The wolf appears in fairy tales and myths of many peoples of the world. Once this animal was very common throughout the northern hemisphere. Now wolves have almost completely disappeared from Western Europe. The species is on the verge of extinction.
1. Appearance
The wolf belongs to the canine (canine) family. He has a large head, an elongated muzzle and slanted, very expressive eyes. Pointed at the ends and very mobile ears are covered with wool. The size of this animal depends on the habitat. So, southern wolves are smaller than northern ones. The fur also corresponds to the terrain: light gray or white, always long and thick in the wolves of the Arctic, reddish and short in the Indian. But most of the wolves have dark gray and thick hair, reddish around the paws and on the belly.
2. Disappearance
Wolves are relatively numerous only in Russia and North America. It is almost impossible to meet them in other regions.
3. Howl
Wolves communicate with each other through a wide range of vocal means. So, whining means a greeting or a sign of submission, growling conveys aggression, barking - anxiety, protest, and sometimes excitement. But the most famous is the legendary howl. Alone or with the whole pack, at dusk or dawn, wolves howl to signal their presence and thus warn other packs to enter their territory. Heard for 10 km, these sounds are also a reference point for stragglers or stragglers.
4. Gestures
The positions of the tail, movements of the ears, lips and nose serve as signals of fear, respect and aggression for the wolf. So, the leader of the pack, to assert his superiority, takes the pose of a "statue": standing firmly on his feet, he strains his body, raises his tail, pricks up his ears and freezes. At the same time, other wolves bow down in front of him or lie on their backs and raise their paws up, thereby expressing their submission.
5. Smells
Smells play an important role in the life of a wolf. They mark their territory with urine, feces, and the secretions of their scent glands. Their relatives can, by reading these marks, establish the exact number of wolves in the pack and the date of their last arrival. The scent gland plays the role of a business card. Sniffing the hind legs of an individual, wolves are even able to determine its age, sex and position in the pack.
6. Vision
The wolf has unusual night vision due to the specific retina that its eyeballs are equipped with. A true natural light enhancer, she gives his look the famous sparkle.
7. Flocks
Wolves live mainly in a pack of 7-20 individuals. It is led by a dominant couple. Also, the pack usually includes their offspring and several adult wolves. The leader makes all decisions, and the rest constantly express their respect to him.
8. Territory
The less food, the larger the territory of the wolf pack. Depending on the region, it can be from 60 to 300 sq. km.
