The common wolf (or gray wolf) is a large predatory animal from the canine family. The body length of an adult wolf can reach 180 cm (including tail), and the height at the withers is 90 cm. The weight of a wolf ranges from 30 to 50 kg, some of the largest animals can weigh up to 80 kilograms. Female wolves are usually smaller than male wolves.

The wolf's muzzle is elongated, its teeth are sharp and strong. The paws are quite long, the claws are not very sharp, as they wear off while running. The coat is usually light gray, sometimes with a black, white or reddish tint; there are wolves with completely black and completely white fur. As a wolf ages, its coat color can change greatly.

Spreading

Wolves live throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia and North America. Animals are well adapted to life in different conditions. They feel good in the tundra, forest, steppe, taiga and mountains.

Currently, the number of wolves has greatly decreased, and in many regions these animals are endangered.

Lifestyle

Wolves are pack animals. Members of the pack are relatives and lone wolves who have joined them. A flock can be large or small. A small one can consist of three to six wolves, and a large one can number twenty to forty individuals.

Life in a flock has its own laws and orders; there is a strict hierarchy. Each pack has a leader - a strong wolf, to whom all the others obey. The leader leads the pack on the hunt and resolves all conflicts that arise between relatives. Weak wolves must unquestioningly obey the strong ones.

Wolves have a very developed sign language. Their tail position or posture speaks volumes. So, a raised tail means that this is the leader of the pack, and a tucked tail means that this wolf is the weakest in the pack.

Wolves are big fans of “choral singing.” Their howls are both important messages for their relatives and simply a pleasant pastime. With the help of howls, wolves can convey important information to their relatives, being located at a distance of several kilometers from each other. For example, reporting the approach of game or a person.

Wolves love to howl just like that at dawn or at night. The leader is the first to speak, and the rest of the wolves begin to sing along with him.

In addition to howling, wolves can make other sounds - growl, howl, bark, yelp. All these sounds also have a certain meaning.

Wolves have a very sensitive sense of smell, they smell 100 times better than humans.

Nutrition

Wolves are predators. As a rule, they hunt sick or weak animals. That is why wolves are called orderlies.

A variety of animals can become game for wolves - moose, wild boars, rams, goats, deer, roe deer, beavers, bulls, hares, rabbits, badgers, squirrels, birds and others. But most often wolves hunt ungulates. They can also attack domestic animals. When food is scarce, wolves eat frogs, lizards and beetles.

Every day a wolf can eat about five kilograms of meat and drink a liter of water. In addition to meat food, wolves willingly eat fruits, berries, mushrooms, grass and leaves. Eating plant foods helps animals normalize digestion.

Wolves are very hardy animals; they can live without food for about two weeks.

Reproduction

Wolves create a family once for life. To breed, they dig new holes or occupy holes dug by other animals; they can also settle among rocks in small crevices.

A she-wolf's pregnancy lasts from 62 to 75 days. Wolf cubs are born in the spring. They are born defenseless - deaf, blind and toothless. The weight of newborn wolf cubs ranges from 300 g to 500 g. After about 9 days, their eyes open, and after two to three weeks their teeth begin to erupt. At three months of age, wolf cubs begin to emerge from the hole.

Adult wolves take grown-up wolf cubs with them to hunt.

Wolves are considered adult at approximately two years of age.

The lifespan of wolves in the wild ranges from 7 to 10 years.

Brief information about the wolf.

According to legend, the white wolf is the leader and king of all wolves. This is not a simple wolf, but a werewolf. In the ideas of our ancestors, the wolf always stood out from other animals with intelligence, cunning, and strength. Well, it’s not for nothing that rare white individuals (albinos) were popularly called kinglets or princelings: the white color made them stand out from their surroundings and, according to legend, gave them special strength. Sometimes even magical. After all, in the most ancient ideas this color was originally associated with the other world.

WHITE WOLF
WOUNDED SON

Once upon a time there lived a widower hunter. And he married a widow with a son. She was a beauty, but her eyes were black and unkind. And the hunter is afraid to look at her son, such is his ferocious appearance. Every night he disappeared somewhere.

Where does the guy go? - the hunter would ask, and the mother would look away:

It's a young thing. Probably hanging out with the girls.

