Scientific name:
Canis lupus

Natural spread:
northern hemisphere

within the family of the Hundeartigen probably hardly meets on a representative, who shows a higher adaptability with reference to its habitat and the life-conditions, as the wolf we. Already from its originally gigantic spread-area of the northern hemisphere the elderly and new world of the Arctic as far as in the restrained and dry, partially also tropical areas emerges its remarkable innerartliche variability, that several researchers induced to describe 11 and for the North American subcontinent 24 subtypes of the wolf for the paläarktisch-indische region. Albeit also the existence of a so large number of Subspecies is not undisputed, so however its installation alone shows to which various variation the wolf is capable.

Shape So, the description of its look is also a very difficult venture, that can be declared only within certain fluctuation-widths. The shape is typically dog-good with a shoulder-height of 50-100 cm, with what the males become bigger than the females normally. The fur-coloring varies from white until pure black. The "normal" gray-wolf gets its color through a more or less homogeneous mixture from white, black and brown Grannenhaaren. Frequently kicks also cinnamon - as well as. sand-colored forms on. The underside including the throat always is lighter than the remaining body-coloring. The slim torso sits on long limbs and finishes in one about. 1/3 of the length measuring tail.

Spread and races From its originally immeasurable spread-area, the wolf was expelled largely as far as on last small refuges with what for always several subtypes were wiped out.

Otherwise, we only find considerable wolf-continuances in Russia, Alaska and Canada in human-poor, uncultivated landscapes today. Remains with few singles-animals are in the Pyrenees, that Abruzzen and in Scandinavia. Some some larger herd still live in Eastern Europe and the USA.

Wolf-fear The human being pursued the wolf mercilessly where it could always become its in possession. Characteristically, the wolf-hunts never went from the natives of the corresponding spread-areas from but from "civilized" immigrants. Also still today, one can determine that the fear of the wolves with the proximity decreases to the animals. If one questions the population of the Abruzzen, for example, so one determines that the groups, that therefore the highest in the mountains, the wolves next is given a home, the lowest fear of the game-dogs has. Despite intensive surveys, also no guaranteed case could be determined until today that a healthy wolf would have attacked a healthy human being or even would have killed.

The wolf performs the important task of the regulation of the continuance of the bigger herbivores like elk and stag in the household of the nature. Not for nothing, there is an old Russian saying, that says: "Where the wolf lives, the forest" grows.

Social-lives it at least some human being trusted with the life of the wolf fascinates the social life of this game-dog to much stronger extent, however. The life-unit of the wolf, the herd, is one this in the animal-empire at the highest developed social organization-figure, that we know. The size of a such herd is dependent on the loot-animal-density and - size as well as from the season. Since all members from a herd as social supply-unit, also this not even hunting, is looked after, a maximum membership only very rarely is exceeded by 10 animals normally. Normally, however, the summer-herds consist of at most 5-8 members in the average. In the winter, several smaller herds frequently unite to a big one, that dissolves again in the spring. This summer and winter-herd-formation determines also the time of the restoration of the social association, d. h. the new formation of the social ranking.

In the wolf-herd, immediately which number of persons it contains, 2 separated social rankings exist, one for the males and one for the females. These are fought in partially vehement ranking-fights and then remain stable in the rule for the next half-year. First selection-factor for the acquisition of a certain place within the social-order is the individual's physical strength. Still, however, also "friendships" to high-ranking animals play or the fact, whether one leads boy or not, a role. Things often are not so courteously in the ranking-fights, as it is described many times, and only the escape remains an underdog frequent in order to save its life. After carried out position-confrontations, these individuals can however usually come back into the herd, must be content with the lowest position-places, however.

Fighting wolves, who belong to different herds, grant themselves no protection. The motto "Sieg oder Flucht" is valid here, a protection of the opponent against form of an innate Beißhemmung doesn't exist in that kind of confrontations. After the until now said, one now gets the impression, a wolf-community is one mainly through confrontations of shaped social-structures. However, this is not by far so. More or less dangerous fights form the exception of the normal Rudellebens such for all members, because often, the kernel of a community over years stays together. The position-confrontations remain limited in this case on the most necessary. Now, a peaceful-friendly together-life prevails, in which disagreements are evacuated through the most different ceremonials in peaceful way aside.

The two position-highest animals, for whom one calls also alpha-animals, are most important order-factor. Alpha-males and alpha-females form the kernel-pair of the herd. they show the environment-surest behavior with upright walk, high-put or even over the back rest raised tail. The other animals appear before them with incongruity in defensive - or even humility-attitude. its body is ducked easy according to the degree of the inferiority on that occasion until deeply, the ears sideways or even to the back put, and the tail hangs downward, is wedged between the legs or even under the stomach drawn. With violent encroachments of the position-higher animal, the Rangniedere usually warps on the back, frequently urinates one little and allows the superior urine and genital-inspection. Normally, the high-ranking won't undertake any aggressive encroachments on the underdog but will turn away that lifts leg and its urine-brand against a tree or similar splashes. Similarly a confrontation between 2 females proceeds albeit smaller Beißereien more frequently are on the agenda here. Occasionally an inferior female then takes refuge with a high-ranking male dog and finds protection there.

