Canis lupus is the scientific name for a grey wolf. In the wild grey wolves can live up to 16 years. They used to be founded almost all over the state of Michigan. Now they’re just found in special park reserves and on Isle

Royale National Park.

What color are gray wolves? If you said gray you're partly correct, they can also have white, red or black fur. Gray wolves are 2- 2.5 feet tall (shoulder height) and their bodies are between 4-5 feet long. Male wolves weigh on average 90 pounds and females generally weigh 80 pounds. Gray wolves can run 35

m.p.h. and can jump 12 feet.

Gray wolves live in packs with 8 to 35 members. The leader of the pack is the alpha. The alpha rolls are generally played by a male (who is a little more dominant

then the female) and a female.

Gray wolves, like maned and red wolves, mate for life. Usually only the alpha pair breeds. Pairs mate in the winter and about 9 weeks later 2 to 14 pups are born. Pups are born blind. Other females in the pack help take care of newborn pups. Within 3 to 5 months the young pups are able to travel with the pack.

Grey wolves should not be confused with timber wolves. Grey wolves should not be confused with timber wolves. Nor should they confused with coyotes, foxes, and other Nor should they confused with coyotes, foxes, and other breeds of wolf. Coyotes are smaller than wolves. A breeds of wolf. Coyotes are smaller than wolves. A coyote is normally 20-22 inches tall, weighs 25-40 coyote is normally 20-22 inches tall, weighs 25-40 pounds and is 3.5 to 4.5 feet long. Coyote paw prints pounds and is 3.5 to 4.5 feet long. Coyote paw prints (without claws) average 2.5 inches or less, while the wolf (without claws) average 2.5 inches or less, while the wolf averages over 3.5 inches. A coyote's face is more averages over 3.5 inches. A coyote's face is more pointed than is that of a gray wolf. Wolves and coyotes pointed than is that of a gray wolf. Wolves and coyotes do not often share territories; in fact wolves will drive off do not often share territories; in fact wolves will drive off and sometimes kill coyotes. Wolves eat more fresh meat and sometimes kill coyotes. Wolves eat more fresh meat

while coyotes are more frequent scavengers.while coyotes are more frequent scavengers.

These These carnivorescarnivores (meat eating) eat anything ranging from (meat eating) eat anything ranging from field mice to huge caribou. As predators, gray wolves field mice to huge caribou. As predators, gray wolves help to maintain balance in the food web. The loss of help to maintain balance in the food web. The loss of wolves in ecosystems have lead to the overpopulation of wolves in ecosystems have lead to the overpopulation of

other animal species.other animal species.

Gray wolves communicate to each other through howling, body language and scent. Howling is used to assemble the pack, talk to other packs, assert territorial claims or as a source of pleasure. On a calm night, howls can be heard from as far as 120 miles away. Wolves use their faces and tails to indicate their emotion and status in the

pack. A pack marks its territory by urine and feces.

Wolves were not "reintroduced" or transplanted in Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan from other states or countries, as some believe, although in 1974 an unsuccessful attempt to reintroduce 4 wolves in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from Minnesota occurred. All four were dead within a year. Unlike the reintroduction effort in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho, wolves of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan returned on their own. With the protection from the Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973, wolves were allowed to return without legal persecution from humans. Wolves emigrated from Ontario, into Minnesota. From Minnesota, wolves have moved into Wisconsin and Michigan's western Upper Peninsula. Wolves also emigrated from Ontario via the islands adjacent to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and moved into the eastern Upper Peninsula.

Currently, there are 243-244 wolves in 66 packs in Wisconsin, and 249 wolves in 30-50 packs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Endangered means that the species is in danger of extinction; threatened means that the species is in danger of becoming endangered within the foreseeable future. For wolves, under the threatened status, government control trappers can legally euthanize wolves if those animals are confirmed to have killed livestock. Under "endangered" status, those wolves confirmed to have killed livestock are required to be relocated to a different area.

Usually one wolf eats 18-20 white-tailed deer per year in the Upper Great Lakes region. This includes scavenging of dead deer due to other causes. Wolves may have some impact on isolated deer populations (most often in island situations) but only when wolf densities are greater than one wolf per 10 square miles and deer densities are less than 4 deer per square mile. Winter severity has more of an impact on deer than do wolves. By comparison, in 1999 the wolf population in the Upper Great Lakes region was around 3,000. The estimated number of deer taken by these wolves was 60,000. The estimated number of deer that starved during the severe 1995-96 winter in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin was 300,000+. The estimated number of deer taken by hunters in 1998 in the same region was 660,000. That same year the estimated number of deer killed by vehicles was 73,000.

Gray wolves vary in size across the world. The gray wolf is Gray wolves vary in size across the world. The gray wolf is the largest member of the wild canid family, standing the largest member of the wild canid family, standing about two and a half feet tall. Males are usually larger about two and a half feet tall. Males are usually larger than females. In the Upper Great Lakes region adult than females. In the Upper Great Lakes region adult males weigh between 60-100 pounds (average about 75 males weigh between 60-100 pounds (average about 75 pounds). The adult females weigh between 50-70 pounds). The adult females weigh between 50-70 pounds (average about 60 pounds). Wolves vary from pounds (average about 60 pounds). Wolves vary from four and a half to six feet long. The largest wolf live-four and a half to six feet long. The largest wolf live-

trapped in Wisconsin was a 108 pound adult male.trapped in Wisconsin was a 108 pound adult male.

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan each have programs that reimburse livestock owners that have confirmed losses due to wolves. The livestock owner should contact the appropriate Department of Natural

Resources Agency for further information.

State and federal bounties (no longer in effect), loss of habitat. poaching, car kills, disease, starvation and parasites have all contributed to their decline. Today, thanks largely to protection provided by the 1973 Endangered Species Act, wolf populations have returned and are growing in the Upper Midwest. Currently, there are 243-244 wolves in 66 packs in Wisconsin, and 249 wolves in 30-50 packs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Wolves may be cute but they’re still wild animals!Wolves may be cute but they’re still wild animals!