Red wolf habitat. Beautiful and rare - red wolf
Are in danger of extinction red wolves , which are also called wild Indian dogs. These mammals are listed in the Red Book.
Since red wolves prefer to hunt in packs, killing a large animal is not difficult for them. These animals are very hardy and can chase prey for several kilometers. To intimidate, they bark and howl loudly. Predators kill game by attacking from behind.
Thanks to their coordinated actions during the hunt, wolves can even kill a tiger or leopard. They surround the beast from all sides, and he does not have the slightest chance to escape. This happens extremely rarely, but cases of attacks on large predators have still been recorded.
Methods for gutting prey differ from other animals. They start eating even before the victim dies and eat everything quite quickly. Most often, game dies from blood loss.
There are no known cases of attacks on people. Most likely, they were not there, since animals try to avoid people.
Red wolf breeding
Little information has been obtained about the reproduction of red wolves, since they are not domesticated. It is known that pregnancy lasts about 60 days; wolf cubs are born mainly in winter. Both parents take part in raising children.
Newborn wolves are no different in appearance from ordinary puppies.
The offspring gains the mass of an adult wolf by the sixth month of life. It is known that cubs do not leave their parents. Several generations unite into a flock.
Interestingly, references to red wolves can also be found in fiction. Rudyard Kipling portrayed these predators as red dogs in The Jungle Book.
Reasons for the decline in red wolf numbers
Red wolf population very low, there are several reasons for this. Firstly, human activity. People have reduced the number of deer and roe deer, which form the basis of the wolves' diet.
Secondly, the population decline is due to the active reproduction of the gray wolf, which is considered the enemy of red wolves. In addition to gray wolves, competitors of red wolves are snow leopard and lynx.
Diseases such as rabies and plague also contribute to the extinction of the species.
Red wolves suffer from persecution by humans. They are hunted and deprived of their habitats.
More recently, these predators were quite widespread. But many factors contributed to the species' decline in record time.
Like many other animals, the red wolf needs help and careful attitude from the people. Although it is still unknown whether the population has been affected by humans or nature, measures must be taken to protect these animals. To preserve the species were created national parks and nature reserves.
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Classification
Family: Canids
Subfamily: Simocyoninae
Squad: Predatory
Class: Mammals
Type: Chordata
Subtype: Vertebrates
Kingdom: Animals
Dimensions: the height of the individual is no more than 55 cm. Males weigh 15-20 kg, females - 10-13 kg. Body length: 75-110 cm (excluding tail (45-50 cm)
Lifespan: in the wild - up to 9 years, in captivity - more than 15 years.
The red wolf got his unusual name, as per the description appearance he looks more like a fox or a jackal. He has a red, and in some cases even red, coat color that is uncharacteristic of ordinary wolves.
In total, there are 10 subspecies of this animal in the world, but, unfortunately, only 2 of them are in Russia.
On at the moment Everything possible is being done to ensure that there are significantly more red wolves, because maximum efforts must be made to preserve the species
Habitat
In most cases, you can only meet the red wolf in mountainous and forested areas near Central and South Asia. Even earlier, these wolves lived in regions of Russia. For example, it could be found in the Altai Mountains.
Unfortunately, today there is no accurate data that this animal can be found in Russia, although there were exceptions. Meetings between residents of the Khabarovsk region and forest orderlies were recorded, but it is quite possible that this information is erroneous and the wolf was simply confused with a fox.
The disappearance of the species is due to the fact that in the distant seventies there was active hunting for these mammals, because their fur was valued even more than a fur coat, or. The puppies of the individual often came across the hands of stupid hunters.
Important! This type you can find a predator in the red book, since the mountain wolf can be found less and less in nature and very soon it may be complete disappearance. Currently, various measures are being taken to increase the mountain wolf population, but so far there are about 2,500 adults. This is critically low.