And then the owner noticed that near the hut every night the wolves began to howl. This is how they howl when their leader is called. And in the barn there was a cow and piglets... The hunter felt sorry for the good, he took a gun and went to guard the wolves. “I will certainly,” he thinks, “I will kill their leader and drive them away from these places!”

He sits in a haystack, keeping watch.

A flock came up and lay down near the outskirts. Waiting. Then they started howling.

And then the hunter sees: a wolf is running from the hut, and not a simple one, but all white. He rushed into the forest - and the whole flock followed him.

"Wow! Yes, this is something unclean!” - thought the hunter and returned home. There is no stepson...

Only in the morning he showed up.

The next night the hunter took a bow and arrows, soaked them in holy water, and hid under the porch.

Leo Hao

The wolves howled.

Exactly at midnight, a white wolf jumps out, but the hunter did not make a mistake: he pulled the bowstring and shot an arrow, but did not kill the animal, but only wounded it.

The wolf howled and ran, but not into the forest, but into the hut.

The hunter is after him. He looks - his son is lying unconscious on the bench, and his mother is knitting his hand with a rag.

Then the owner again grabbed his weapon, and his wife threw herself at his feet and began to beg him to listen. It turns out that a sorcerer once cast a spell on the guy until first blood. It was a miracle that the fellow cheated on his daughter with a sinful deed. And now, after the bloodshed, the spell has broken.

Milena Sochilina

He won't run with the wolves anymore!

As soon as the guy’s wound healed, everyone went to the sorcerer, beat him with his forehead, and wooed his daughter. She was already pregnant, but they managed to celebrate the wedding before her homeland.

And then both young and old lived happily ever after.

Wolf (Dog) – Beast of the Dazhbogs

Wolf - Hort, Vovk, gray, beast, fierce. A predatory beast, an old neighbor of the Slavic tribe. The ancestor of the domestic dog, in many ways close to it in habits - it gathers in packs, is carnivorous and fast.

This strong and dangerous animal aroused conflicting feelings among the Slavs. On the one hand, the wolf is the totemic ancestor of many Slavic tribes, and the memory of this is still strong. The wolf still inspires fear and respect to this day. Although he is not brave, he does not go out hunting alone, preferring weak or sick game. But it doesn’t kill unnecessarily, and in a well-fed summer it’s practically harmless.

The Neuroi of Herodotus, who lived somewhere in the region of modern Belarus, turned into wolves for several days a year, and this did not surprise even the ancient Greeks, who were little familiar with transformation into a different form. Like any totem animal, the wolf had several nicknames that replaced its real name - “gray”, “fierce”. The word "wolf" was not spoken out loud. In many fairy tales, the wolf is a guide through an enchanted forest, the embodiment of the afterlife. The guide, however, is not disinterested; the wolf always took payment for his services - a horse or cattle. In this wolf feature one can hear echoes of ancient justice, “having taken, give back in full,” now we know it as the law of conservation of energy.

The dark essence of the wolf, strangely associated with the moon and frosty clear nights, frightened the Slavs. It was believed that the wolf belongs to the world of the dead and knows its secrets. The sad howl of a wolf made our ancestors shudder and was considered a bad sign. He who heard it was preparing for famine, war or a cruel winter. Many European peoples have faith in werewolves. Having stuck a knife into a tree stump, the sorcerer could turn into a wolf and run in its skin as long as the knife remained in place.

Thus, the wolf is a two-pronged creature. On the one hand, he is closely connected with the solar deities, a wise and faithful companion, a powerful soothsayer. On the other hand, there is a predatory demon, an alien beast from the world of the dead. Anyone who mentioned a terrible name at night immediately stopped short and fell silent, averting trouble. All this can be seen in the form of a werewolf - half man, half beast.

The time of the wolf is mid-winter. Colors – grey, white, black

Proverbs and signs:

Wolf's leg being fed
- Either howl with the wolves or be eaten
- A well-fed wolf is more humble than an insatiable man

The wolf dragged, the wolf will be dragged
- No matter how much you feed the wolf, everything is drawn to the forest
- Wolves appear in villages due to hunger.
- A wolf crosses the road - fortunately

***

Slavic mythology.

The polar wolf is a mammal that lives in the Artik and tundra. They are usually white or yellowish in color and are very graceful and majestic. They have their own characteristics of appearance, behavior, lifestyle and origin. Let's look at everything about these amazing animals.

First, let's look at the main criteria of these mammals. These are large animals.

