Sergey Torubarov.
Auto - 02/19/2019 The polar wolf is one of the most large predators
Arctic Circle. Harsh habitat conditions do not prevent the polar wolf from successfully hunting and reproducing. How did this mighty predator adapt to eternal snows
and learned to survive even in times of famine?
Habitat
- The habitat of this predator extends across the snow-covered expanses of the Arctic, with the permafrost soils of the Arctic tundra:
- Alaska
- Greenland
- North Canada
Northern Asia.
Appearance The polar wolf is the most large wolf , among now existing species . Height at withers adult is 70-90 cm. Body length is from 140 to 160 cm, including the tail. Weight ranges from 60 to 70 kg. Sometimes weight large male
reaches up to 90 kg. The polar wolf's coat has a double structure: coarse guard hair and thick soft undercoat. The awn protects the animal from low temperatures and strong wind , serves as a protective “cloak” in fights. The undercoat retains and retains warm air , which helps the polar wolf survive in harsh subarctic climate . Even with the most low temperatures polar Wolf
can sleep in the snow.
The wind is not afraid of the wolf photo The physique of the polar wolf is adapted for effective hunting
. Long limbs with wide paws covered with thick fur allow it to pursue prey for a long time.
Color varies from yellowish cream to pure white. There are individuals of zonal gray and black color. During the molting period, the old coat changes to a lighter color. The ears are mobile, medium in size, covered with fur on the inside.
handsome polar wolf photo
The tail is usually carried low and covered with thick fur. The tail is used by the polar wolf as a balance when moving, and also as a means of communication with relatives. When the animal goes to sleep in the snow, the tail “serves” as a blanket and helps keep warm.
What does a polar wolf eat?
- The main diet of this predator consists of large ungulates:
- muskox;
- reindeer;;
- bighorn sheep
Most often, a pack of predators stays close to a herd of ungulates, moving with it. A lone wolf cannot afford such prey. The pack approaches the hunting process in an organized manner. Predators identify their prey in advance, which is most often a young or old animal, sick or weakened.
polar wolf hunting photo
The flock is divided into beaters and interceptors. The first ones drive the victim to the appointed place, where an ambush awaits him. Hunting for large animals is not always successful. Adult strong animals are able to protect young animals and are ready to fight off hungry predators. In some cases, persistence and the right tactics help the polar wolf break through the defense even from a dense ring of musk oxen.
Sparse vegetation limits the number of herbivores. For this reason, the polar wolf is almost omnivorous. If he fails to catch large prey, he is content with small animals and birds:
- mouse-like rodents;
- polar hares;
- waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds;
- bird flights; small predators;
- beached marine mammals.
In one meal, a polar wolf can eat up to 10 kg of meat. He hides the remains of his prey and, if necessary, returns for it. The wolf does not disdain carrion and is able to eat an individual of its own species if it is sick or injured. Nature has endowed the wolf with extraordinary endurance: it is able to live without food for up to two weeks, while remaining energetic and viable.
Character and lifestyle
The polar wolf, like many other species of wolves, prefers a pack lifestyle, and the number of individuals in such a group can range from 3 to 10 animals. Most often, a pack consists of the main pair - a female and a male, young individuals from their litters, as well as old wolves. In the spring, some wolves leave the pack and create their own.
In a pack, wolves adhere to a strict hierarchy. Any significant decision is made by the main couple. She also leads the hunting process. The lowest level is occupied by young animals, who are forced to obey older and more experienced wolves in everything. They eat food last in line.
I'll sing for you. Polar wolf photo
In the event of illness and death of the leaders, their place will be taken by the strongest individuals who will have to show their leadership skills and put others in their place. Communication in a flock occurs through:
A pack of polar wolves moves through the snow in single file, trail after trail. The howl of a polar wolf has different meanings: from searching for a mate to calling for a hunt. The Arctic wolf is a cautious and distrustful animal. Experience passed down from generation to generation helps the wolf recognize the smell of a trap and leave in time. He tries to keep his distance from the person.
Reproduction
The rutting period begins at the end of winter. Polar wolves form pairs that last throughout their lives. A pregnant female is looking for a secluded place to create a den. A rock crevice, an old lair, or someone else's hole are well suited for these purposes. After fertilization, the female carries the puppies for approximately 2.5 months. Usually from 3 to 10 wolf cubs are born.
she-wolf with cub photo
Wolf cubs are born blind, with their ears closed. For one and a half months they will feed on their mother's milk. The male wolf brings prey to the female; the rest of the flock stays nearby, waiting for more. The female is very careful and does not allow anyone close to the den. After one and a half months, the she-wolf begins to feed the puppies with semi-digested meat.
Upon reaching two months, the wolf cubs begin to leave the den, and the female increasingly leaves in search of food. By playing with each other, polar wolf cubs learn to interact with each other and practice hunting skills. Despite the care of their parents, many wolf cubs do not live to see their first birthday.
