Rebecca E. Hirsch - Gray Wolves: Howling Pack Mammals

comparing
ANIMAL TRAITS

GRAY WOLVES

HOWLING PACK MAMMALS

REBECCA E. HIRSCH

Copyright 2015 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

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Photo Acknowledgments

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com/Andyworks, p. 15 (bottom); Liumangtiger/Dreamstime.com, p. 16; Jim Brandenburg/Minden
Pictures/Getty Images, pp. 17 (left), 24, 27 (left); Nagel Photography/Shutterstock.com, p. 18; Thomas
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National Geographic/Getty Images, p. 22; Mark Raycroft/Minden Pictures/Getty Images, p. 23; James
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com, p. 26 (right); Biosphoto/SuperStock, p. 27 (right); Michael Quinton/Minden Pictures/Newscom,
p. 28; PhotoDisc/Getty Images, p. 29.

Front cover: iStockphoto.com/jimkruger.
Back cover: Holly Kuchera/Dreamstime.com.

Main body text set in Calvert MT Std 12/18. Typeface provided by Monotype Typography.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hirsch, Rebecca E., author.

Manufactured in the United States of America
1 BP 12/31/14

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
MEET THE GRAY WOLF

Chapter
WHAT DO GRAY WOLVES LOOK LIKE?

Chapter
WHERE GRAY WOLVES LIVE

Chapter
LIFE IN THE GRAY WOLF PACK

Chapter
THE LIFE CYCLE OF GRAY WOLVES

INTRODUCTION

MEET THE GRAY WOLF

Gray wolves roam through a snowy forest in search of prey.
Their howls echo through the trees. Gray wolves are mammals,
a kind of animal. Other kinds of animals you may know are
insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.

Gray wolves stay alert in case prey is nearby.

All mammals share certain features. They are vertebrates
(animals with backbones) that have fur or hair. All mammals
are warm blooded, and all mammal mothers make milk to feed
their babies. Most mammals give birth to live young, although
a few lay eggs. Gray wolves share these traits with other
mammals. They also have traits that set them apart.

CHAPTER

WHAT DO GRAY WOLVES
LOOK LIKE?

Gray wolves are the largest member of the wild dog family.
This family also includes dogs, coyotes, and jackals. Grown
wolves are about the size of a German Shepherd dog. Male
wolves are larger than females.

Gray wolves cross forests, grasslands, and tundra. The powerful
bodies of gray wolves are built for traveling. Long legs carry
the wolves through heavy snow. Large feet help them walk on
crusted snow without breaking through. Two layers of thick fur
keep them warm.

DID YOU KNOW?

A large male gray wolf can
eat POUNDS
(9 kilograms) of meat,
fat, and bones in a
single meal.

Despite the gray wolfs name, its
fur can be a range of colors.

Gray wolves have long,
bushy tails and coats that
come in a mix of colors.
These furry hunters may be
gray, brown, white, or black.
They have long muzzles and
sensitive noses for sniffing
out prey. They grab prey such
as moose and deer with their
strong jaws and tear meat
apart with their sharp teeth.

GRAY WOLVES VS. COYOTES

Coyotes are another kind of wild dog. Gray wolves and
coyotes look a lot alike. Coyotes are even called prairie wolves
sometimes. But coyotes are smaller than gray wolves.

A coyote scans the desert for prey.
Like gray wolves, coyotes eat other animals.

Gray wolves and coyotes both have long, thin legs. However,
the legs of coyotes are shorter than the legs of wolves. These
shorter legs are better adapted for the sandy deserts and dry
grasslands where many coyotes live. But the legs of coyotes
and gray wolves are both covered with fur. So are the rest of
their bodies.

Gray wolves and coyotes are both hunters. Both mammals
have furry faces. Both have snouts for grabbing prey and big
ears that give them excellent hearing. The snout of a gray wolf
is broad, while the coyotes snout is pointed, but both snouts
are long. The ears of a gray wolf are rounded, and the ears of a
coyote are pointed.

A coyote (right) has a narrower snout and pointier ears than a gray wolf.