It is a subspecies of the gray wolf familiar to us.He lives in the north of Greenland, in the Arctic regions of Canada, Alaska.The harsh climate with snowdrifts, icy winds, bitter cold and permafrost animal lives for hundreds of years.Polar wolf completely preserved natural environment, in contrast to their gray, red, and other colleagues.This is due to the emergence of a rare person these harsh lands.
Polar Wolf: description
This large, powerful animal - height at withers males reaches a hundred centimeters, length - one hundred and eighty centimeters, weight in the range of ninety kilograms.The females are on average 15% less.Arctic polar wolf has thick blond hair with a reddish tint, small upright ears, long legs, bushy tail.
For months, the animal does not see sunlight.He was accustomed to the polar night.In search of food a week he can scour the snowy plain.At one time easily eats ten kilograms of meat.From its extraction no trace remains.In the stomach of a predator fall even bones, he bite forty two powerful teeth.This food it is practically chews and swallows whole pieces.
Life in the pack
has long been known that the wolf - a social animal.He lives only in the pack.As a rule, it is a family group, numbering seven to twenty individuals.It is headed by a male and female.All the rest - it's young and grown young wolves, who stayed in the pack with previous litters.Sometimes the pack can "return" a lone wolf, but he strictly obeys the leader.
give birth to puppies in the pack - the priority right of the female lead.Cubs other females are destroyed immediately.Such harsh laws adhere to the polar tundra wolf - a large number of mouths to feed is difficult.
Survival of the pack depends on how large its hunting grounds.That is why for their territory, they fight to the death.This area can be from fifty to one thousand five hundred square kilometers.
migration south
autumn or early winter flock migrates to the south, where it is easier to find food.It follows the reindeer.They, as well as musk oxen - the main big game hunted polar wolf.Do not refuse it, and from the lemmings, and from polar hares.
Power
Polar Wolf omnivorous.He eats everything he can catch, and those who are much weaker than him.In the summer, the predators feed on birds, frogs and even beetles.Do not give up berries, fruits and lichens.In winter, their diet there is more meat - deer, musk oxen.
Polar wolf - a born hunter.He pursues his prey skillfully uses shift riders ambush.Especially manages hunting in the spring when the snow melts a little crust, deer falls, and the predator it quickly catching up.
strong and healthy hoofed nothing to be afraid of the wolf.Therefore, trying to find a flock of old and sick animals or young and inexperienced deer.By attacking the herd, wolves tend to disperse it to ward off a future victim and quickly fill it.In cases where the herd will have time to regroup and dense ring surround their young, strong hooves and sharp horns frighten away predators and they ingloriously leave the battlefield.
If hunting was a success, the first leader of the meal begins, it eats the best pieces, but this time a flock of marking time around, waiting their turn.If the polar wolf catch a small animal, it will eat all of it, along with the skin.He needs to thoroughly satisfy his hunger, because successfully completed only ten percent of his hunting forays.
Reproduction
Puberty occurs in females to three years, males - two.Shortly before the birth prepares a wolf den.As the permafrost dig it impossible to be born in a cave, crevice between the rocks, or in the old den.Pregnancy lasts sixty to seventy-five days.The litter is not more than three puppies, although reported cases when born five and seven puppies, but it happens very rarely.
Newborns are born completely helpless and blind, weighing about four grams.They are in the den a month, and then begin to make its output "in the light."All this time the wolf feeding them milk.A few months later she begins to feed calves produced food.
White Polar Wolf is very good and caring parent.On the whole flock takes care of kids.When the wolf goes on the hunt for the kids looked after by the young wolves.Even when the food is very small, all members of the pack trying to feed the kids.Thus, there remains a stable population size.Human impact in this case is almost not felt - there are few who want to go hunting in the Arctic.
start an independent life
reaching puberty, young wolves leave the pack, trying to create their own.They found an empty territory and mark it.How to put them on life - it is unknown.If its territory will be free female, then a new pair, which over time will be born puppies.The result will be a new flock.But there may be another outcome of the situation - the polar wolf knocked about in solitude, is adjacent to another pack.However, in this case, he has no chance to become a leader - he will always remain on the sidelines.
clever and cunning predator - the polar wolf - trying not to meet with the person.Their interests can intersect only on the reindeer, which protects a person thoroughly.But in any case it should not be allowed to become a sworn enemy of the wolf people, and they have completely destroyed it, as has happened in Mexico, Japan and Iceland.
