Wolf Story

WALL STREET GIFTS - Story of the Wolf

The wolf is a large canine with the males and females similar in size (88 lb vs 82 lb). Their cousin is the coyote. The wolf will kill the coyote – but, the reverse doesn’t seem to happen.

The wolf is a specialist in cooperative hunting. The wolf pack is a nuclear family consisting of a mated pair and their offspring. Once the offspring reach sexual maturity they depart and create their own wolf pack. The pack is able to attach animals much larger than they are. The typical wolf pack is 5 wolves. The pair mate for life.

Since wolves attack livestock, both ranchers and farmers try to kill them. Thus, wolves and humans do not have a close relationship. It is thought that many wolves that attach a human have rabies.

But, wolves are not fussy eaters. They prefer large hoofed animals. But, they will eat small animals, garbage, eggs, birds, and fish. You can find them catching fish in streams in Alaska.

Wolf fossils have been found in Alaska that date back one million years. Studies show that the current wolf and dog descend from the same wolf ancestor 20,000 years ago. Other studies say only 10,000 years ago. The global population for the wolf is thought to be 300,000 today.

The wolf has very dense and fluffy winter fur, with a short  undercoat and long, coarse guard hairs. Most of the undercoat and some guard hairs are shed in spring and grow back in autumn. Wolves can survive in temperatures as low as -40 degrees F. To rest, they but their nose between their rear legs and cover their head with their tail. It’s also interesting their hair does not “ice” up.

Wolves are territorial and will defend their territory. The typical size of a wolf pack’s territory is 14 sq mile. They travel an average of 16 miles per day on their territory. They “mark” their territory by howling and urinating.

Despite popular belief the phase of the moon does NOT effect howling.

The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio based on a true story. I liked it! The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, with praise for Scorsese's direction, DiCaprio's comedic performance and the fast-paced and consistent humor. It has also been criticized by many as glorifying the infamous individuals and immoral behaviors portrayed in the film.

It's surprising how few wolves live on our planet. Asia has the most wolves numbering around 100,000 which is practically half of the world's population. United States has 18,000 wolves in Alaska, 4,100 in Minnesota with a smattering of wolves in other states. Denmark has 14 wolves!