Download - The Gray Wolf “ Canis lupus”
The Gray Wolf“Canis lupus”Shelby OrrShelby DoddKatharine BenningfieldSamantha Sedlock
Taxonomy
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: lupus
Cladogram
Life Cycles of the Gray Wolf
Life Span: 6 -10 years Mating Season: January and February 9 week gestation period One litter per year Pups are born blind and deaf in litters of 5-7 All wolves in the pack assist in raising wolf pups
and group feeding strengthen social bonds
Habitat
Tundra Deserts Mountains Grasslands Temperate forests Why do they need to live in THESE places??
Social Structure
Two Breeding Wolves Beta Wolf Omega Wolf Size of Pack
Howling
Lone Wolf Chorus Wolf Growling
•Communication between the pack•Declaration of territory•Howl herd up to 10 miles away•Most often during twilight hours
Diet
Carnivores (meat eating) Primarily feed on medium to large sized
unregulates - “hoofed animals” As predators, gray wolves help maintain
balance in the food web. Regulate populations of their prey animals.
Trophic Hierachy
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumer
Primary Consumers
Primary Producers
Wolves
Plants
Hunting Wolf pairs strategize when attacking large prey Kill large prey by tearing at their throat,
severing the windpipe. Pack status is reinforced during feeding.
Habitat Change
How are they effected if they change habitats? Can they be domesticated?
Environmental Changes
Global Warming Increase frequency and intensity of forest fires Wolves are at the top of the food chain Winters are shorter
Habitat Destruction Yellow stone is being preserved
In the 1900’s Wolves and Bison were over hunted and disappeared from the Yellow Stone Area
Preserving the Wild
The Eeeeend