Arctic Wolves
The sun hangs leaden in the sky over the frozen tundra of the
high arctic. Flat expanses of land are dotted with low-growing shrubs
dusted with frost. From the south a herd of musk oxen loiter along,
digging away the icy surface of the ground to reach nutritious lichen
and ground plants, oblivious as eight stealthy white figures move
in around them. As the wolves get closer, the herd snaps into action,
forming into two rings, with younger calves in the middle protected
by the adults facing outward. The circle would be impossible for
one wolf to penetrate, so the pack must work as a team. Back and
forth race the wolves, snapping at the legs of creatures five times
their weight. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the musk oxen hold
their ground, using their massive horns and hard skulls to throw
off the charging wolves. The wolves tear from one side to the other,
shifting the disoriented herd, until one infiltrates the circle.
The herd scatters as wolves give chase. The race does not last long,
for musk oxen overheat and tire easily, unlike wolves which are
able to maintain high speeds over much longer pursuits. A weakened
musk ox falls back from the herd, and the wolves focus in on it.
The largest of the pack, the alpha male, leaps and grasps its victim’s
neck in a desperate hold. The mighty animal collapses in a heap.
Statistically, only one in ten wolf attacks are successful, and
it has been several days since the pack has obtained such a large
kill. They will each eat up to 20 pounds of meat at this meal, leaving
nothing of the animal behind, neither bones nor fur. A few miles
away the alpha female cares for her month-old cubs, waiting for
the herd to bring back food. The pack shares in the responsibility,
even regurgitating meat for the cubs to eat.
Arctic wolves, also known as polars and whites, have thrived in
the high arctic for thousands of years, one of the few mammals able
to tolerate the sub-zero temperatures and five months of darkness.
Indeed, they have been more successful than their gray cousins to
the south, who have barely escaped extinction due to their encounters
with man. There are few differences between the arctic and gray
wolf subspecies. The white wolf is slightly shorter, standing 25-31
inches high at the shoulder. But they are bulkier; an adult male
can weigh up to 175 pounds. Smaller, rounded ears and thicker fur
are physical adaptations that have allowed the arctic wolf to weather
its inhospitable terrain.
To survive, wolves live in small packs of 7-10. The family group
consists of a breeding pair (the alpha male and female), their pups,
and their unmated offspring from prior seasons. A strong hierarchy
exists within packs, and the dominant animals will force inferiors
to cringe or lie on their backs to show respect. Lesser wolves hold
their tails at a lesser angle than the dominant male. Males reach
maturity at 3 years old, but they may strike out on their own anytime
after their first year. Lone wolves are at great peril, and they
will avoid contact with other wolves unless it’s a potential mate.
Then the male will find and claim an unoccupied territory, marking
it with its scent.
Wolf territories are vast (as large as 800-1,000 square miles),
as they must roam areas large enough to supply the amount of food
needed by a pack. Their primary food source is musk oxen, caribou,
and smaller mammals such as lemmings and hares, but wolves will
eat anything they can catch. They may follow migrating caribou south
in the summer. Arctic wolves are found all along along the northern
edge of the North American continent, and along the eastern and
northern shores of Greenland. They are sometimes confused with another
distant cousin, the tundra wolf, of northern Europe.
Wolves may be the most misunderstood and maligned animal in the
world, due to their elusiveness and to superstitions stretching
back to prehistory. However, their pack structure, hunting methods,
and general curious and friendly natures suggest that wolf and man
may have more in common than was ever imagined.
About the Author
Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content
for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com
and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.
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