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resting Gray wolfresting Gray wolf

Mammal

Gray wolf

Canis Lupus

The most popular of all members of the canidae family!
gray wolf
Small rather rounded ears
Fur varying from gray to brown to black
Tail proudly pointed to the sky
Can weigh between 18 and 42 kg
Fact sheet
Family unit
A strong family unit
two gray wolves
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Family unit
Our family unit, which we call “pack”, generally includes 5 to 6 individuals. Social behaviors within the pack are highly developed and hierarchical.
Food habits
Ambitious predators
gray wolf
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Food habits
We hunt in packs to take down the biggest members of the cervidae family. I need 2 to 3 kg of meat per day. We can spend up to 10 days cleaning an adult moose carcass and a little less than 3 days for a smaller fawn.
Did you know?
Is that where it comes from!
gray wolf
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Did you know?
Summer, as in winter, we like to travel in a straight line one behind the other, nose to tail. The French even have an expression, “à la queue leu leu”, derived from the ancient French spelling of “leu” that means wolf… So they are really saying “to the tail wolf wolf”. Crazy isn’t it!
Physical appearance
Difference between coyotes and wolves?
gray wolf in winter
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Physical appearance
Many people misidentify us and believe we are our cousin the Coyote! But they are smaller and their ears and nose are more pointed. Furthermore they carry their tail rather low, while wolves hold our tails proudly high! Coyotes are usually solitary creatures while we wolves live in packs.
Gargamel, one of the two Ecomuseum's Zoo gray wolves
The importance of predators in the food chain

Despite their bad reputation, predators are extremely important links in the food chain. Numerous eradication campaigns have unfortunately decimated Gray wolf populations, even though their presence is essential for the control of prey such as the White-tailed deer!

Palla, Ecomuseum Zoo's female gray wolf
Come meet Palla & Akela!
Gray Wolf
Support the Gray wolves

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