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International Wolf Center | Teaching the World about Wolves.

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Live wolf cams | International Wolf Center

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These cameras are live-broadcasting the International Wolf Center's ambassador wolves. Even in captivity, wolves can be elusive, so be patient!

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This page is a collection of links for children, teachers, and parents.Animal topics are based on the curriculum for Kindergarten through grade four,although many pages will be of interest to older students.

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Mammals Mammals are a group of vertebrate animals. Mammals are characterized by their hair or fur. All mammals are are warm-blooded and they feed their young with milk (from special mammary glands). Check out some of the mammals with interesting facts about them.

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Wolves work together to hunt, raise their young, and protect their territory. Wolves communicate with more than howls. They whimper and whine, growl and bark, yelp and snarl. They also use scents produced by their bodies to communicate. A wolf's sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human's. One source of scent is urine, which they use to mark territory and to tell other wolves in their own pack where they are. Another way wolves communicate is through body language. If a wolf feels confident, it will approach another wolf with its head and tail held high and ears perked up. If you saw a wolf slinking toward another with its body lowered, its tail between its legs, and its ears flattened, you'd know it was approaching a dominant animal.

( Find out how these canines are making a comeback.)

When a pack of wolves does howl, it can be heard from ten miles away. The howl is used as a way to call to another pack or warn of danger. Each pack has a unique howl, and while they don't howl at the moon, wolves howl more when the moon is full and bright.

When a wolf wants to play, it prances about happily and bows-lowering the front of its body while its rump stays up in the air with its tail wagging. When its angry, a wolf may furrow its forehead, show its fangs, or growl. A wolf's body language may remind you of another animal: a pet dog. Wolves and dogs are closely related, and the ways they communicate are similar.

Young wolves stay in their parents' pack for at least two years before some of them take off to join other packs or to start their own. They may stay close to their parents or go far away. Wolf pups play a lot as they're growing. They leap and pounce, chase and wrestle, play hide-and-seek and tag-a lot like you do!

A new wolf couple will produce one litter of pups every year. Just like a human older brother or sister looks after its younger sibling, the older wolf offspring care for their younger brothers and sisters by finding them food.

In some areas, gray wolfs are classified as endangered, but in most places, they are seen to have healthy population numbers.

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Wolves live in groups called packs. A pack is a family of 7-8 wolves with a mom, dad, and offspring. The wolves' communication skills are very important to the pack's survival. Wolves work together to hunt, raise their young, and protect their territory. Wolves communicate with more than howls.

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Gray Wolf ( Canis lupus)
Also know as Wolf, Timber Wolf, Tundra Wolf, Lobo, and Prairie Wolf.

What they look like: Gray wolves, are the largest wild members of the dog family. Males are usually larger than females. They have silvery gray-brown backs, light tan and cream underparts, and long bushy tails. The fur can be any shade of gray, brown, black, white, or tan. In winter, their fur becomes darker on the neck, shoulders, and rump (see photo below).

Weight:
Male: 80-110 lbs. Female: 60-80 lbs.

Height: 26 to 32 inches

Length:
Male: 5-6.5 feet (nose to tip of tail) Female: 4.5 to 6 feet

Where they live:
Gray wolves are one of the most wide ranging land animals. They occupy a wide variety of habitats, from arctic tundra to forest, prairie, and arid landscapes. Hunting and habitat destruction have caused a steep decline in populations. Gray wolves are now found only in a few areas of Canada and the United States. Wild wolves live in these states: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Click the range map to learn more about the distribution of Gray wolves in Washington.

What they eat: Gray wolves are carnivorous -- they primarily eat meat. Wolves often hunt in packs for large prey such as deer, moose, sheep, goats, caribou, elk, bison, and muskox. Wolves also prey on rodents, beavers, fish, and birds.

Behavior: Gray wolves are territorial and live in packs lead by the alpha pair. A pack of 6 to 8 wolves includes some of the alpha pair's offspring and may include some unrelated wolves.

Gray wolves communicate with each other through howling, body language and scent. Howling is used to assemble the pack, communicate with other packs, and assert territorial boundaries.

