Wolves in MN

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Wolves in MN

• Minnesota Wildlife

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Physical Characteristics

• Conformation
• Largest member of dog family
• Weight adult males 95-100 lbs., females 80-85
  lbs.
•  Height most adult wolves stand 26-32 inches,
  reaching as tall as 3 feet at the withers.
• Length males are 5-6 1/2 feet nose to tail tip,
  females are 4 1/2-6 feet.
•  muscular, powerful and strong
•  Long legs and large blocky feet
•  Long furry tail
• Long powerful muzzle to crush bones

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Physical Characteristics

• Coat
• 2 layers of fur
• Underfur short, soft and thick insulation
• Outerfur long stiff hair repels water
• Variety of colors
• White, buff, tawny, grayish, black
• Black is dominant color in the north

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Physical Characteristics

• Senses
• Acute Smell
• Detect over 1 mile away
• 100 times better than human
• Helps locate food (for survival)
• Acute Hearing
• Hear up to 4 miles
• Sharp Vision
• Detects movement

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Species of Wolf

• Red Wolf (Canis Rufus)
• Preferred habitat is Mexico, Southern India and
  Southeast and Southwest United States
• Hybrid between the gray wolf and a coyote
• Shorter, reddish outer coat and they live in
  warmer climates
• An endangered species and protected by law.
• Reintroduced back into the wild at the North
  Carolina Wildlife Refugee

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Species of Wolf

• 2. Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus)
• Also known as the Timber Wolf, Tundra Wolf,
  Arctic Wolf or Lobo.
• Lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Approximately 2500 live in northern Minnesota.
• Long pointed canine teeth or fangs.
• Highly intelligent.

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Relationship to Dog

• Similarities
• Original dog
• Cross breeds demiwolf (dog-wolf cross)
• Canidae family fox, dog, wolf and jackal
• Same gestation, teeth, shed, vocalization

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Relationship to Dog

• Differences
• Scent gland precaudal tail gland not in dogs
• Wolves carry tail low dogs have curled or high
• Gait hind legs swing in line with front legs
• Wolves breed once/year dogs breed twice
• Skull longer, wider and flatter than dogs

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Relationship to Dog

• Population
• Gray wolves endangered in most of US
• Threatened in MN, WI, and MI
• Threatened approaching danger of extinction
• Endangered edge of being extinct
• 15 million dogs unwanted and euthanized each year
• About 5,250 wolves in lower 48 states
  (6,000-8,000 in Alaska)

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Social Structure

• Pack
• Highly structured
• Partnership to hunt if prey is large/strong
• One breeding pair and offspring (1 pack)
• Pack size 2-20
• Average size 6

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Social Structure

• Social System
• Pecking Order/Dominance Order-individual ranking
• Social ladder-each member has rank
• Alpha male/female-highest male/female
• Others
• Mature Subordinates
• Juveniles
• Outcast/Omega-lowest
• Rank established when pups 3 weeks old

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Wolf Communication

• Purpose
• Pack presence
• Maintain territory
• Assert dominance
• Methods
• Audible howl, bark, whimper, or growl
• Visual posture, tail movement, and facial
  expression
• Olfactory body rubbing, rolling and ritual
  displays (urine and gland excrements)

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Wolf Communication

• Howling
• Use to
• Keep track of wolves within a pack
• Assemble the pack
• Declare territory
• Announce a kill
• Declare unification of a pack
• Prey animals generally ignore howling

See overhead
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Reproductive Stages of the Wolf

• Courtship
• February-April
• Male initiates bows down to female, shows
  interest through wagging tail, nipping, or
  mounting
• Female returns affection by lifting tail
  (indicates receptivity)

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Reproductive Stages of the Wolf

• 2. Mate Preference
• Alpha male will only breed alpha female
• Female will seek other mate if alpha male not
  available
• One female (alpha) gives birth to pups
• If something happens to her, the next in line
  will be bred

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Reproductive Stages of the Wolf

• 3. Denning
• Gestation 60-63 days
• Female digs den 3 weeks prior to birth
• Burrow type den underground
• Dens has tunnel as entrance with chamber at the
  end (6-14 feet)
• Placed near water on high plane (for lookout
  post)
• Pups remain in den until 8-11 weeks old

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Reproductive Stages of the Wolf

• 4. Whelping and pup development
• Litter size 4-7 pups
• Whelping 2-3 hours (giving birth)
• Entire pack raises pups
• Mortality high 50 in 1st year
• Pups begin hunting at 3-5 months
• Yearlings join pack or leave

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Hunting and Feeding

• Digestive system
• Carnivore Meat eater
• Simple stomach easily digest fat and protein
• Storage storage 95 will be digested

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Hunting and Feeding

• 2. Feeding habits
• 20 pounds of prey at once
• Does not eat daily (consumes entire prey)
• Females feed pups meat with regurgitation
• Immediately eat catch may bury large pieces of
  meat
• 6-10 hours to consume

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Hunting and Feeding

• 3. The Hunt
• Primary prey is white tailed deer
• Target weak, crippled, or old prey-easier to
  catch
• Locate prey by
• Scent
• Chance encounter
• Tracking

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Hunting and Feeding

• The Hunt continued
• Four stages to hunt
• Stalking the first method of attack
• Encounter prey detects the predator
• The rush critical stage because determines if
  wolf catches prey
• The chase only lasts a few miles or minutes
• Wolf quickly decides if prey is worth the chase

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Purpose of Wolf Protection

• Effects of Predation
• Food chain reaction
• Carcass of prey decomposes adding nutrients to
  soil
• Vegetation grows from nutrient rich soil
• Vegetation attracts small rodents and animals
  (rabbits, etc)
• Small animals provide food for predators (fox,
  etc)
• Remains of prey provide food (ravens, eagles,
  weasels, etc)

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Purpose of Wolf Protection

• Scientific research
• Study ecology of natural communities and
  predator-prey relationships
• Sociology
• Behavior sciences
• Aesthetic and Economic Value
• Tourism
• Enjoy watching nature (beauty)

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History of Wolf Protection

• Early settlement and livestock were killed
• Bounty hunting became popular (1900-1950s)
• Federal protection laws established (1960s)
• Wolves research and not the enemy
• Yellowstone Park re-introduction to control elk
  population
• Minnesota controversy
• Should wolf remain as threatened

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Delisted areas
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Minnesota Wolf Population

• 1973 500 to 1,000
• 1979 1,235
• 1989 1,500 to 1,750
• 1998 2,450
• 2004 3,020 (485 packs)

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What habitat is favored by wolves?

• 1. Wolves prefer forested areas that are remote,
  and inaccessible by humans.
• 2. Prefer an area that has prey availability. The
  higher the prey supply the higher the population.
• 3. Wolves primary habitat in Minnesota is in the
  northeast and north central forested areas.

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What habitat is favored by wolves?

• Wolves utilize dens dug into sandy hillsides for
  raising pups. They also may use large trees,
  hollow logs, or caves for denning.
• Adult wolves prefer bedding sites that allow them
  to over look the den. This kind of habitat allows
  the wolves to detect intruders.

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What habitat is favored by wolves?

• 6. Wolves are very territorial and will chase or
  kill any outside wolf intruders that come into
  the packs established territory. Their ranges
  may overlap but territories are well established
  and will never overlap intentionally.