Today, this species of mammal is endangered and hunting it is strictly prohibited! Nature reserves are being created in habitats that improve the living conditions of the red wolf. There is hope that zoologists and scientists will be able to save the population.
The most comfortable habitat for this wolf is the mountains. This is where another name came from - mountain wolf. If the situation in the mountains is favorable for life and existence, that is, there is food and required level snow, then the predator will not leave the area.
Characteristic
The red wolf received its nickname due to its similarity with foxes and jackals according to the following criteria:
- Red, and in some cases bright red, fur. If you catch a glimpse of this animal, then you can quite say that it was a fox, but certainly not the gray wolf we are used to;
- A fluffy tail, uncharacteristic of ordinary Seromans, which is very long and almost reaches the ground (tail length 45-50 cm);
- Narrow and slightly elongated muzzle;
- Large and rounded ears that resemble the outline of a jackal.
Captive red wolf
These mammals create very strong and friendly families, in which a certain hierarchy reigns. People have a lot to learn from wolves, because the pairs that are created for education future family, remain so until the end of their days.
This is interesting! There is a mention of red wolves in the world-famous work “The Jungle Book”. Even though this is a fairy tale, it describes the most basic and true characteristics of a mammal. Remember the passages from the book: “Predators moved in packs of up to thirty individuals.” That's how it is, but real life they move in flocks of up to 10-12 members. This is due to the fact that the population is subject to extinction and more numbers are not recruited within one family. The group size can reach up to 30 if several families unite.
Appearance
Here you can clearly see the similarity between a red wolf and a fox.
If you decide to look at a photo of a red wolf, you will understand where its nickname came from. This individual is quite impressive in size.
The body length reaches 160 cm including the tail, and the weight is 21 kg. The mammal is a kind of collective image that includes the wolf, fox and jackal. It has a characteristic red color, a pointed muzzle and large round ears.
Important! The color may vary depending on the habitat. The end of the tail is always black. Puppies up to three months have a dark brown color.
As you know, the main habitat of these animals is mountains. The animals climb quite high and often reach the Alpine belt. Because of low temperatures and snow layer, in winter season the coat is thicker and softer than in summer period.
Main Features
The red wolf is typical representative inhabitant mountainous area. Here are some unique features from the life of a red wolf:
- The beast rises high into the mountains up to 4000 meters above sea level.
- An individual of this species can freely live in forests, due to certain conditions, but still adheres to rocky areas.
- A mammal can temporarily live even in steppes and deserts, but only for short periods of time and only while searching for food or migrating.
- Although the red wolf is a representative of the predatory fauna, it often eats plants in the summer.
Red wolf in conditions wildlife
Relations within the pack are mostly friendly and not at all aggressive. Most often, wolves find lodgings for the night in caves, rock breaks, crevices, and so on. Due to the gradual disappearance of the population, they are trying to keep them in captivity, but it is still not possible to tame them, for example, which is not surprising.
Interesting! Red wolves are often called “singing”, because the sounds they make are similar to singing. This is a distinguishing characteristic of red wolves from gray wolves.
Nutrition
Red wolves are predators. They mainly feed on ungulates, which they hunt in packs, because it is difficult to do this alone. They hunt alone only if the prey is small (hares, etc.). In summer, predators can also feed plant foods. Now briefly about the predator’s diet.
“Red dogs” love to eat mountain sheep. It is not surprising that such animals are hunted in packs, because their weight reaches 180 kg, which is many times more weight one wolf. Rams have curled and very powerful horns, and also, thanks to the special structure of their hooves, are excellent climbers.
Interesting! Red deer are also food for the flock, like other subspecies red deer. The males of these animals reach a body length of 280 cm, but one of the intimidating factors is the span of the horns, which reaches 80 cm.
Consumed as food and fanged deer, such as musk deer. Long and sharp fangs grow from the mouths of these animals, which can be used as weapons for self-defense or attack. Musk deer live in the taiga and rocky areas and are excellent climbers. That is why these animals also have to be herded in a whole flock.
