mrs gren - living requirements of the arctic wolf
Movement
A few of the traits they require to live in a cold environment include strong legs, paws and also teeth. Wolves have two front and two hind legs which allows them to walk and run around their territory. They use their muscular and skeletal systems for movement.
Their large paws are for grasping onto prey. They can do this because their nails are really strong and blunt from the tips being worn off by constant contact with the ground. The Arctic wolfs’ paws have a total of four toes on each pad which is surrounded by stiff, thick hairs. The hair acts as protection and also provides a better grip on slippery ice surfaces. These are used for digging and in gripping the earth while running. The teeth of a White wolf are extremely sharp but also curved. Their tough jaws come in handy, along with their fangs, when it comes to tearing through the thick fur and flesh of their prey.
The arctic wolfs’ body is built for stamina and for this; they possess features which are perfect for long distance travel. Their narrow chests and powerful backs, along with their long legs, assist their movement. They are capable of covering several miles trotting at about a pace of 10 kilometres per hour and have been known to reach speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour during a chase. All of these traits are very essential as it makes everything easier to do in the conditions of places such as Alaska, where it snows all day and all night.
Their large paws are for grasping onto prey. They can do this because their nails are really strong and blunt from the tips being worn off by constant contact with the ground. The Arctic wolfs’ paws have a total of four toes on each pad which is surrounded by stiff, thick hairs. The hair acts as protection and also provides a better grip on slippery ice surfaces. These are used for digging and in gripping the earth while running. The teeth of a White wolf are extremely sharp but also curved. Their tough jaws come in handy, along with their fangs, when it comes to tearing through the thick fur and flesh of their prey.
The arctic wolfs’ body is built for stamina and for this; they possess features which are perfect for long distance travel. Their narrow chests and powerful backs, along with their long legs, assist their movement. They are capable of covering several miles trotting at about a pace of 10 kilometres per hour and have been known to reach speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour during a chase. All of these traits are very essential as it makes everything easier to do in the conditions of places such as Alaska, where it snows all day and all night.
respiration
A wolf uses its respiratory system to breathe in oxygen and to let out carbon dioxide. The main organ used for this is the lungs. When a wolf’s diaphragm moves back and forth, breathing occurs to get air to and from the lungs. Like most animals, this allows for them to release carbon dioxide and in return gain oxygen.
sensitivity
Smell
Smell is an important factor in a wolf’s life so a good sense of smell is necessary for survival. They use it for tracking, hunting and communication. The wolf’s sense of smell is used more than anything else to find prey. This is due to the wolf’s unique ability to smell prey before it can see it.
Hearing
An Arctic wolf can hear up to 6 miles away in forests and 10 miles in open areas, including some high-pitched sounds that humans aren’t able to hear. Even when it sleeps, this particular wolf’s ears stand straight up so it can catch sounds made by other animals at all times. This helps the wolf catch prey, and lets it know when danger is near. These wolves can easily tell what direction sound is coming from by turning their ears from side to side. The direction the ears are pointing when the sound is loudest tells the wolf which direction the sound is coming from. Their hearing ability is a great technique used for hunting and communicating with other wolves.
Sight
Arctic wolves can see shapes and movement over long distances as their peripheral vision is extremely accurate. They are able to detect even the slightest movements of very small animals, such as a mosquito, at a distance of more than ten feet and the movement of larger animals at considerable distances. These wolves are also able to see much better and much more clearly at night. Their eyesight is terrific and a good aid in hunting for prey.
Taste
The influence of smell plays a major role in the way food tastes to the Arctic wolf. It is known that wolves possess taste receptors for the four taste categories which include; salty, bitter, sweet, and acidic.
Smell is an important factor in a wolf’s life so a good sense of smell is necessary for survival. They use it for tracking, hunting and communication. The wolf’s sense of smell is used more than anything else to find prey. This is due to the wolf’s unique ability to smell prey before it can see it.
Hearing
An Arctic wolf can hear up to 6 miles away in forests and 10 miles in open areas, including some high-pitched sounds that humans aren’t able to hear. Even when it sleeps, this particular wolf’s ears stand straight up so it can catch sounds made by other animals at all times. This helps the wolf catch prey, and lets it know when danger is near. These wolves can easily tell what direction sound is coming from by turning their ears from side to side. The direction the ears are pointing when the sound is loudest tells the wolf which direction the sound is coming from. Their hearing ability is a great technique used for hunting and communicating with other wolves.
