The Gray Wolf (Timber Wolf)

Canius Lupis

Length: head and body length, 40-52 in.; tail length 13-19 in.

What to look for: a large doglike animal; fur usually gray, but varies from silvery white to black.

Habitat: open forests and tundra

Maligned through the ages as a vicious predator, the wolf might be better admired for it's complex social organization. The wolf pack, usually numbering four to seven individuals, is a society of parents, young, and close relatives that follows a rigid hierarchy. The leader, or alpha male, appears to control the packs activities and is often the only male to breed; usually he is paired with a dominant female. Wolves have a wide repertiore of social behavior, communicating by posture, voice and scent. They cooperate in feeding, protecting, and training the pups. They are mainly big game hunters, preying on deer and other large mammals, but will also attack smaller animals and birds. They Grey Wolf, or Timber Wolf is native to both North America and Eurasia.