Arctic wolf criteria:

• Height: about 1 meter.
• Length: up to 1.5 meters.
• Weight: up to 80 kg.
• Speed: up to 60 km/h.

This subspecies has a wide range of features that distinguish it from others. These features make polar wolves unusual and unique.

Appearance and behavior

Polar wolves are completely white, with thick fur. These are large animals, their length is about 1.3–1.5 meters, height at the withers is almost 1 meter, weight reaches 85 kg, males are larger than females. These animals have very thick fur, this is due to the fact that their habitats are very cold, and their fur coat is an excellent protection from the cold. In addition, their fur is light, reddish, and this can be a good camouflage. Polar wolves have a fluffy tail.

The behavior of these animals is complex, it is social, adapted to difficult living conditions. Moreover, this family animals. For example, if a pack has found a territory where there is food, its members begin to howl, telling other wolves that this is their place. By the way, they mark their territory with urine.

Another feature of polar wolves is intelligence. Their behavior and hunting indicate that they are very organized. For example, during a hunt they replace each other, all members of the pack help others.

These mammals rarely approach people's homes. And even more so, they rarely attack herds belonging to people, because they are afraid of revenge.

Quarrels in a pack are an extremely rare occurrence that happens only in extreme cases. Usually everything is resolved peacefully. All members of the pack obey the leader unquestioningly. By the way, quarrels sometimes arise only in the event of a dispute between two families over territory. In the event that both families claim the same habitat. Females obey the main female. She is usually very strict with them.

Food and hunting

Arctic wolves live in places where winters are very long, so they have learned to adapt to any food they find. In such difficult conditions, only some plants and animals can survive. Most often found in these places lemmings and arctic hares, however, this prey is not enough for the wolves. Therefore, they also hunt larger animals: deer and musk oxen.

Polar wolves hunt musk oxen in packs. Although they manage to line up in a circle and defend themselves with horns and hooves, the wolves try to tire the herd and wait until the circle opens. By the way, there was a recorded case when a flock drove reindeer onto the ice and caught them that way.

Lifestyle, reproduction and raising of offspring of polar wolves

Most often, Arctic wolves live in family packs of 4–6 individuals (there are large packs of more than 15 individuals), which includes the cubs of the last and penultimate brood. The leaders of this pack are older female and male.

The leader of the pack is the leader. He protects her and maintains order. He is highly respected and everyone listens to him. Only his female can have cubs. She raises the offspring and monitors other females and their behavior.

Mating begins in March. Sexual maturity of females occurs at 2 years of age, and for males at 3 years of age. Then the pregnant female leaves the pack and looks for a den to leave her offspring. Sometimes the female digs it out, and sometimes she returns to the old and already familiar. Pregnancy lasts 60–63 days. As a rule, they are born 4–5 cubs, weighing 400 grams, blind, deaf and helpless. All this time, the male brings food to the female and cubs and takes care of them. Only after a month do the babies begin to leave the cave, and in the summer they can become full members of the pack.

By the way, these animals are wonderful parents. In addition, the entire pack takes care of the wolf cubs; if there is little food, all its members share with the cubs.

Sometimes the flock migrates to where conditions are better. She usually goes after musk oxen or reindeer. Often migration occurs to the south, where the climate is slightly warmer and more favorable.

They communicate in a pack using barking, roaring, howling, squealing, and also using movements. By the way, to show their respect and obedience to the leader, other polar wolves lie on their backs or press themselves to the ground.

Leader's successor

Often, even before the death of the leader, the pack knows his successor. This is his most worthy son. He differs from others in his special strength, endurance, courage and intelligence. He is chosen either by the leader himself or by members of the pack. The leader trains and trains the receiver, teaches him to protect the pack and solve important problems of the pack. The remaining sons of the dog have the right to leave the family and form their own.

Northern wolves are very strong, graceful and beautiful animals. They are very hardy, because their behavior and lifestyle are adapted to difficult living conditions. In addition, they are amazingly smart and organized animals.

White color has traditionally been considered special among various groups of people. And animals with white coloring were often endowed with unusual characteristics. People believed that this color was a sign of something supernatural. It's no surprise that white (or arctic) wolves are a fascinating subject for study. Indeed, among all wolf species (with the possible exception of albinos), they are the most distinguished by color.

Where does the white wolf live?

