Finding the Gray Wolf of North America
Gray WolfAlthough wolves are not as common in the United States today as they once were, there are still many places to view these amazing hunters, including the Wildwood Park in Marshfield, Wisconsin, where I took these photographs.
Wolves are endangered in many parts of the world, but they are being reintroduced and their population is growing in some areas. In Yellowstone Park, for example, several families of wolves have been brought down from Canada to repopulate the park and help manage the deer and Elk populations.
The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) were once common in much of North America, as well as Eurasia and the Middle East. Today wolves inhabit a very small portion of their former range. There are many common names for the wolves you find in the U.S. and Canada, including Tundra Wolf, Timber Wolf, Gray Wolf, Arctic Wolf, Lobo Wolf, Plains Wolf, and the Buffalo Wolf.
Wolves have wonderful fur coats which keep them warm and protect them in many ways. Their markings are distinct and their coloring can be any combination of white, gray, black, brown, red, and yellow. Most wolves have yellow or golden eyes, although some have green eyes and most puppies are born with blue eyes. Wolves are fast, thanks to their long legs and narrow shoulders and back end, which help them accelerate quickly. They have unusually large heads and small necks for their size -- the better to each you with my dear.
Wolves generally breed between January and March and gestation period is 63 days (the same as the gestation period for domesticated dogs, which they are closely related to.)