Wolf Credo
Credo
Respect the Elders, Teach the Young , Cooperate with the pack, play when you can , hunt when you must, rest in between, share your Affection, voice your Feelings, Leave your Mark!!!
Wolf Description
Length (from tip of nose to tip of tail): male-5' to 6.5, female-4.5' to 6'.
The tail accounts for 13" to 20" of this length.
Height (at shoulder): 26" to 32" tall.
Weight: male-70 to 85 lbs., rarely over 100 lbs.
female-55 to 75 lbs., rarely over 85 lbs.
Color: Predominantly buff tan grizzled with grey and black, but also can be found in black phase (less common in Minnesota) and white phase.
General description: Largest member of canine family, ancestor of the domestic dog, muscular, lean, narrow "keel-like" chest, long legs.
Senses: Keen sense of sight, hearing, and smell.
Life span: About 8 to 14 years.
Territory: Occupy home range at rate of one wolf per 10 square miles (e.g., 8 wolves occupy 80 square miles). Wolves defend their territory with scent markings and vocalization.
Pack: Live in a family unit. Most packs include a pair of breeding adults (alpha male and alpha female), their pups, and extra adults that may also breed. Pack size varies with birth and death of pups, adult mortality rate, and voluntary/involuntary dispersal of pack member(s), but most remain in the pack over several generations.
Usually a pack contains fewer than eight wolves.
Pups: Born in April or May (63-day gestation), blind, deaf, black in color, weigh l lb., hear in a few days, see at 11 to 15 days, howl at about one month.
Litter size: 3 to 7
Mortality: 50% first year
Mature at: males-2 to 3 years
females-2 years
Den: In caves, cavities, between rocks
Rendezvous site: Numerous sites where pups that are too young to travel stay in care of one adult while others hunt.
Position in food chain: Wolves are predators at the top of the food chain. They prey on large animals such as deer, moose,
and beaver and smaller mammals. They kill whatever is easiest to catch: the weak, sick, injured, old, and young. But they are opportunists
and will kill healthy animals and occasionally livestock, and will scavenge carrion. One wolf eats approximately 15 deer each year plus other food.
They can eat up to one-fifth of their weight at one time.
Written by
Running Deer
Information from Running Deer's Longhouse
Used with Written Permission.
Although Running Deer's Site is no longer online,
her banner is left here due to respect.
"Maiden Of The Wood" Midi by:
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Photography Copyright © Monty Sloan
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Copyright © 2002-2007 Janice I Magro.
All Rights Reserved.
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