Wolves

Wolf (Canis lupis)
Range: Northern portions of North America, Europe, and Asia
Status: Some subspecies are threatened, but the Alaskan Grays have a healthy population in Canada.

While exterminated from some areas of their former range, their numbers tend to be increasing in most areas. This is most likely due to decreased hunting pressure. The gray wolf primarily hunts large hoofstock and a pack is quite capable of taking down a moose. Wolves have very powerful jaws that are capable of applying 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. Compare that to German Shepherds at 750 pounds per square inch or humans at a measly 300 pounds per square inch.



In captivity some people keep wolves as "pets" or even hybridize them with domestic dogs for the pet trade. Wolves are separated from the domestic dog by thousands of years of evolution, and the behavior differences are large and obvious. Wolves in captivity can pose a risk to their human caretakers and should be dealt with cautiously.

Meet Our Wolves