Everyone knows wild boars, or as they are also called - wild pigs– are also food for the red wolf. They can be found where the environment is more humid and wet, with a variety of vegetation.
Basically, “red dogs” eat animal meat and only in the summer can they dilute their diet with plants
Interesting! If you meet a lonely wild boar, then know that it is an old male. Young boars or females always stick to the herd. It is precisely lonely animals that wolves attack - so the boar will be an easy target for a dozen ferocious predators.
Although red wolves are predators, they still feed on plants. One of the representatives of the flora is rhubarb. It's big and large plant, which grows in height up to 2 meters. The leaves contain a lot of sugar and vitamins and are pleasant to the taste. Also, “red dogs” use it as a cure for various diseases.
Reproduction
Red mammals live in families, and then unite into powerful packs that live, hunt, raise puppies, and so on. Males are very faithful to their chosen one, and also take an active part in raising the cubs.
A female's pregnancy lasts on average about two months. From two to nine puppies are born. For the first two weeks of their existence, the cubs are completely blind. After about six months, the puppies are in no way inferior to an adult wolf.
Mating in captivity most often occurs in January-February. Wolves breed in the wild all year round, but still, most often new offspring are found in November-December.
Newborn wolf cubs are difficult to distinguish from ordinary gray ones, because they acquire their characteristic color much later.
It is not possible to study the reproduction of this species in detail since they cannot be tamed, and their population is extremely small.
Female red wolf with her pup
Raising offspring
In the wild it is very difficult to meet a young wolf, especially a cub. This is due to the fact that the adult generation treats their children very carefully. It is not for nothing that people have long associated wolves with freedom and fidelity.
Once born, wolf cubs are completely helpless and cannot exist independently. Parents provide them with food, warmth, comfort and keep the puppies safe.
Only at the age of one year does the younger generation try their hand at hunting. Even if it happens that the wolf cub is lost, its location is determined by howling.
This is a unique radar that allows animals to maintain contact. Also, howling, or “singing,” can serve as a warning of danger.
Winter hunting is in full swing
The hierarchy of the growing offspring is determined from childhood. By various programs or a photo you can see how the cubs “play”. But this is not entirely true, because such “sparring” determines a stronger and more worthy descendant.
Sometimes parents have a hard time raising them, as puppies are very curious and brave. It's probably because they don't have to face any real danger. As soon as the wolf cubs stop eating mother's milk, their diet is replaced by prey that the flock brings to their habitat.
Due to the difference in climate, red wolves tolerate both frost and heat well. This greatly simplifies keeping them in captivity. In zoos and nature reserves, predators are active only during the daytime. Towards evening they hide in shelters, and like to wake up only at noon.
To eliminate this, animals are placed in cages up to three meters high. These enclosures are distinguished by soft lattice, which does not allow wolves to ricochet and leave the boundaries of the place where they are kept. If hard cages are used, they are equipped with a curved visor on top.
Most often, sand or earth is used as a substrate and concrete is abandoned. This is due to the fact that the concrete surface is hard to warm up from the sun and because of this the wolves can get sick.
Relationships with people
Very towards red wolves reverent attitude. This is due to their special status and entry into the Red Book.
Mountain dogs are mistrustful and impossible to tame.
It is not possible to study in detail the behavior of these wolves, because they are completely untamed and cannot be trained in any way. Everyone understands perfectly well that if every effort is not made to preserve the species, then in about 8-10 years we will no longer see a single representative of it.
Red wolf: A dangerous predator with an unusual appearance
The red wolf is unique beast of prey, because without a doubt it can be confused with a fox due to its peculiar color, long tail reaching to the ground and fluffy fur. Also, the red wolf can be recognized not only by its color, but also by its ears, which are quite large sizes and have a rounded shape.
The red wolf is distinguished by its color, fluffy fur and more long tail almost reaching the ground. Characterized by a shortened, pointed muzzle. The ears are large, erect, with rounded tops, set high on the head.
