Tuesday, October 14, 2008

15 Minutes : Know It : Wolves

Take a moment tonight to glance up at the moon. You may notice it looks like a full moon and while it is extremely big and round Wednesday night's moon is actually the FULL MOON. One thing that comes to mind when I think of a full moon is wolves. It's actually a myth that wolves come out and howl at the full moon but here are some facts just for fun.


taken from Martha Stewart Kids: Fall 2004
:
Wolves may have longer noses, stronger jaws, and bigger feet, but they are a lot like the smart and social pooches that people keep as pets. Scientist believe that all dogs --- from tiny chihuahuas to giant Great Danes -- descended from wolves that humans tamed about 14,000 years ago. Wolves roam all over parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. Those who live in colder climates have snow-white fur with special air pockets which trap heat to help keep them warm. All wolves travel in packs, usually in groups of four to seven members -- about the size of a typical human family.

6 Facts About Wolves - Amanda Genge

1)
Most wolves in North America are considered gray wolves, though they can be black or white in color. Red wolves, which are red in color and can be found int the Southeastern united States, and Abyssinians wolves, which are reddish-brown in color and live in Ethiopia, are distinct species.

2) Packs of wolves can cover territories as great as eight hundred square miles in search of food; other animals, such as deer and bears, have limited territories of only a few square miles, If the food supply in an area is limited wolves will fiercely defend their territory from intruder packs.

3) Wolf pups weigh a pound at birth; they reach full size of eighty to one hundred pounds at about nine months old. When theyre three weeks old, they begin eating meat. To feed their young, adult wolves use the same technique some birds do: They eat a meal, and then throw up some of it into the pups' mouths.

4) Like dogs, wolves have their own individual personalities some are timid, some are aloof, and others can be quite outgoing. The different dispositions are reflected in part by the wolves' order within the pack --- higher-ranking animals are more likely to be confident, while lower-ranking ones are often cowardly and shy.

5) All wolf species are considered threatened or endangered in most areas of the United States--- in part because human development has destroyed their natural habitat. Gray wolves used to live all over the country, but their population is now concentrated in the north-central region (near Minnesota) and Alaska.

6) Wolves aren't aggressive towards humans---they often flee when confronted. No unprovoked attack have ever been reported in North America

Did You Know?...
A wolf's howl can be heard up to ten miles away.

Large paws let wolves move easily across uneven ground. When they need to get somewhere fast, wolves can sprint up to forty miles per hour, but they usually jog steadily at around six miles per hour.

A wolf's largest teeth, which he uses to grab and hold prey, are two inches in length; that's about eight times the size of human canine teeth.

Like dogs, wolves use their tails to show their mood. If a wolf is relaxed, so is his tail. If he wants to be intimidation, it will perk up and out behind him.

Wolves have a sense of smell that's about 100 times greater than humans. This helps wolves sniff out their next meal from as far as four miles away.

Wolves aren't as mean and scary as they might seem in fairy tales. In fact, they are actually quite shy. Their furry coats, which help them to easily blend into their surroundings, can be gray, brown, black, white, tan or red.


Something To Laugh About...

Q:Which day of the week is a wolf's favorite day?
A: Moonday

Q: Where do they honor the loudest wolves of all time?
A: the Howl of Fame

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