The wolf..... also known as lobo, timber wolf, gray wolf , buffalo wolf and arctic wolf.

The gray wolf - of which there are many variations- used to run over almost the whole northern hemisphere, but man has driven them back to the " wastelands".

The red wolf - much smaller than the gray wolf- lives in the south of the USA.

A gray wolf stands up to 3 feet ( 90 cm) high and 4 feet long ( 120 cm) The weigh a average of 100 lbs ( 45 kilo) but some make it up to 197 lbs.

Their bushy tail is a great adaption for the cold. They use it to wrap it around their soles of their paws and to protect their nose from the cold, when they are sleeping.

It is said that wolves mate for life. They breed in spring and have as a norm a litter with about 6 pups, but that is also flexibly.

Wolves are fully grown at 18 month, but females reach maturity at age 2 and males at age 3.

The pups stay with the family for about 2 years.

The home of a wolf is in a den underground.

The cry of a wolf - when dusk sets in - is something that you will never forget. Its the hunting-cry when the wolf gets ready for the chase.

Wolves do not hunt in large packs, most times just within the family.

They eat almost anything but their daily food consist of rabbits and rodents. In the " wild west " days they used to hunt buffalo, which are pretty much extinct too.

A wolf can eat in one meal up to 18 lbs ( 8 kg ). This will last for a couple days.

Wolves do normally NOT attack man without provocation, at least in the USA.

There have been occasions where wolves attacked man on horses and in horse drawn wagons. But most likely the wolves where inbred with dogs and lost their fear of man, or they where after the horses.

These days wolves are almost extinct. The red wolf is slowly making a " comeback " in wolfparks like the one in the smoky mountains national park. ( I have been there) :-)

Wolves are shy, beautiful and very graceful animals. They belong to the smartest animals in the world :-))

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