be judged by how it holds its tail. The leader is always raised high. The rank and file of "subjects" is omitted. And those individuals that are at the lowest level in the pack, tail tighten.
Family members show their love and respect to the leader and his girlfriend in a welcoming ceremony. With cuddled ears, crawling and smoothed coat, they crawl to them, lick and gently nibble their faces.
Wild Wolves - Faithful Animals
Probably not everyone knows that wolves are one of the most faithful animals. These powerful predators are very attached to their packmates. They express their emotions and feelings with body movements and facial expressions. Thanks to the “wolf tongue” the flock is rallying, acting at the same time. They express their tenderness and sympathy, licking each other, while they rub their faces.
Why does a wolf need a tail?
Not everyone knows that the tail of a wolf is a kind of indicator that expresses its feelings. If it is raised high, and the tip is slightly bent, then this means that the wolf is quite confident in its abilities. A friendly animal tail lowers, but the very tip of it is raised up. The wolf, tightening the tail, is either afraid of something, or reports its humility.
Family wolf
This interesting fact about wolves is known only to specialists. These dangerous predators experience intense emotional attachment. They are monogamous - they choose their pair once and for life.
I must say that the wolf is an ideal family man. He does not make scandals, does not change his she-wolf, does not diverge from her, does not start a young "mistress" on the side, carries all the booty to the family.
Wild wolves are very fond of their cubs. Not only their parents take care of the wolves, but the whole pack.
The attitude of the ancients to the wolf
This beast is sometimes called mythical. In ancient times he was revered and respected for courage, endurance, ingenuity. Many warlike tribes perceived him as their ancestor. During the heyday of the patriarchy, he was compared with the groom, the bride kidnapper.
For our ancestors, the wolf was a kind of intermediary between gods and people. He was considered a talisman from evil. When the wolf became a faithful companion of St. George, he began to be perceived as a solar deity.
Apollo, the ancient Greek god of light, was sometimes called the Apollo Wolf. The ferocious predator was the sacred animal of the god Uphout in Ancient Egypt.
In the myths of the Scandinavian peoples, wolves are called "dogs of Odin." Romulus and Remus, who founded Great Rome, were fed by the she-wolf sent by Mars.