Reproduction: Gray wolves mate between late January and March. Once the female chooses a partner, the animals may remain paired for a number of years. Litter size ranges from 4-6 pups. They usually breed once each year.

How long they live: Gray wolves have been known to live a maximum of thirteen years in the wild, though the average lifespan is about 5 to 9 years. They can live 14-15 years in captivity.

Did you know?

A wolf pack has been recently discovered in Washington state

Wolf tracks can be difficult to distinguish from those of large dogs.

Howling is used as a form of communication among wolf packs

Wolves can reach speeds of 40 mph during a chase

Wolf in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada (courtesy of Natures Pics)
Animal silhouettes available to purchase "
More information:
Canid Identification
Gray wolf - Defenders of Wildlife
Gray Wolf - Wikipedia

Gray Wolf Conservation and Management - Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
Wolf pair confirmed in Okanogan County - WDFW (July 23, 2008)

More photos: Wolf Photos by Tim Knight
Photo Credits: Tim Knight (top), Natures Pics (bottom)

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NatureMapping is a hands-on environmental science and education program linking kids, communities and professionals.

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Defenders has pioneered practical solutions to minimize conflicts between wolves and livestock. We're working with ranchers across the West to develop nonlethal deterrents, better animal husbandry practices and other innovative tools that minimize conflict and build social acceptance for wolves. Over the years, we've helped hundreds of ranchers purchase turbo-fladry and livestock guard dogs, hire range riders and deploy scare devices to keep wolves away from livestock. By minimizing conflicts with livestock and the lethal backlash against wolves that often follows, these proactive methods help protect both livestock and wolves.

We also monitor state and federal legislatures and wildlife agencies closely to track potential threats to wolf populations and recovery. When a dangerous bill or policy change is proposed, we act quickly to inform and mobilize our supporters in the region, encouraging them to contact their state officials and speak out against the proposal.

Our experts and policy analysts also engage with officials to discuss the problem and, where possible, offer scientifically-based and responsible solutions. If these measures fail, and laws are being violated by extreme wolf policies, our last resort is to turn to the courts for protection.

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Gray wolves range in color from grizzled gray or black to all-white. Though humans nearly hunted wolves to extinction in the lower 48 states, northern gray wolves have returned to the Great Lakes, northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Wolves play a key role in keeping ecosystems healthy.

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Wolf Facts - Gray, Red, Arctic, Timber, Mexican, Pups, Pack, Habitat, Interesting Wolves

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There are many stories of wolves being "wild dogs" that can be tamed. While wolves and dogs do share many biological traits, they are very different from each other. The dogs we have as pets have been bred to be gentle companion animals to humans.

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Gray Wolf - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Wolves in Yellowstone National Park were restored in 1995.

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Pervasive in mythology, folklore, and language, the gray wolf has had an impact on the human imagination and has been the victim of levels of misunderstanding that few animals have shared. With the exception of humans and the lion, the gray wolf once had a larger distribution than any other land mammal, once ranging over all of North America from Alaska and Arctic Canada southward to central Mexico and throughout Europe and Asia above 20° N latitude. It lived in every type of habitat except tropical forests and the most arid deserts, and it was the premier hunter of the large hoofed mammals. Several subspecies occur throughout North America, Eurasia, and Africa; however, classifications disagree on the number of wolf subspecies. Wolves were first domesticated in northern Eurasia sometime between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago, and selective breeding produced dogs ( C. lupus familiaris).

The wolf is built for travel. Its long legs, large feet, and deep but narrow chest suit it well for life on the move. Keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws, and the ability to pursue prey at 60 km (37 miles) per hour equip the wolf well for a predatory way of life. A typical northern male may be about 2 metres (6.6 feet) long, including the bushy half-metre-long tail. Standing 76 cm (30 inches) tall at the shoulder, it weighs about 45 kg (100 pounds), but weight ranges from 14 to 65 kg (31 to 143 pounds), depending on the geographic area. Females average about 20 percent smaller than males. The largest wolves are found in west-central Canada, Alaska, and across northern Asia. The smallest tend to be near the southern end of their distribution (the Middle East, Arabia, and India). Fur on the upper body, though usually gray, may be brown, reddish, black, or whitish, while the underparts and legs are usually yellow-white. Light-coloured wolves are common in Arctic regions.