The general color tone is reddish, highly variable in individual individuals and in different parts range. The end of the tail is black. Wolf cubs up to 3 months are dark brown. The hair in winter is very high, thick and soft; in summer it is noticeably shorter, coarser and darker. The tail is fluffy, like a fox's. Based on the variability of color, fur density and body size, 10 subspecies of the red wolf have been described, 2 of them are found in Russia.
The red wolf differs from other representatives of the canine family in its reduced number of molars (there are 2 in each half of the jaw) and a large number nipples (6-7 pairs).
Distribution and subspecies
The red wolf is distributed from the Tien Shan and Altai south to the tip of Hindustan, Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The main part of its range is in the mountainous forest regions of Central and South Asia. There are 10 subspecies of the red wolf:
- Cuon alpinus adustus- northern Myanmar and Indochina,
- Cuon alpinus dukhunensis- India south of the river Ganges, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran
- Cuon alpinus fumosus- from western Sichuan (China) to Mongolia,
- Cuon alpinus hesperius- Far East of Russia and China,
- Cuon alpinus infuscus- southern Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam,
- Cuon alpinus javanocus- Java,
- Cuon alpinus laniger- Kashmir, Waziristan and southern Tibet,
- Cuon alpinus lepturus- China, south of the Yangtze River,
- Cuon alpinus primaevus- Himalayan regions of Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Sikkim (India) and Bhutan,
- Cuon alpinus sumatrensis- Sumatra.
Still quite common in many areas of India south of the Ganges, in the Indus Valley of Pakistan, southern Iran and the Himalayas; in other parts of the range it became rare (Vietnam, North Korea) or almost completely disappeared (in Iraq and Syria it has not been found since the 1970s of the last century, in Azerbaijan too).
Red wolf in Russia
In Russia it was found mainly in the south of the Far East, where it probably entered from the adjacent territories of Mongolia and China. There is no reliable evidence that the species lives permanently within Russia today.
Notes
Links
- ARKive (red wolf photos and videos)
Endangered Species IUCN 3.1 Endangered : |
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The red wolf, or mountain wolf, or Himalayan wolf (Cuon alpinus), also known as the buanzu, belongs to the carnivorous mammals of the Canidae family. Today this is the only rare species, belonging to the genus Cuon, is endangered.
Description of the red wolf
Red wolves differ from other canids fewer molars and a large number nipples
Appearance
Red wolves are quite large animals, with a body length ranging from 55-110 cm, a tail size of 45-50 cm and a body weight of 17-21 kg. Appearance wild beast combines the features of a fox, wolf and jackal. The main difference from an ordinary wolf is the color, fluffy fur and longer tail section almost reaching the surface of the earth. Representatives of the species are characterized by the presence of a shortened and pointed muzzle.. The ears, set high on the head, are large, erect, with noticeably rounded tops.
The general color of the coat is red, quite variable among many individuals inhabiting different parts of the range. The tip of the tail is black. Until three months of age, wolf cubs are dark brown in color. Hairline in winter period very tall, quite soft and thick. IN summer time the fur is noticeably shorter, coarser and darker. The tail is quite fluffy, like that of an ordinary fox. In accordance with the variability of color and density of fur, as well as body size, ten subspecies have been described today, two of which live in Russia.
Lifestyle, behavior
The red wolf is a typical mountain dweller, rising to a height of up to four thousand meters above sea level. For a significant part of the year, the predatory animal lives in the Alps and subalpine zone, as well as in the mountain taiga with rocky areas and gorges. The animal does not settle in very open and flat areas, but in search of food it is capable of seasonal migrations over long distances. Sometimes representatives of the genus can appear in unusual landscapes, including steppe zones, forest-steppe and desert.
After high snow cover is established in the mountains, red wolves begin to actively follow numerous wild artiodactyl animals, which include argali, mountain goats, roe deer and deer. At this time of year, predators prefer to be in the foothills, in areas with little snow, including slopes with good sunshine. Red wolves live and hunt in small packs, usually consisting of a dozen individuals of several generations. Sometimes the number of animals in a flock exceeds two or three dozen.
