First of all, let's get on thing straight, Wolves are Awesome.
They are not just awesome for being natures apex hunters but also because they are very beneficial for the environment. Let's start by examining why they are supreme hunters and move on to why they are so good for the ecosystem.
Height: 66-81 cm to shoulder
Length: 1.3-2 meters from nose to tail-tip
Weight: 25-60 kg; Males are typically heavier
Lifespan: 7-8 years in the wild. 12 years or more in protected areas.
Jaw Strength: 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch. (Can crush a moose bone in 6-8 bites)
Speed: 40-56 kph (25-35 mph)
Travel Distance: 16-48 km (10-30 miles) per day. Know to travel more than 550 km to find mates.
Hearing: In some cases, they can hear as far as 6 miles away.
Pack size: Most packs have 4-9 wolves. Some packs reach 30 members
From the stats above you can see how powerful a single wolf is. Now imagine a pack working in unison.
(Wolves scouting the area, searching for prey)
Wolves hunt their targets in 3 steps. First, they locate the weakest prey in the herd. After choosing the target they communicate with each other indicating which one to attack. (Wolves are great communicators, stay tuned for a more detailed post). After they have a solid plan the hunt begins.
Hunting the weakest animal in the herd is paramount for the ecosystem. Most of the time wolves go for the: sick, infected, old and weak members of the herd. By doing so they not only ensure that the hunt will be successful but also create a super healthy herd.
By removing the sickness and infection from the herd they prevent devastation and ensure their future food stock. They also serve as a population control mechanism. Ever heard of deer herds getting too large and consuming all the grass until they starve? Yeah, wolves can stop that.
I want to end this short post by saying thank you for reading! Here are some cute wolf puppies to make your day! If you also think wolves are AWESOME please share with a wolf fan!
Cute Wolf Puppies enjoying a great day
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