Early human societies that hunted for survival admired the wolf and tried to imitate its habits, but in recent centuries the wolf has been widely viewed as an evil creature, a danger to humans (especially in Eurasia), a competitor for big game animals, and a threat to livestock. Depredation of livestock was the primary justification for eradicating the wolf from virtually all of the United States, Mexico, and most of Europe. Wolves in the United States were killed by every method imaginable in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and by 1950 they remained only in the northeastern corner of Minnesota.

In the late 20th century, greater tolerance, legal protection, and other factors allowed their range to expand in portions of North America and Europe. In 1974 gray wolves were classified as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. In 1995 wolves from Canada were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho, and captive-reared Mexican wolves (a subspecies) were released to their former range in eastern Arizona beginning in 1998. At the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 65,000-78,000 wolves inhabited North America. Canada had the largest population (although the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island had no wolves), followed by Alaska and Minnesota. Some of the western states as well as Michigan and Wisconsin have smaller but recovering wolf populations, which numbered more than 6,000 in total by 2020. Canadian wolves are protected only within provincial parks, and despite the species's removal from the Endangered Species Act in 2021, all wolves in the contiguous United States receive some level of legal protection by federal and state governments. Populations in southern Europe and Scandinavia are relatively small but are increasing. The Eurasian population probably exceeds 100,000 and is stable or increasing in most countries, and most afford the wolf some degree of legal protection. Worldwide, there are between 200,000 and 250,000 wolves, and they still occupy about two-thirds of their former range. Although often thought of as wilderness animals, wolves can and do thrive close to people when they are not excessively persecuted and food is available.

Wolves usually live in packs of up to two dozen individuals, but packs numbering 6 to 10 are most common. A pack is basically a family group consisting of an adult breeding pair (the alpha male and alpha female) and their offspring of various ages. Each individual has its own distinct personality. The ability of wolves to form strong social bonds with one another is what makes the wolf pack possible. A dominance hierarchy is established within the pack, which helps maintain order. The alpha male and female continually assert themselves over their subordinates, and they guide the activities of the group. The female predominates in roles such as care and defense of pups, whereas the male predominates in foraging and food provisioning and in travels associated with those activities. Both sexes are very active in attacking and killing prey, but during the summer hunts are often conducted alone.

A pack's territory can be 80 to 3,000 square km (31 to 1,200 square miles), depending on prey abundance, and it is vigorously defended against neighbouring packs. Wolves communicate with one another by visual signaling (facial expression, body position, tail position), vocalizations, and scent marking. Howling helps the pack stay in contact and also seems to strengthen social bonds among pack members. Along with howling, marking of territory with urine and feces lets neighbouring packs know they should not intrude. Intruders are often killed by resident packs, yet in some circumstances they are accepted.

Breeding occurs between February and April, and a litter of usually five or six pups is born in the spring after a gestation period of about two months. The young are usually born in a den consisting of a natural hole or a burrow, often in a hillside. A rock crevice, hollow log, overturned stump, or abandoned beaver lodge may be used as a den, and even a depression beneath the lower branches of a conifer will sometimes suffice. All members of the pack care solicitously for the young. After being weaned from their mother's milk at six to nine weeks, they are fed a diet of regurgitated meat. Throughout spring and summer the pups are the centre of attention as well as the geographic focus of the pack's activities. After a few weeks pups are usually moved from the den to a "rendezvous site" above ground where they play and sleep while adults hunt. The pups grow rapidly and are moved farther and more often as summer comes to an end. In autumn the pack starts to travel again within its territory, and the pups must keep up. Most pups are almost adult size by October or November. After two or more years in the pack, many leave to search for a mate, establish a new territory, and possibly even start their own pack. Those who stay with the pack may eventually replace a parent to become a breeding animal (alpha). Large packs seem to result from fewer young wolves' leaving the group and from litters' being produced by more than one female. Wolves that leave their packs are known to have traveled as far as 886 km (550 miles).

