There are three species of wolves in the world: the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the red wolf (Canis rufus) and the Ethiopian (or Abyssinian) wolf, (Canis simensis). Some researchers believe the Ethiopian wolf is not a wolf, but actually a jackal.

Ontario is fortunate to be home to two types of wolves, who range across the province. Gray wolves are not at this time listed as a species at risk, but CPAWS and other organizations are concerned that insufficient data exist to support MNR claims that the populations are healthy (they have never been able to provide any scientific data to substantiate this claim) .

Wolves usually live in packs which consist of the adult parents, referred to as the alpha pair, and their offspring of perhaps the last 2 or 3 years. The adult parents are usually unrelated and other unrelated wolves may sometimes join the pack.

Pack size is highly variable because of birth of pups, dispersal, and mortality. Generally, a gray wolf pack has from six to eight wolves, but in Alaska and northwestern Canada some packs have over 30 members. Red wolf packs are generally smaller than gray wolf packs and usually have 2 to 8 members, but a pack of 12 is known in the wild.

Wolves breed at slightly different times, depending on where they live. For example, gray wolves in the Great Lakes Region breed in February to March, while gray wolves in the Arctic may breed slightly later in March to April.

The average length (tip of nose to tip of tail) of an adult female gray wolf is 4.5 to 6 feet; adult males average 5 to 6.5 feet. The average height (at the shoulder) of a gray wolf is 26 to 32 inches. The average length (tip of nose to tip of tail) of an adult red wolf is 4.5 to 5.5 feet. The average height (at the shoulder) of an adult red wolf is about 26 inches.

Gray wolves prey primarily on large, hoofed mammals such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, Dall sheep, musk oxen, and mountain goat. Medium sized mammals, such as beaver and snowshoe hare, can be an important secondary food source. Occasional wolves will prey on birds or small mammals.

No. Although the wolf survives as an endangered species in a handful of states, from 7,500 to 10,000 wolves populate Alaska — from the most remote wilderness region to the suburbs of our largest cities. Because so much of this state is undeveloped, with more than 160 million acres permanently set aside in protected status (an area larger than California), the wolf is assured of a permanent home in Alaska.

Adult female gray wolves in northern Minnesota weigh between 50 and 85 pounds, and adult males between 70 and 110 pounds. Gray wolves are larger in the northwestern United States, Canada, and Alaska where adult males weigh 85 to 115 pounds and occasionally reach 130 pounds.

The massive molars and powerful jaws of a wolf are used to crush the bones of its prey. The biting capacity of a wolf is 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. The strength of a wolf's jaws makes it possible to bite through a moose femur in six to eight bites. In comparison, a German shepherd has a biting pressure of 750 pounds per square inch. A human has a much lower biting pressure of 300 pounds per square inch.

Gray wolves in the wild have an average life span of 6 to 8 years, but have been known to live up to 13 years in the wild and 16 years in captivity. Red wolves in the wild have an average life span of 8 to 9 years, but have been known to live up to 12 years in the wild and 16 years in captivity.

The natural causes of wolf mortality are primarily starvation, which kills mostly pups, and death from other wolves because of territory fights. While not usually a big problem, disease such as mange and canine parvovirus can be a concern in small and recovering populations. Injuries caused by prey results in some deaths. Human-caused mortality including legal, illegal, and accidental causes, can be high in some populations.

Wolves will travel for long distances by trotting at about five miles per hour. They can run at speeds of 25 to 35 miles per hour for short bursts while chasing prey.

Wolves may travel 10 to 30 miles each day in search of food. Dispersing wolves, those leaving packs in search of their own mate, have been known to travel distances of 550 miles away form their home territory. Our website contains several pages on wolves, as well as PDF files of maps and scientific papers related to the topics discussed. The links below will allow you to navigate to those pages or download the PDF files (Adobe Acrobat required).

Members of one species do not normally interbreed with members of other species in nature. Sometimes, members of different species, such as lions and tigers, can interbreed if kept together in captivity. But in nature, geographic isolation and differences in behavior, such as choice of habitat, keep these sorts of closely related animal species apart. Similarly, closely related species of plants can sometimes be hybridized by horticulturists, but these hybrids are rarely found in nature.

The lakes at our lodge and outposts contain a great combination of walleye and northern pike. In addition, the angler may catch other species of fish such as jumbo perch, burbot, whitefish or sucker. Each year our guests catch and release a large number of Master Angler walleye and pike. In Manitoba, a Master Angler walleye is 28" (10 pound class) and a Master Angler pike is 41" (20 pound class). Other Provinces use much smaller sizes for their Master Angler programs.

In Australia there are around 400 species but only approximately 10 are commonly abundant and represent a serious pest threat because of their nuisance biting or their ability to transmit disease. (BACK)

We are building a cellular level model of the rat Neocortical Column at the age of 2 weeks. This region has the most quantitative data and can also be tested rigorously in parallel with the simulations. Once we have built an accurate copy, we can use this column as a template to include neurons and connections from other brain regions, ages of the animal and species. In principal the template will allow us to build a neocortical column from any species.

Tell to us all you know about your fish and send us a picture if possible. We will try to help the best we can.

After spending part of their life as females, some individuals undergo sex reversal, transforming into males. All larger individuals are males. The large males construct bubble nests at the mouth of burrows and guard the eggs and young. A high degree of parental care is given probably assuring greater reproductive success. Because they are air breathers, conventional eradication measures, such as ichthyocides (chemicals which deny oxygen to the gills), are ineffective.

All wolves released are fitted with radio collars. Systematic telemetry surveys are conducted daily by land or air to monitor locations and activities of released wolves. The USFWS has no plans to reintroduce either the grizzly bear or the jaguar to the Southwest.

One of the primary characteristics used for selecting Mexican wolves for reintroduction is avoidance and fear of humans. Wolves that have the potential to be released must not be socialized or habituated to humans, so they are not likely to be attracted to people or human establishments once released. Mexican wolves selected for reintroduction are managed with minimal exposure to humans in an environment that fosters and maintains natural wolf behaviors.

The latest Wolf and Moose study report can be found on the Isle Royale National park site at: www.nps.gov/isro/wolfmoos.htm. For a excellent book on the study and the researcher who has been conducting it for the last 30 years, check out "The Wolfs of Isle Royale: A Broken Balance" by Rolf Peterson. It provides great insight into the interactions on the island in an extremely fascinating way. It is available through the Isle Royale Natural History Association at www.irnha.org.

In Minnesota, wolves kill the average equivalent of 15 to 20 adult-sized deer per wolf per year. Given the 1997-98 estimate of 2,450 wolves in Minnesota, that would equal about 36,750 to 49,000 deer killed by wolves. In comparison, from 1995-1999 hunters killed between 32,300 to 78,200 deer each year in Minnesota's wolf range. In addition, several thousand deer are killed during collisions with vehicles each year.

Howling, hooting, or other attempts to get wolves or other wildlife to respond is illegal, and you could receive a citation if caught. Do not howl at the wolves. These activities can disrupt the natural flow of wildlife habits, as well as

Algonquin Park is believed to contain approximately 35 packs of wolves, with a total of 150 - 175 wolves inhabiting the park ecosystem. This is the count at the end of the winter. This number doubles to about 300 in the summer with the birth of pups, and drops back down to 150 - 175 through mortality over the winter. The population size also fluctuates from year to year. The overall trend has been a decline in the population over the last 12 years.

Two thirds of wolf deaths are human-caused. They are shot, snared, and trapped; some are hit by cars. Poisoning is illegal in Ontario, but it happens, infrequently.