This is interesting! The sounds that red wolves make are more varied compared to an ordinary wolf, vaguely resemble melodic and rather drawn-out singing.
Most often, relationships within such a pack are non-aggressive. Stabilization of hierarchical relationships occurs after seven months of age. Rock crevices of sufficient size, as well as niches and caves usually serve as refuge for the predator. The animal by nature has well-developed hearing, can swim and is able to jump, easily covering a distance of six meters in length. Red wolves prefer to avoid humans, so they are not tamed, but they are quite capable of reproducing quite well in captivity.
How long does a red wolf live?
There are well-known cases when the life expectancy of a red wolf in captivity was 15-16 years, but in the wild such a predatory mammal lives much less. IN natural environment habitat, such predators have to wage an almost constant and very fierce struggle for existence, so animals in nature live, as a rule, about five years.
Sexual dimorphism
As such, sexual dimorphism between females and males of the red wolf is not very pronounced and is represented only minor differences adult predators in body size.
Range, habitats
The main part of the habitat and range of the red wolf is located in Central and South Asia, south East Asia, including Indonesia, India, China and Tibet, as well as Mongolia, Java and Sumatra. Within its habitat, in some places such a predator is completely exterminated or driven out by people, and in some places it is absent over large areas without human intervention. Basically, predatory animals are absent in desert and steppe parts range.
In the north, the border of the red wolf's range runs through a very narrow strip in Russia. Such wild places habitats are represented by the southern outskirts of the Far East, Middle and Eastern Siberia, where red wolves are very rare and infrequently encountered. Throughout their usual range, red wolves prefer mountains and hilly ridges.
Predatory rare beast can live in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from alpine meadows, including high-mountain valleys with abundant steppe vegetation, to cedar-broad-leaved forest zones Far East, including coniferous forests on the territory of Eastern Siberia. However, regardless of the characteristics of the habitat of a pack of red wolves, an indispensable condition remains an insignificant snow cover. Too much deep snow always forces the animal to migrate to other, not too snowy areas.
Red wolf diet
The red wolf belongs to the category typical predators. IN different times years, almost any forest animal is capable of serving such an animal as food. However, the diet of an adult wolf most often consists of a variety of not too large wild ungulates. It is also well known that in the summer such predatory animals consume sufficient quantity plant foods, in particular, mountain rhubarb greens. In the presence of puppies, mountain rhubarb was constantly found in wolf dens, so it was assumed that adult red wolves feed the young animals with it, regurgitating half-digested, but not yet fully blossomed inflorescences.
Sometimes an adult predatory animal in the wild may well eat all kinds of carrion. Red wolves quite often drive their prey into the water, significantly complicating the movement of the prey and making it more accessible. Before hunting, predators perform a complex mandatory ritual, which includes rubbing and sniffing, as well as hetero- and homosexual positions.
Red wolves go hunting mainly during the daytime, using a variety of hunting methods and traditional forms of attack on their prey, which directly depends on the size of the formed pack, the relief features of the territory and the species characteristics of the prey. For example, wolves prefer to hunt all kinds of lagomorphs and rodents alone, and only a pack can hunt animals that are too large.
This is interesting! Unlike most wild dogs, the red wolf kills its prey not by grabbing it by the throat, but by attacking sharply from behind, so two or three adult predators are quite capable of killing a 50-kilogram deer in less than a couple of minutes.
A group of wolves, consisting of 15-20 adult individuals, always acts very harmoniously, so it can quite successfully hunt even such a large animal as a buffalo. The red wolf searches for and finds its prey by smell, after which the traditional chase begins. Such a predatory animal runs slower than jackals and foxes, but is distinguished by extreme endurance, thanks to which it pursues its prey until the moment when it is completely exhausted. Having caught up with a prey that is too large, a pack of red wolves bites it, so after a while the prey falls and is eaten by predators. Cases are very well known when a pack of wolves drove the pursued victim to the edge of a cliff, where it forced it to break.