Wolves are renowned for their wide-ranging travels, and it is not unusual for them to cover 20 km (12 miles) or more in a day. They move and hunt mostly at night, especially in areas populated by humans and during warm weather. The main prey are large herbivores such as deer, elk, moose, bison, bighorn sheep, caribou, and musk oxen, which they chase, seize, and pull to the ground. Beavers and hares are eaten when available, and wolves in western Canada even fish for Pacific salmon. A large percentage of the animals that wolves kill are young, old, or in poor condition. After making a kill, the pack gorges (consuming some 3 to 9 kg [7 to 20 pounds] per animal) and then lingers, often reducing the carcass to hair and a few bones before moving on to look for another meal.

Biologists still disagree on the effect wolves have on the size of prey populations. Wolves may kill livestock and dogs when they have the opportunity, yet many wolves that live near livestock rarely, if ever, kill them. The number of stock killed in North America is small but increasing as wolves expand their range. In some areas wolves survive only by killing livestock and eating livestock carrion and human garbage. Nonetheless, wolves usually avoid contact with humans. There have been few substantiated wolf attacks on humans in North America. Such attacks are unusual but have occurred in Eurasia and India and sometimes have resulted in death.

Wolves have few natural enemies other than man. They can live up to 13 years in the wild, but most die long before that age. Diseases and parasites that can affect wolves include canine parvovirus, distemper, rabies, blastomycosis, Lyme disease, lice, mange, and heartworm. In most areas of the world, humans are the leading cause of death for wolves. In areas of high wolf density and declining prey populations, the major causes of death are killing by other wolves and starvation.

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Wolf, any of two species of wild doglike carnivores. The gray, or timber, wolf (Canis lupus), which inhabits vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere, is the better known. The Ethiopian, or Abyssinian, wolf (C. simensis) inhabits the highlands of Ethiopia; until recently it was considered a jackal.

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Are you fascinated by wolves? Are you also a little frightened of them? For thousands of years, humans have loved, feared and even hated wolves. By learning more about them, we can learn to appreciate them, rather than fear them.
Quick Facts about Wolves for Kids

All the wolves in a pack help take care of the pups and each other.

Cubs bond with their families when they are babiesand keep these bonds until they are old enough to make their own families.

All wolves howl. We're not sure exactly why they howl, but scientists think wolves howl to scare other wolves away and to communicate to others members within their pack.

Wolves are top predators in the wild and are related to dogs.

Wolves are carnivores. They eat everything from deer and to and mice. They work in teams to hunt large animals, but can hunt small animals on their own if they need to.

Wolves can run up to 38 miles per hour if they are hunting or running away from something dangerous. Usually they trot at slower speeds closer to 5 miles per hour.

Wolves have been known to travel up to 100 miles in one day.

Wolves live in many parts of the world. Gray wolves and red wolves live in the United States.

Wolves are actually a lot like humans. For starters both wolves and humans are mammals, meaning we belong to the same kingdom of life.

All mammals share certain traits that are not usually seen in other types of animals, such as having hair or fur, having backbones, giving birth to live young as opposed to laying eggs, and being warm-blooded.

The most unique trait about mammals is their ability to create milk to feed their young.

Like people, wolves also live in close families, called packs, for their whole lives. A pack has a female and male leader, much like a mom and dad. These two wolves are called the "alphas" because they are the leaders of the pack.

The alphas are also the only ones that have babies. They keep order, direct hunting trips, and resolve fights. Does that sound a bit like your parents?

Each year, the alpha couple will produce one litter of pups, usually with 4 to 6 babies. Wolf mothers give birth to their pups in a den, where they will stay for about a month to nurse their babies.

These mommas do not even leave the den to eat, so other members of the pack will bring them food. When pups are first born, they are blind, deaf, and defenseless, so it is important that they stay hidden and tucked away until their senses develop a bit more and they are able to at least run away from danger.

Other than the brief time after mothers give birth, wolves do not live in dens. Instead, they sleep outside on the ground.

The other wolves living in the pack are most often the alpha's older pups, but can also be their brothers or sisters. This would be like if you had an aunt or uncle that lives with you and your family.