Sight
Arctic wolves can see shapes and movement over long distances as their peripheral vision is extremely accurate. They are able to detect even the slightest movements of very small animals, such as a mosquito, at a distance of more than ten feet and the movement of larger animals at considerable distances. These wolves are also able to see much better and much more clearly at night. Their eyesight is terrific and a good aid in hunting for prey.
Taste
The influence of smell plays a major role in the way food tastes to the Arctic wolf. It is known that wolves possess taste receptors for the four taste categories which include; salty, bitter, sweet, and acidic.
growth
The pups normally weigh one pound and lack sight and hearing when they are born. After six weeks, they will begin eating things besides their mother's milk as the adults of the pack swallow and regurgitate food for them from their hunt. Every few months, the pups are moved by the mother to a new den. This continues until the pack lives somewhere besides dens. When a wolf reaches three years, they choose to stay with and commit to the pack that they were born into or find their own land. Wolves usually live from eight to thirteen years in the wild although in captivity, they can live up to fifteen years.
reproduction
All animals mate at some point in their lives and a wolf is one of those animals. They use their reproductive organs to reproduce for their species. The process is called mating and is done by using the reproductive system.
Mating season is usually anywhere from January to. During this time, it is usually the alpha pair that moves out of the pack temporarily to prevent any interruption from other pack members. When the two are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close and touching each other more and more. After Mating, pairs will continue to be affectionate.
Because of the difficulty of digging dens from the snow in the Arctic region, Arctic wolves often use rock ledges or caves as dens instead. This den is where the female will give birth to her offspring. The female’s gestation period (time where the female is pregnant) lasts about 63 days after mating. After this the female will give birth to 2 or 3 pups at one time and these pups will be extremely dependent on their mother for food and protection. Other wolves in the pack may take care of the pups while the mother is out hunting for food.
Mating season is usually anywhere from January to. During this time, it is usually the alpha pair that moves out of the pack temporarily to prevent any interruption from other pack members. When the two are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close and touching each other more and more. After Mating, pairs will continue to be affectionate.
Because of the difficulty of digging dens from the snow in the Arctic region, Arctic wolves often use rock ledges or caves as dens instead. This den is where the female will give birth to her offspring. The female’s gestation period (time where the female is pregnant) lasts about 63 days after mating. After this the female will give birth to 2 or 3 pups at one time and these pups will be extremely dependent on their mother for food and protection. Other wolves in the pack may take care of the pups while the mother is out hunting for food.
Excretion
A wolf can digest many things of its prey, usually leaving nothing to waste. Naturally, the extra material leaves the body through urine and feces, just like any other animal. Their system is also very quick as they are able to fast for two weeks after a meal if prey is scarce.
nutrition
The Wolf uses its digestive system when eating its prey. The main organs used in this process, are the stomach and intestines.
Arctic wolves hunt in packs, preying mainly on caribou and musk-oxen. Sometimes, due to the lack of prey, they travel large distances and follow migrating caribou south during the winter, for a food source. As they are not fast runners, the wolves mainly rely on stamina to take down prey.
As adult wolves have a total amount of 42 teeth, this is their main weapon in hunting. They swallow food in large chunks, only just chewing it. They also eat all of their prey, including the bones. The stomach's purpose in a wolf is mainly to store food, not digest it. And this is one of the reasons why most of the digestion takes place in the small intestine.
These White wolves are able to eat up to 9 kg of meat at one meal. Their large meals, combined with the storage in their stomach, allows for a wolf to go for up to two weeks without any food.
Arctic wolves hunt in packs, preying mainly on caribou and musk-oxen. Sometimes, due to the lack of prey, they travel large distances and follow migrating caribou south during the winter, for a food source. As they are not fast runners, the wolves mainly rely on stamina to take down prey.
As adult wolves have a total amount of 42 teeth, this is their main weapon in hunting. They swallow food in large chunks, only just chewing it. They also eat all of their prey, including the bones. The stomach's purpose in a wolf is mainly to store food, not digest it. And this is one of the reasons why most of the digestion takes place in the small intestine.
These White wolves are able to eat up to 9 kg of meat at one meal. Their large meals, combined with the storage in their stomach, allows for a wolf to go for up to two weeks without any food.