- In search of prey, a wolf can walk up to 100 km per day;
- IN winter time hunting area polar wolf increases 3-5 times;
- White color the polar wolf helps him remain undetected longer;
- The meat eaten is enough for a wolf to last for several days, but it can survive without food for much longer.
Wolf and man
The polar wolf lives on arctic land more than one hundred years. To survive here, he has all the necessary skills and qualities. It is difficult for humans to explore the Arctic, so it does not pose a direct threat to the polar wolf. However, here in the Arctic, the environmental situation is deteriorating.
polar wolf cubs photo
Pollution environment industrial waste gradually changes the climate and increases air temperature. Climate change is causing declines in native animal populations. By preserving the nature of the Arctic, people will be able to preserve the polar wolf.
- Class - Mammals
- Squad - Predatory
- Family - Canidae
- Rod - Wolves
- Species - Polar wolf
Polar Wolf - its thick, snow-white winter fur turns gray or brown in summer.
polar Wolf(lat. Canis lupus tundrarum) - subspecies of wolf. Inhabits the entire Arctic and tundra, with the exception of ice floes and large areas covered with ice.
The polar wolf lives in vast areas of the polar regions, which are immersed in darkness for 5 months. To survive, the wolf has adapted to eat any food that comes across. It is well adapted to life in the Arctic: it can live for years at sub-zero temperature, don't see for months sunlight and remain without food for weeks.
The polar wolf still lives throughout the entire territory historically accessible to its species. The reason for this is weak competition with humans.
Length without tail: 130-150 cm. Height at withers: 80-93 cm. Weight: up to 85 kg, females are smaller. Life expectancy: about 17 years. Related subspecies: European wolf and Japanese wolf.
Polar wolves inhabit some of the most barren areas on Earth. In April, temperatures very rarely rise above −30 °C. The constantly blowing wind causes the perceived temperature to seem much lower. Frozen soil allows only plants with very short roots to survive. Only a few mammals can adapt to life in such conditions. The most large group animals living in these parts are lemmings and arctic hares. However, in order to survive, a pack of wolves sometimes needs more big catch. This could include musk ox and reindeer. Looking for food Wolf Pack can bypass areas of up to 2000 km². The habitats of wolf populations are subject to seasonal changes associated with the migration of hunted species.
Food and hunting
In the open spaces of the Arctic, it is difficult to find cover for a surprise attack on a victim. When a pack of wolves catches up with musk oxen, they usually already have time to take up a perimeter defense. In this case, wolves cannot break through the barrier consisting of horns and hooves. Therefore, the wolves can only wait, testing the patience of the musk oxen, when their nerves cannot withstand the tension and the circle opens. Sometimes, by running around them, the wolves manage to force the musk oxen to change their position so that they cannot see the attackers.
This tactic does not always help the wolves, but if luck favors them, the musk oxen eventually give up and run away. The wolves immediately rush after them and try to fight off young or weak animals from the herd. As soon as the wolf overtakes and grabs its prey, others rush to its aid and together knock it to the ground.
Only every tenth hunt of the pack is successful. Sometimes wolves remain without food for many days, but then eat up to 10 kg of meat at a time. Irregular feeding sometimes leads to the fact that a wolf, for example, eats a polar hare with skin, wool and bones at once.
Social behavior
Polar wolves live in packs of 7-10 individuals. Most often, there are family flocks that consist of parents, their cubs and individuals from previous litters. The pack, as a rule, is headed by the leader, and his female occupies a similar position in the pack. The rest of the pack obeys them and forms its own hierarchy. However, during the hunt, while feeding and raising cubs, all adult animals help each other. Often one or two young wolves look after the cubs while their mother goes hunting.
Hierarchical relationships within the pack are carried out using complex language consisting of movements, barks and growls. Wolves that occupy a high position in the pack demand unquestioning obedience from their subordinates, who, in turn, expressing devotion, humbly press themselves to the ground or lie on their backs. Serious, bloody conflicts between wolves are rare.
Wolves howl to alert other packs of their presence.
In this way, they mark the territory and try to avoid an encounter that would lead to a fight. Lone wolves
- these are, as a rule, young animals that left their pack and went in search of a separate area. When such a wolf finds unoccupied territory, he marks it with urinary points or feces in certain clearly visible places, claiming his rights to it.
Reproduction
Puberty: males from 3 years, females from 2 years.
Mating period: March.
Pregnancy: from 61 to 63 days.
Number of cubs: 4-5.
In autumn and winter the flock migrates, but after mating season a pregnant wolf leaves her to find a lair for herself. Sometimes the she-wolf digs a den herself, but in winter, when the ground freezes heavily, the female gives birth in an old den or in a rocky crevice. The cubs are born blind, with their ear openings closed and completely helpless. They are completely dependent on their mother. After about a month, the wolf cubs can already eat semi-digested meat regurgitated by the male, who all this time brings food to the she-wolf and the cubs. If there is enough food, then from the beginning of summer young wolves become full members of the pack and migrate along with the adults.
According to one version, the polar wolf was a domesticated prototype of the aboriginal Samoyed dog.
