Wolf Facts
Did you know these Wolf Facts?
1. Loss of habitat and persecution by Humans are leading factors in the Wolves "Endangered Species Status". This protection had been removed in Montana and Idaho in 2009 but reinstated in August of 2010.
2. Wolves lost the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in Idaho and Montana in 2009 but Federal protection was reinstated in August of 2010.
3. In 2009 hunting of Wolves during specified seasons and in certain areas is now legal in Idaho and Montana. This is unprecedented in the history of the ESA.
4. The weight of the North American Wolf can be as little as 40 pounds or as large as 175 pounds.
5. The length of the North American Wolf varies between 4'6" and 6'6" from muzzle to tip of tail.
6. The height of an average Wolf is between 26 and 32 inches at the shoulder.
7. Wolves have large feet, the average being 4 inches wide by 5 inches long.
8. Wolves can live up to 13 years in the wild but the average is only 6 to 8 years.
9. Wolves in captivity have been known to live up to 16 years.
10. Wolves have 42 teeth.
11. Wolves breed once a year, December through March, depending on latitude, the gestation period is 63 days.
12. Wolf pups are born in northern climates as late as early June and in southern climates as early as late February
13. The average litter size is 4 to 6 cubs.
14. The cubs weigh approximately one pound at birth and cannot see or hear.
15. Fur color varies from gray, tan and brown to pure white or black.
16. Packs can have as little as 2 members or as many as 30 members.
17. Average Pack size is 6 to 8.
18. Pack Territories vary with location. In the Alaskan or Canadian Wilderness the territory for one pack ranges from 300 to 1,000 square miles while in the continental U.S. the territory is between 25 and 150 square miles.
19. A Wolf in a hurry can go as fast as 35 miles per hour for short distances.
20. The Wolves' diet of choice consists of deer, moose, caribou, elk, bison, musk-oxen and beaver. They have been know to survive on voles and mice if need be.
