The gray wolf or timber wolf is the biggest member of the Canidae family that exists in the wild. Wolves are a remnant of the ice age and have been roaming the planet for nearly three hundred thousand years. Genetic studies prove that the wolf does indeed share a common ancestry with the domesticated dog that lives in many of our homes. Several other gray wolf subspecies have been categorized, although the true number of them is still open to debate. Wolves are most often the top predators in each of their natural habitats. Although they're not as adaptable as other canid species, wolves have flourished in moderate forest regions, as well as in deserts, mountainous tundra and even grasslands.
Although they once thrived over vast portions of Europe and the North Americas, the gray wolf now exists within a tiny part of its previous range due to widespread annihilation of its territory, human intrusion of its environment, and the predictable human-wolf interactions that provoked mass extermination. Even still, the gray wolf is not considered to be at risk for extinction by many conservation societies at this time. Today wolves are being protected in specific areas while also being hundred for sport in others. They're also still often subjects of termination hunts when surrounding peoples perceive them to be a threat to livestock. In regions where mankind and wolves cohabitate the same area, wolves often appear in the folklore and legends of those people, depicted both positively and negatively.
The size and weight of a gray wolf can vary greatly across different areas. Overall, their height varies from between 26 to 38 inches at the shoulder, with their weight generally ranging from 44 lbs. to 150 lbs. This together makes the gray wolf the largest of all wild dogs. Although not often encountered, rare species of over 170 lbs. have been recorded in Canada, Alaska and the Russian territories. The Arabian Wolf is the smallest of all wolves, with mature females weighing in at as little as 22 pounds. Gray wolves are like most mammals in that the females are smaller than the males of the species, weighing as much as twenty percent less than their male counterparts. The females also have a more narrow forehead and muzzle; shorter legs and more diminutive shoulders. The typical gray wolf will measure anywhere between four and a half and six and a half feet long from the nose to the end of their tail; the tail usually accounting for one quarter of its overall body length.
Wolves were designed by evolution for stamina, possessing many features perfected for long distance travel. The narrow chest of the wolf along with their strong back and equally powerful legs lend themselves to swift and graceful movement. Wolves are able to cover several miles while running at speeds of more than six miles per hour and they've also been seen in short bursts of close to 40 mph during a hunt. There is recorded evidence of a female gray wolf leaping more than 21 feet in pursuit of prey.
The mating of wolves usually takes place sometime between January and April. One wolf pack generally produces just one litter unless the alpha male decides to mate with more than one of the females. In the midst of the mating season, the wolves will become much more affectionate towards each other in anticipation of the event. The tension of the pack will increase as each of the breeding females begins to feel the urge to mate. Incest among wolves almost never occurs but it has been reported as a problem among specific packs in certain observed locations. During a female's time of estrus, which is indicated by the scent of her urine, among other physiological changes, the breeding wolf couple will often seclude themselves from the rest of the pack. The couple will also take measures to ensure that other wolves within the pack will not mate during this period. Once in awhile, single wolves are discovered in the wild, but wolves living in packs is much more common. A lone wolf is usually an elderly wolf that has been driven out of it's former pack or a young adult wolf searching for new hunting grounds. A typical wolf pack is made up of a breeding couple and their offspring, meaning that a normal packs consists of immediate family members. The number of members in a pack can change over time and is dictated by several factors, including location, demeanors of specific wolves inside a pack and of course, food availability. The members of a wolf pack generally range from between two to twenty animals with an average being around eight. An anomalous pack containing thirty six wolves was discovered in 1967 in Alaska.