Wolves
by Emma M.
Wolves belong to the group of mammals known as Canidae, or the dog family. This report is about the most common type of wolf , the gray wolf. The gray wolf has a large head, pointed ears, and a long muzzle. Its coat is usually grayish with brown-gray patches, but sometimes it is completely white or black. Male wolves are usually two and a half to three feet tall and weigh seventy-five to one hundred pounds. The largest wolf found weighed one hundred and seventy five pounds! They can measure almost seven feet from the end of the nose to the tip of its outstretched tail. Females are smaller than males.
Wolves are very adaptable
creatures. They're able to live in a wider variety of climates and
habitats than most other animals. There are wolves in grasslands,
forests, swamps, prairies, and in the frozen northern plains. Some
even live in the desert.
Gray wolves feed on a variety of small animals, including hares and beavers, squirrels, ducks and geese. However, they prefer to hunt larger creatures such as deer, moose and caribou--but can only do so with the help of their pack.
A wolf pack is really just a family of
wolves. The members of the pack are usually a mother and father and
their cubs, along with some relatives. The average pack has seven or
eight wolves in it and all know their place in the "order "of the
pack. They all obey the leader of the pack, which is almost always a
male. The members of the wolf family are very close to each other.
During the mating season, a young female will choose a mate that will
be her partner for life. If one of the pair should die, the other
will not choose another mate. All the wolves of the pack cooperate to
raise the young. Females will "babysit" for each other, and males
will hunt for and protect all the cubs. They give much affection in
the way of playful wrestling and nuzzling the young. 
Wolves are very good communicators. They can make a variety of sounds and each has its own meaning. There is a whimper, a snarl, a wuff, a bark and of course, a howl. There a re many different ideas about why wolves howl, probably just because its fun. Wolves are very good at showing other wolves how they feel about things. They often use their faces and ears to express their feelings. To show anger, a wolf may stick its ears straight up and bare its teeth. Suspicion is shown by pulling the ears back and squinting. When a wolf is afraid, it may flatten its ears against its head.
Wolves are interesting a nd beautiful creatures. As we have begun to learn more about our environment, we have learned that the wolf plays an important role in nature. Where the wolf lives, it helps keep prey animals from becoming so abundant that they starve or die of disease. This is the way nature works to keep its balance.
