Quick Facts

Latin Name: Canis lupus

Status: Endangered

Population: Northwest United States, Canada, and Alaska

Primary Diet: Elk, moose, rabbits, deer

Weight: 55-130 pounds

Length: Between 4.5-6.5 feet

About the Gray Wolf

Once on the brink of extinction, gray wolves are regaining population numbers in some parts of the United States.

Gray wolves are considered keystone predators, meaning they have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to population size. As a result, conserving endangered populations across the United States is of critical importance.

Gray wolves were once common throughout the United States, but were over-hunted and exterminated in many parts of the country during the 1930s.

Wolves live in packs of 7-8 wolves that are led by an alpha male and alpha female. The packs are defined by strong social bonds, and wolves have developed a complex system of communication using barks and growls. Litter size ranges from 4-7 pups, and newborns are blind and defenseless, cared for by the pack until they fully mature and are able to hunt at 10 months.

For more information: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Defenders of Wildlife
Photography: Image #1 – Spacebirdy / CC-BY-SA3.0, Image #2 – Creative Commons