Lautgebung Special social meaning with a strongly satisfactory character possesses the howl of the wolves, that is carried out in the herd-community as common choir-howl. The howl, that quite doesn't sound so dull and scary, often serves the individual wolves been passed on in stories like this but amazingly modulation-capable and melodious is, as long-distance-communication-means at the hunt and to the up again-finding of the herd. Also at the together-finding of the individual summer-herds to the larger winter-association, the howl takes on an important task. It becomes more difficult with the interpretation of the Chorheulens. It practices a such attraction the whole pack into the howl-stanzas of an animal within the association from, that within few moments joins in. Unanimously the members of the herd then sit side by side, partially they stand there where they undertook exactly something other, directs its muzzle against the heaven, pulls the mouth-corners far forward and leaves them long moved out, modulates finely on - and doing a downhill turn howl-stanzas sound. So suddenly and without obvious occasion the choir-howl had begun, it finishes also again, and the herd-members now run around about each other joyfully excited, the muzzles lick whimpering and are in the whole one in joyful, playful mood. Beside this howl, the wolves still have different other Lautgebungen, that extends from the snarl, rumble and whimper to the Wuffen and barking, at their disposal. No one this Lautgebungen also has the social function only approximately, however, as the choir-howl is entitled to it.

Reproduction In the spring after the summer-herd-formation and the ranking-stabilization, the heat or Ranzzeit of the wolves begins. Only the high-ranking animals reach within the herd into the mood and probably also physiological situation, to become brünstig. Now, the male dog tries to obtain its female to particular extent and treats it virtually tender. Continuous body-contact deepens the relationship to the partner until the female finally becomes deck-willing beginning of April for approximately 1 weeks. Now umtänzeln itself the sex-partners and frequently follows together highly, in that they place themselves on the hind legs and the front-legs lay the partner on the shoulders. This so-called "wedding-dance" is especially important, because less combinations than with it come about without it by far. Takes the female its tail after this "wedding-dance" and after continuous sniffing and licking of the female Anogenitalregion through the male dog aside and asks the male dog to the ascension so. After the copulation and that runs (house-dogs) "hillsides" usual with the dogs the partners joyful-kindly about each other and seeks continuous contact. During the 1 week of the Hochranz, several times per day repeats themselves this combination-game. Earlier, one assumed that only the alpha-female with the alpha-male dog is allowed to verpaaren for itself within a herd. After many newer observations, this opinion is no more durable today, but it seems to mate several male dogs with a Fähe indeed for itself. Either, only the alpha-female doesn't become hotly fundamental, but one quite observes several leading females within a group, that clearly also trained a Gesäuge.

After approximately 62 days of Tragzeit, the females bring to the world 4-7 kids after they chose a construction carefully or dug even. The boys become blind and born with sparse baby-hair. After 10-15 days, they open the eyes and are suckled approximately for 10 weeks. From birth on involved itself the father at the Aufzucht the boys and the food-procurement for the mother. Often, it lives in the same cave, in which also the female lives with the young. As soon as the boys eat also solid food, the whole herd takes part in the procurement of the loot. The meat then is before-digested easily from-choked normally before the boys. After the Entwöhnung of the puppies, the mother goes to the hunt with the remaining pack and leaves its children to a younger female, who possibly takes care of existing boys as "aunt" from other females as well. it, as also the boys, is provided with food by the herd for it. Feed-envy is (in contrast to the jackals) a rare edge-appearance in the wolf-herd. Young possess a type "Fool-freedom" anyway, so that it and its mothers, but also weak animals, as is left the first to the feed.

Nutrition Also the hunt, that primarily is geared for bigger ungulates like elk, reindeer, stag and game-sheep, takes place in the social association. With loot-animals of this size, also no success would be informed in a singles-hunt the physically partially very much smaller wolf. In virtually brilliant work-division than pure laugh-hunters, the wolves hunt alternate its loot, that strives to first blast it from the herd-association. If a wolf with its strength is in the end, the next immediately replaces it in the leadership-position, that spared itself in the after-field until now and can now continue the prosecution with full strength. If the loot possibly drive towards the dogs mutually. Finally one or several pounce on the loot-animal of the side and try to kill it through a Kehlbiß. The immensely powerful Brechscheren of the wolf-denture can practice a pressure of over 15 kg/cm2 on that occasion and are capable without further so to bite through the thigh of an adult elk smoothly. Normally falls the wolves at its hunt suffers or old animals to the victim, since these first pull out from the herd-association. The wolf contributes its part to the natural healthy-conservation of the pair-hoof-heritage-stands with it.

It stops at the hunt also like for the normal herd-life to necessarily take into account that a so-called "Leitwolf" doesn't exist in a wolf-herd. Wolves don't chase after blindly like a sheep or beef-herd behind a "leader" or "leaders", but they possess an innate "insight" this or that procedure for the necessity. its action within the social-association is therefore not determined by a "leader" but lies completely with each individual individual and its innate or learned behavioral-repertoire. For this reason, one should replace the term "Leader" with "alpha-animal" with reference to wolves and should clear-become for itself over the tasks of this alpha-animal, who is the environment-surest member of the association merely. The tasks of this animal are very much more in the area of the protection of the herd outside, as in the regulation of the members within the group.