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Wolves
are excellent hunters and have been found to be living in more places in the
world than any other mammal except humans.
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The
wolf is the ancestor of all breeds of domestic dog. It is part of a group of
animals called the wild dogs which also includes the dingo and the coyote.
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Most
wolves weigh about 40 kilograms but the heaviest wolf ever recorded weighed
over 80 kilograms!
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Adult
wolves have large feet. A fully grown wolf would have a paw print nearly 13
centimetres long and 10 centimetres wide.
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Wolves
live and hunt in groups called a pack. A pack can range from two wolves to as
many as 20 wolves depending on such factors as habitat and food supply. Most
packs have one breeding pair of wolves, called the alpha pair, who lead the
hunt.
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Wolf
pups are born deaf and blind while weighing around 0.5 kg (1 lb). It
takes about 8 months before they are old enough to actively join in wolf pack
hunts.
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Wolves
in the Arctic have to travel much longer distances than wolves in the forest
to find food and will sometimes go for several days without eating.
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When
hunting alone, the wolf catches small animals such as squirrels, hares,
chipmunks, raccoons or rabbits. However, a pack of wolves can hunt very large
animals like moose, caribou and yaks.
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When
the pack kills an animal, the alpha pair always eats first. As food supply is
often irregular for wolves, they will eat up to 1/5th of their own body
weight at a time to make up for days of missed food.
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Wolves
have two layers of fur, an undercoat and a top coat, which allow them to
survive in temperatures as low at minus 40 degrees Celsius! In warmer weather
they flatten their fur to keep cool.
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A
wolf can run at a speed of 65 kilometres per hour during a chase. Wolves have
long legs and spend most of their time trotting at a speed of 12-16
kilometres per hour. They can keep up a reasonable pace for hours and have
been known to cover distances of 90 kilometres in one night.
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