Wolf

Canis lupus

Gray wolves once populated large portions of North America, Europe, and Asia, but were hunted to near extinction. Their numbers have rebounded due to conservation and reintroduction efforts.

Photograph by Joel Sartore

Map

Wolf Range

Fast Facts

Type:: Mammal
Diet:: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:: 6 to 8 years
Size:: Head and body, 36 to 63 in (91 to 160 cm); Tail, 13 to 20 in (33 to 51 cm)
Weight:: 40 to 175 lbs (18 to 79 kg)
Group name:: Pack
Protection status:: Endangered
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. A lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another. Some howls are confrontational. Much like barking domestic dogs, wolves may simply begin howling because a nearby wolf has already begun.

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.

In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.

Red wolves live in the southeastern United States, where they are endangered. These animals actually became extinct in the wild in 1980. Scientists established a breeding program with a small number of captive red wolves and have reintroduced the animal to North Carolina. Today, perhaps 100 red wolves survive in the wild.

The maned wolf, a distant relative of the more familiar gray and red wolves, lives in South America. Physically, this animal resembles a large, red fox more than its wolf relatives.

Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles (20 kilometers) in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey—large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.

Wolfpacks are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.

Mammal Videos

Other Pack Animals

Please select a test to run

Mammal Features

Animal Conservation

Find out what National Geographic Society is doing to save animals all over the world, and learn what you can do to help.
Hawaiian Monk Seal Crittercam

The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the oldest species of seal on the planet. But their tenure in paradise is perilously close to its end, only about 1,100 seals remain in the wild.
Lions Quiz

The king of cats rules with a roar and a fierce bite. What else do you know about this top predator?
Cause an Uproar

Big cats are quickly disappearing. Now is the time to act. Cause an uproar to save big cats today.

Please select a test to run

On Nat Geo WILD

TV Schedule »

Animal News

Animals

Animal News

Special Ad Section

Newsletters

Celebrating 125 Years National Geographic

From the Magazine

Gannets Pictures

Champion divers but clumsy landers, doting parents but hostile neighbors—northern gannets abound in contradictions.
Estonia's Ural Owls

Photographer Sven Začek provides an intimate view of this large raptor.