Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
Summary 3
The Gray wolf,(Canis lupus) is a canid native to the wilderness and remote areas of North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Males are larger, averaging 43–45 kg and females 36–38.5 kg. It is similar in general appearance and proportions to a German shepherd, or sled dog, but has a larger head, narrower chest, longer legs, straighter tail, and bigger paws.
Field Identification 4
Individual grey wolves vary greatly from one another. Northern population are generally larger, 100-120 cm long, while southern populations are around 90-100 cm long (nose to tail). Coat color varies from nearly white to grey, black and cinnamon. Similar to Red wolves, Grey wolves are larger, have broader snouts, and shorter ears. Also, they vary from coyotes by being nearly twice the overall size and will have much larger tracks. They house in narrow dens and constantly mark their territory with urine, scat, and scrapes.
Tracks will measure 3.75-5.75 by 2.8-5 inches length X width (rear). There are five toes, although only 4 register above a large fused metacarpal, triangular pad. Front tracks will measure slightly smaller overall and are less elongated.
Scat is 1/2-1 3/4 in diameter and 6-17 inches long. It is commonly found along travel routes, near kill sites and often around dens.
Canis lupus is not found in Iron County, Utah, USA.
Sources and Credits
- (c) linda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/31122895@N05/3536386452
- (c) ajedwards, all rights reserved, uploaded by ajedwards
- Adapted by ajedwards from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canis_lupus
- (c) ajedwards, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