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 polar) 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, white look used 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 privacy wolves. After all, if for gray wolf While it is not a problem to find a fairly quiet corner in the forest, the polar wolf has a significantly limited choice. Tundra and Arctic conditions do not leave sufficient quantity free forests 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 spend not only their lives, but also their childhood in a fairly 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 gets reindeer or musk ox, a holiday happens. And then White Wolf can fully enjoy life.
This is a subspecies of the familiar gray wolf. It lives in northern Greenland, the Arctic regions of Canada, and Alaska. In a harsh climate with icy winds, bitter frosts and permafrost, the animal lives for hundreds of years. The polar wolf has completely preserved natural environment habitat, unlike their gray, red and other brothers. This fact is explained by the rare appearance of humans on these harsh lands.
Polar wolf: description
This is a large, powerful animal - the height of males at the withers reaches one hundred centimeters, the body length is one hundred and eighty centimeters, and the weight is around ninety kilograms. Females are on average 15% smaller. The wolf has thick light fur with a reddish tint, small erect ears, and a long tail.
For months this animal does not see sunlight. He's used to polar night. In search of food, he can scour the snowy plain for a week. He easily eats ten kilograms of meat in one go. Not a trace remains of his prey. Even bones end up in the predator’s stomach, which it chews with forty-two powerful teeth. At the same time, he practically does not chew food, but swallows it in whole pieces.
Life in a pack
It has long been known that the wolf is a social animal. He lives only in a pack. Typically this is family group, numbering from seven to twenty individuals. It is led by a male and a female. All the rest are cubs and grown-up young wolves who remained in the pack from previous litters. Sometimes a lone wolf may join the pack, but he strictly obeys the leaders.
Giving birth to puppies in a pack is the priority right of the female leader. The cubs of other females are destroyed immediately. The polar wolf of the tundra adheres to such harsh laws - a large number of mouths are hard to feed.
The survival of a flock depends on how big it is hunting grounds. That is why they fight to the death for their territory. This territory can be from fifty to one thousand five hundred square kilometers.
Migration to the south
In autumn or early winter the flock moves to the south, where it is easier to find food. It follows They, as well as musk oxen, are the main large game that the polar wolf hunts. They do not refuse either lemmings or polar hares.
Nutrition
The polar wolf is omnivorous. He eats everything he manages to catch, and those who are significantly weaker than him. IN summer time predators feed on birds, frogs and even beetles. They do not refuse berries, fruits and lichens. In winter, their diet includes more meat- deer, musk oxen.
The polar wolf is a born hunter. He stalks his prey skillfully, using changing riders and ambushes. It is especially successful when the snow crust melts a little, the deer falls through, and the predator quickly catches up with it.
A strong and healthy ungulate has nothing to fear from a wolf. Therefore, the flock tries to find old and sick animals or young and inexperienced fawns. Having attacked a herd, wolves strive to disperse it in order to drive away their future victim and quickly overwhelm it. In cases where the herd has time to regroup and surround its offspring in a dense ring, strong hooves and sharp horns will frighten away the predators, and they will ingloriously leave the battlefield.
If the hunt is successful, then the leader starts the meal first; he eats the most the best pieces, and at this time the flock is hanging around nearby, waiting for their turn. If a polar wolf catches a small animal, it will eat it whole, including the skin. He needs to thoroughly satisfy his hunger, because only ten percent of his hunting trips are successful.
Reproduction
It occurs in females by the age of three, in males by two years. Shortly before giving birth, the she-wolf prepares a hole. Since in permafrost it is impossible to dig it out; the birth takes place in a cave, a crevice between rocks or in an old lair. Pregnancy lasts from sixty to seventy-five days. There are no more than three puppies in a litter, although there have been cases where five and seven puppies were born, but this happens very rarely.
Newborns are born completely helpless and blind, weighing approximately four hundred grams. They stay in the den for a month, after which they begin to make their exits into the world. All this time the she-wolf feeds them milk. After a few months, she begins to feed the cubs with the food she has obtained.
The white polar wolf is very good and caring parent. The whole flock takes care of the babies. When the she-wolf goes hunting, young wolves look after the babies. Even when there is very little food, all members of the flock try to feed the babies. Thus, a stable population size is maintained. In this case, the human influence is practically not felt - there are few people who want to hunt in the Arctic.
Start of independent life
Having reached puberty, young wolves leave the pack and try to create their own. They find an empty area and mark it. It is unknown what their life will be like next. If a free female appears on its territory, it will form new couple, who will eventually give birth to puppies. As a result, a new flock will appear. But there may be another outcome of the situation - the polar wolf, having been pushed around alone, joins another pack. However, in this case he has no chance of becoming a leader - he will always remain on the sidelines.
An intelligent and cunning predator - the polar wolf - tries not to meet a person. Their interests can only intersect on the reindeer, which the man carefully protects. But in any case, we must not allow the wolf to become sworn enemy people, and they would completely exterminate it, as happened in Mexico, Japan, Iceland.