Reproduction and offspring
Representatives in India carnivorous mammals from the Canidae family can breed for about five months a year. Most often, the breeding season of the red wolf falls on the time period from September to January inclusive. When kept in captivity, in zoological parks located on the territory middle zone, the rut of predators is observed from the beginning of January to the end of February.
The total gestation period of red wolves kept in domestic zoological parks is approximately two months or a little more. The average litter sizes that have been recorded in India ranged from four to six pups. There are known cases of twelve wolf cubs being extracted from a wolf hole, but, according to many scientists, such a number of individuals may be a combined brood of two or three females at once. When born, red wolf puppies are dark brown in color.
This is interesting! Unlike wolf pack, in which the mating pair is a food monopolist, red wolves always give priority to their pups, so they allow them to eat first, and members of such a family feed mothers and young by regurgitating food.
Newborn wolf cubs are completely blind, have no teeth and have closed ear canals. Average weight puppy varies between 200-350 grams. Wolf cubs open their eyes at about two weeks of age. In the wild, red wolf pups leave their den only at the age of 70-80 days.
Cubs born in the zoological park can crawl out of the hole for the first time already at the age of one month. By the age of seven months, wolf cubs are already able to participate in collective hunting, but they reach sexual maturity only at two or three years.
IN high, high mountains lives and lives a beautiful red wolf... He is a hybrid of the genus of jackals, an ordinary wolf and a fox, which is why he has a color and muzzle characteristic of foxes, a body that belongs to to an ordinary wolf and the jackal, and the tail and hind legs from an ordinary gray wolf.
And despite the fact that it is not easy to get to, it is able to settle at an altitude of 4000 m above sea level, this mountain wolf is at the stage of active extinction due to the popularity of hunting for it and problems with nutrition.
What does the red or mountain wolf eat?
What the red or mountain wolf eats can be imagined based on the familiar fauna of any mountainous area: birds, small mammals, deer, antelope, when working in a large flock, he can profit from a tiger or a bull. This type of wolf never attacks villages and livestock within its borders, although in hungry seasons a pack of wolves can kill livestock on the range. in summer and early autumn wolves of this genus often feed on rough plant foods, despite the fact that they are pronounced predators.
IN difficult periods the flock travels to other places where there is food. She can go to south side mountains, or unite with other families of this species and go looking for other mountains. It is at these moments that they are the most dangerous and are found in open spaces, forest plantations, natural forest-steppes. While they are moving, they even try to hide largest predators: leopards, bears, tigers. Since they move in a crowd of up to fifty individuals, and if last year’s brood was unusually large, then the amount can double.
Red wolf interesting facts
No less interesting is the fact that gray wolves and lynxes are not afraid of red wolves, and often win in the fight for territory and food, despite the smaller number of wolves and the smaller pack physical strength lynx. Also, quite often mountain wolves They share space with leopards, but clashes between these two species occur only when there is a serious violation of the local animal routine.
Female mountain wolves have two to three more pairs of nipples than any other canid—six or seven pairs are usually observed. Moreover, all nipples are equally filled with milk, which also distinguishes them from other representatives of this family, which have three pairs, one of which is even the most comfortable conditions rarely fills, regardless of the number of puppies.
Who discovered the red wolf
Rudyard Kipling - famous writer interested in the animal world, and who transferred his knowledge into some of his works - became the discoverer of this amazing red wolf. It was first documented in his work The Jungle Book, where it was described as "red dogs". According to the plot, they attacked the jungle in a large, organized flock. By the way, Kipling was not mistaken in his conclusions about the all-destructive power of these dogs. Due to the fact that they live in difficult climatic and territorial conditions, mountain wolves have great strength and endurance than many representatives of the predatory world.
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