The wolf is a fierce animal that lives in the forests of the North. It is closely related to the DOG, the fox, and the jackal. Wolves have powerful teeth that can tear and rip the living animals that they hunt. Sometimes they hunt in large groups, called packs. In such numbers they can kill and eat very large animals.
There are not many wolves living now. When men cut down a forest, they destroyed the homes of the wolves. Also, men often killed the animals to protect themselves. Most of the wolves today live far north in Canada or in Siberia. Sometimes they get as far north as the tundra regions.
Most wolves are from three and one-half feet to five feet long, including their long bushy tails. The color of their hair varies with the species. The small European wolf is reddish-yellow or grayish-yellow. The long shaggy hair of the Tibetan wolf is almost all black. The maned wolf of South America has a reddish coat that becomes black on the legs. The large North American wolf, made famous by writers of early America, is often called the gray wolf. It is also known as the timber wolf.
Most wolves have nocturnal habits, doing most of their hunting at night. Although they are normally predators, hunting living animals for food, when prey is scarce they will become scavengers. Then they eat car-rion (dead flesh) and fruits and berries.
The home of wolves, called dens or lairs, may be a hollow tree, a small cave, a thicket of bushes, or even a hole in the ground. During spring, the female wolf gives birth to three to nine cubs. They are very similar to dogs in the way they spend the first several months of their lives.