Most often, a pack has 6 to 8 wolf members, but it can be as small as 2 wolves, or as big as 30 or more wolves! This family unit works together to find food, take care of each other, and protect their territory.

The youngest pups will join the pack in hunts when they are about 8 months old. Before then, the other members of the pack do all of the hunting and will share with the younger members.

Wolves stay with their the pack of their mother and father (the alphas) until they are 2 to 3 years old. Then, they are old enough to start their own pack families, so they "move out" to find a mate.

Wolves are carnivores, meaning they eat mostly meat, but sometimes they will also eat apples, berries, and other fruits and veggies that are available. The majority of their food is made up of meat though.

This big family will usually hunt together to take down animals big enough to feed everyone, like a moose, deer, elk, and bison. When big prey is hard to find, wolves will also hunt smaller animals like rabbits, foxes, squirrels, and even mice.

Wolves love to play, but you probably wouldn't want to join their antics. They knock each other down and nip and bite each other - sort of like wrestling with your parents or siblings, but a lot rougher.

This play is meant to help them learn important skills they will need to survive, like fighting off wolves from other packs, hunting, and bonding with each other.

Wolves communicate with each other in many ways. They use their urine to mark their territory and tell other wolves what is theirs and so they can find their way home. They make noises like howling, barking, and whimpering that other wolves can hear from up to 10 miles away!

They also communicate with body language. When they are playful, they will bow down and wag their tail just like your dog! If they are feeling angry, threatened, or defensive, they will snarl and growl to let others know they are prepared to fight.

Wolves are top predators in the wild. With sharp teeth, big heavy bodies, and their pack mates, there is not much that can take them down. Even a bear or a mountain lion doesn't stand a chance against a whole pack of wolves!

The greatest threat to wolves are humans. People have hunted wolves nearly to extinction in some places in the world. Now, there are some laws to protect them, but many are still hunted in places where there are higher numbers of wolves.

They are also at risk of losing their habitats as humans spread out and develop the wild lands that wolves usually live on.

Wolf Vocabulary

Learn More All About Wolves

Check out this amazing video all about wolves:

A video documentary about the truth of the lives of wild wolves and their pack.

Wolf Questions & Answers

Answer 1: Wolves were hunted and killed almost to the point of extinction in the United States. In fact, the red wolf was extinct, except for a few that lived in reserves. Today, wolves are returning to forests and mountain areas in the U.S.

Answer 2: That depends on the dog, but wolves are as big, or bigger than most dogs. Male wolves weigh between 70 and 110 pounds, while females weigh 60 to 80 pounds.

Answer 3: Yes wolves hunt in their family groups known as packs.

Answer 4: No, wolves do not hibernate.They are active all year around.

Answer 5: The gray wolf will need to eat at least 2.5 pounds of meat to survive and at least 7 pounds to enable them to reproduce pubs. Wolves can go days without food so when prey comes along they will devour what they can. A large grey wolf can eat up to 22 pounds during one meal.

Answer 6: There are two different species of wolves in North American - The Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf.

Answer 7: Yes the gray wolf is the bigger of the two.

Answer 7: Wolves are very fast over short distances, they can run at a whopping 35 mph. A wolf can travel long distances, up to 100 miles in a day, but when doing so they average about 5 mph.

Answer 8: Generally 4 to 6 pubs in a litter.

Answer 9: Wolves only breed once per year between the months January and March.

Answer 10: A wolf in the wild can live on average 8 - 10 years but a wolf has a very difficult life from the very start. They have to survive harsh winters, starvation, and unfortunately hunters.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Wolves info? Take the FREE & fun Wolves quiz and download FREE Wolves worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Are you fascinated by wolves? Are you also a little frightened of them? For thousands of years, humans have loved, feared and even hated wolves. By learning more about them, we can learn to appreciate them, rather than fear them.

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Red Wolf

Canis rufus

Status: Endangered

Description

Red wolves are lean canids, often with black-tipped bushy tails. Their coats are mostly a brown or buff color, with some black along their backs. There is sometimes a reddish tint to the fur on their muzzle, behind their ears, and on the backs of their legs. At a glance, a red wolf may look somewhat like the domestic German shepherd.