Like any other wolf, the white species is accustomed to hiding from possible enemies. Therefore, the wolf's lair is located in a remote place where people usually do not go. However, in the case of white wolves, the habitat also contributes to this. After all, this subspecies lives in the Arctic and Tundra.

Such living conditions leave their mark on the private life of wolves. After all, if for a gray wolf it is not a problem to find a fairly quiet corner in the forest, then the polar wolf has a significantly limited choice. Tundra and Arctic conditions do not leave enough free forest for all wolves. Therefore, this species has adapted to a different method of making a den.

The white wolf's lair is usually dug into the ground. Of course, this is not possible everywhere, so the she-wolf uses all methods to somehow cover the wolf cubs. Often she uses someone's old home, or, in the absence of one, just a rocky crevice. We can say that polar wolves not only live their lives, but also spend their childhood in rather harsh conditions.

At first, wolf cubs cannot independently feed on the food that adults eat. However, after about a month they are already able to digest the meat regurgitated by the father wolf. By the beginning of summer - if there was enough food - the wolves gain strength and join the migration of the pack.

Adulthood

Adult white wolves regularly comb large areas in search of food. The reason is simple: it is more difficult to find food in the Tundra than in the forest. Everything that can be caught is eaten, including lemmings. And when the flock catches a reindeer or a musk ox, a celebration ensues. And then the white wolf can fully enjoy life.

(arctic wolf) - vast expanses of the polar regions, immersed in the darkness of the polar night for almost half of the year and characterized by a harsh climate. To be able to survive in such conditions, the wolf had to adapt to a food system that included any food that it could get. He was able to adapt well to Arctic life: he lives for years at sub-zero temperatures (rarely warmer than -30 °C), does not see sunlight for five months a year and goes without food for weeks.

An adult wolf reaches a length of 100–150 cm, and its height at the withers is usually 65–80 cm, with a maximum weight of 80 kg.
The average lifespan of polar wolves is seven years.

Polar wolves have their habitat in one of the most barren areas of our planet, where their food is provided by polar hares and lemmings - representatives of the largest group of animals living here. But to survive, a pack of wolves also needs larger prey.
Reindeer and musk oxen are well suited for these purposes, but they are rare guests in wolf territories, so predators have to explore vast areas of up to 2000 km2 in order to track down their food.

In winter, when the temperature drops, all small animals hide under the snow, and musk oxen and reindeer go further south in search of food. The wolves have to follow them, waiting for the moment for a surprise attack, because... in the open space of the tundra it is difficult to hide in order to be invisible.

Packs of polar wolves consist of a dozen individuals, including only direct relatives: parents, their last litter and individual individuals remaining from previous litters.

Most often, the leader of the pack is the alpha male, and his female is classified as a beta in the hierarchy. The rest of the pack obeys them.

Intra-pack hierarchical relationships are built on a complex language that includes movements, barking and growling.
Leaders demand unquestioning obedience from their subordinates, and they express their obedience by humbly hugging the ground or lying on their backs.

Clashes to the point of bloodshed between wolves are extremely rare. With their howls, wolves also provide information to other packs to avoid encounters that could lead to fights over territory or females.

Lone wolves become young males who are looking for their own place where they can organize a new pack.
In the found free territory, he marks his presence with urinary points or feces in prominent places in order to claim his right to it.

Mating in polar wolves begins in February and ends in April. Gestation of cubs is 61-75 days. Most often, 4-5 wolf cubs are born in a litter.

In the autumn-winter period, the entire flock migrates over large territories, but after the end of the mating season, the female leaves the flock to prepare a den for herself. She can dig it out herself, but if the ground is too frozen, the she-wolf will whelp in the old den.

Cubs emerge with closed eyes and underdeveloped ear openings. But after a month, not a trace remains of their helplessness - the wolf cubs eat half-digested pieces of meat regurgitated by the male, who takes care of his pack by bringing food to the she-wolf’s lair.

When wolves fast for several days, after catching large prey, they can eat a ten-gram piece of meat at one time.

Polar wolves are nocturnal animals with well-developed hearing.

The color allows it to blend in with the snow, which is very convenient for camouflage when hunting large herbivores. When wolves chase musk oxen, moose, deer and caribou, they can run more than 100 kilometers in one day.

Polar wolves have all the qualities to be the masters of the Arctic - their magnificent warm fur coat, night vision, and the skills of good hunters give them every right to this honorary title.

See photos and pictures of polar wolves: