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All dogs are direct descendents of gray wolves. |
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Gray Wolf Canis lupis Gray wolves are an integral part of Minnesota, symbols of our state’s pride in wild lands. They are also the state’s most controversial animals: alternately loved, hated, feared, and admired. With their powerful build, strong jaws, muscular legs, and large feet, these members of the canine family are large and efficient predators. What They Eat Where They Live What They Do How They’re Doing ![]() Animal Bites Where at the Zoo Conservation Status Habitat Taxonomic Category Where in the World See Also
Gray Wolf
Wolf pups weigh only one pound when born. They start out blind and deaf, completely dependent on their mother for food and protection. Gray wolves eat an average of 3-5 pounds of meat daily, but can gorge themselves on up to 20 pounds in one sitting. Wolves are designed for a lifestyle of feast or famine, and can go weeks without food. Although considered great hunters, Minnesota’s wolves only kill about one out of every five deer they stalk. Adult wolves eat the equivalent of 15-20 full-grown deer each year. Wolves are known for strong frames and muscles. Their jaws, for instance, can crush bones at a pressure of 1,500 pounds per square inch. (A human jaw: 300). Gray wolves have a sense of smell 80 times stronger than humans. This helps them track, hunt, communicate, and avoid danger. After smell, hearing is wolves’ strongest sense. Keen ears help them detect both threats and food. They also help wolves communicate over long distances, which is critical for a far-flung pack. Wolves cover large areas in their hunt for food. They can trot 40 miles without resting. Gray wolves do well in northern winters by growing thick, warm coats. They manage warm weather by shedding their dense undercoats. Wolves live by their feet. Big feet help them move in snow better than deer or moose. Wolves have been clocked at 35 mph for short distances. The world record human sprint is 23 mph.
Gray Wolf
Care at the Zoo Wolves in zoos don't have the same opportunities for physical and mental stimulation that wild wolves do. To remedy this, zookeepers provide them with objects or changes to their environment (enrichment) that encourage behaviors they would naturally express in the wild. This helps keep life interesting for the wolves by presenting them with challenges and new things to explore. The Minnesota Zoo has two wolf exhibits, one on the Minnesota Trail featuring gray wolves, and the other on the Northern Trail featuring a particularly endangered subspecies: Mexican gray wolves. You might think what is good for one species is good for the other in terms of enrichment, but that’s not always true. The difference is conservation. Our endangered Mexican gray wolves are part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP), of which the ultimate goal is to breed and rear wolves for reintroduction programs in the United States and Mexico. Because these wolves have the potential to be released into the wild, zookeepers refrain from enrichment activities that might result in wild wolves being attracted to populated areas. For example, keepers might use certain perfumes as olfactory enrichment for the gray wolves on the Minnesota Trail, but avoid using them for Mexican gray wolves. Instead, the Mexican grays wolves are offered only natural scents such as spices, extracts, or even the urine from species that might be encountered in the wild.
Gray Wolf
The status of gray wolf populations depends on where they live. After years of legal protection and hard work, in 2007 Minnesota’s gray wolves were removed from the federal Endangered Species List. For now, it’s up to Minnesota to determine where and how future generations of wolves will survive. The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), a subspecies of the gray wolf, is currently listed as endangered and considered extinct in the wild. It is slowly being reintroduced back into the wild through captive breeding programs.In 1994, the Minnesota Zoo joined the Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) and continues to participate at many levels. The Minnesota Zoo’s involvement includes advising facilities on educational curriculum and other issues surrounding wolf recovery, educating our visitors about the plight and recovery of the species, and contributing to ongoing reproductive studies that will help ensure the survival of the species for generations to come and help improve captive management. In August 2006, the zoo sent a keeper to assist the Mexican wolf field team in Arizona and New Mexico. During her stay she assisted with wolf-prey interaction studies using GPS technology, daily wolf pack monitoring, development of educational materials, and interacted with local residents to discuss the impact wolves may or may not have in the area. The primary pack she monitored was the recently released Meridian pack, which contains Minnesota Zoo wolf #10965, her mate, and their single remaining female pup.
Gray Wolf
A symbol of strength, wilderness, and family bonds, the gray wolf is integral to Minnesota’s northern ecosystems. Living in highly socialized packs, wolves usually avoid people, often roaming a territory of 25 to 150 square miles. Their grizzly coats can be varying shades of gray mixed with brown, white, or black markings. A thick undercoat provides insulation and long guard hairs keep out moisture. Long legs and large paws provide support in the snow. Gray wolves have long, bushy tails which they hold straight out when on the move. Range and Habitat As long as sufficient food is available, gray wolves can successfully adapt to a variety of climates and terrain. Their current range is the northern United States, Alaska, and Canada with the Mexican gray wolf subspecies in Arizona and New Mexico. Minnesota packs live in the state’s northern forests, although in recent years they have been moving as far south as Lake Mille Lacs. Diet Social Organization The pack Communication Reproduction |