The red wolf is between the size of a gray wolf and a coyote. They are about four feet long and stand about 26 inches at the shoulder. Red wolves weigh anywhere between 45 and 80 pounds, with males averaging about 60 pounds and females about 50 pounds.

Range

Historically the red wolf ranged from southeastern Texas to central Pennsylvania. Today the only place red wolves can be found in the wild is in eastern North Carolina's Albemarle Peninsula. Equally at home in forests, swamps, and coastal prairies, red wolves can thrive in a wide range of habitats.

Diet

Red wolves are carnivores, though their diet can vary depending on what prey is available. Mostly they hunt smaller mammals like raccoons, rabbits, and rodents, along with white-tailed deer. Within their territory, red wolves will travel up to 20 miles in search of prey.

Life History

Red wolves mate for life, and each pack is formed around the breeding pair. Usually red wolves form a group of five to eight, composed of the breeding male and female and their offspring from different years. The pack is a very close family unit. Older offspring will help the breeding male and female raise their younger siblings, and will also attend the den. Within one to three years, the younger wolves will leave the pack in search of their own mates and territory.

Each pack has its own home range, which the wolves will hunt in and defend from other canids. Red wolves are fiercely territorial creatures and will even fight other wolves if needed. Red wolves breed once a year, from January through March. Anywhere from one to nine pups are born roughly nine weeks later in April or May. After about 10 days, the pups' eyes open. For several weeks after this period, the other members of the pack keep a close eye on the pups, keeping them within the den until they mature.

The dens themselves are well hidden near stream banks, downed logs, sand knolls, or even drain pipes and culverts. The adult pack members will range and return with food for the pups until they are strong enough. In the wild, red wolves typically live five to six years, and as long as 14 years in captivity.

Conservation

Smaller and ruddier in color than their gray wolf cousins, the red wolf is one of the most endangered canids in the world. Though red wolves once ranged across the southeastern United States, years of hunting and habitat loss had driven the species to the brink of extinction by 1970. As part of an ambitious captive-breeding program, the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service captured the 14 remaining red wolves they could find in the wild. These wolves are the ancestors of the 75 to 100 animals that now live in North Carolina, the first animal to be successfully reintroduced after being declared extinct in the wild.

Within their ecosystem, the wolves play a valuable role in keeping numbers of prey like deer in check. In turn the smaller prey populations are less likely to balloon out of control and consume all available nutrients in their habitat. Additionally, though no studies have conducted to quantify this, the wolves' preference for nuisance species, like nutria and raccoons, helps to reduce damage to crops and other human activities.

Though the red wolf has come a long way, there are many threats to the species in the long term. While they are a distinct species, their interactions with coyotes pose a serious risk of hybridization. Coyotes have moved into the habitat range formerly occupied by the red wolf and now compete with the reintroduced wolves for resources. Though the smaller coyotes do not pose a direct challenge to red wolf territory, any potential offspring between coyotes and red wolves endangers the red wolf's long-term viability as a unique species. Thankfully management actions by wildlife managers, such as sterilizing territorial coyotes, are limiting hybridizations events, and giving red wolves the advantage and opportunity to increase their numbers.

Human interactions also pose a risk to the red wolf. Their entire habitat in the Albemarle Peninsula rests just three feet above sea level, and as a result climate change poses a serious threat. Though shy by nature and unlikely to confront humans, further development and habitat fragmentation increases the chance of conflict between the two species. Some of these interactions may be accidents caused by auto collisions, but some confrontations are more malicious.

In the past few years there has been a rash of red wolf killings. In less than a month in late 2013, six red wolves were found shot, and the attacks continue. The presence of tampered radio tracking collars and the ongoing attacks outside of hunting season suggests evidence tampering and foul play. In a population of less than a hundred animals, the impact of these attacks is immense.

Fun Fact

Red wolves communicate through body language, scent marking, and a series of vocalizations. These include the characteristic howl, along with a series of barks, growls, and yaps. The red wolf's howl sounds somewhat similar to a coyote's, but is often lower pitched and lasts longer.

Sources

National Geographic

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Learn facts about the red wolf's habitat, diet, life history, and more.