CHARACTERISTICS
Wolves are hunting animals by nature and are built to resemble this, with thick coats, broad shoulders, sharp teeth, strong claws and long powerful legs. They also have a thick fur coat which they moult in summer by rubbing themselves against trees to remove any loose fur. This fur grows back in the winter months they aslo have excellent hearing,sharp eyesight and a good sense of smell.


PACK HEIRACHY
The wolf generally lives in a pack with up to 10 wolves. This consists of the alpha male and female who are theleaders of the pack and the only wolves able to breed and produce offspring. these are also the first wolf in any pack to eat from a kill.Next comes the beta male and female who act as the alpha pairs second in command.
The last wolf is the omega wolf which could be male or female and is the last wolf to feed from any caught meal.
The rest of the pack consists of juveniles who have yet to find their position in the pack. Wolves are social animals who will olften fight for thieir position in the pack and it has been know for the alpha and beta wolves to chsnge position within the pack. The alpha pair hold their tails up high as a sign of their position within the pack.


FEEDING HABITS
The wolf pack generally stays in one place in the early half of the year butwill travel a long way to find food in the winter months.They are predominantly carnivores and will eat deer, rabbits, carrion, buffalo and bison. They will only kill the smallest, weakest member of any prey and will often stalk a herd of deer for days until finding the right moment to strike. they have also been known to eat herbs and plants for roughage.


WOLF TERRITORY
Grey wolf
Once found in North and South America and Canada, Europe (United Kingdom, Irish republic and mainland), Aisa (incuding India, China and Japan)
now found in Canada and parts of North America and Eastern Europe

Arctic wolf
Canadian Artic and Northern parts of Greenland

Eastern wolf
parts of North America and Canada

Euraisen wolf
originally spread over most of Euraisia, now found mostly in Central Asia

Mexican wolf
small numbers still to be found in Mexico but critically endangered

Iberian wolf
Northern Portugal and Northwestern Spain

Italian wolf
found in parts of Italy, Switzerland and Southern France

Tundra wolf
Northern Europe and Asia, primarily Northern areas of Russia

Red wolf
once roamed throughout Southwestern America, a population is being reintroduced to North Carolia. critically endangered.

Prairie wolf/coyote
Canada and North and Central America and North Mexico

Ethiopean wolf
Ethiopia, critically endangered, this is the most endangered of all the canids

Indian wolf
India, endangered

Maned wolf
South America