The Wulf Den Discussions - Traveling within the World
2024-03-28T10:54:38Z
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The Great Plains Wolf by Shyam Jaya
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2012-04-03:2185477:Topic:170089
2012-04-03T15:08:13.593Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
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<h1><img align="bottom" alt="Canis lupus nubilus" height="307" src="http://www.cosmosmith.com/images/canis_lupus_nubilus01.jpg" vspace="25" width="414"></img></h1>
<p></p>
<p>Also known as the buffalo wolf, the Great Plains wolf is the most common subspecies of the <a href="http://www.cosmosmith.com/gray_wolves.html">gray wolf</a> in the continental United States. It was originally identified as a separate species <i>Canis nubilus</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Say">Thomas Say</a> in 1823 and was re-classified as subspecies <i>Canis lupus nubilus</i> in 1841 by…</p>
<h1><img src="http://www.cosmosmith.com/images/canis_lupus_nubilus01.jpg" alt="Canis lupus nubilus" height="307" vspace="25" width="414" align="bottom"/></h1>
<p></p>
<p>Also known as the buffalo wolf, the Great Plains wolf is the most common subspecies of the <a href="http://www.cosmosmith.com/gray_wolves.html">gray wolf</a> in the continental United States. It was originally identified as a separate species <i>Canis nubilus</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Say">Thomas Say</a> in 1823 and was re-classified as subspecies <i>Canis lupus nubilus</i> in 1841 by<a href="http://www.valdosta.edu/%7Emgnoll/Prince_Maximilian.htm">Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.cosmosmith.com/images/great_plains_wolves01.jpg" alt="Great Plains Wolves" height="276" hspace="8" width="414"/><b>HABITAT</b><br/> The Great Plains wolf at one time had the largest range of any subspecies in North America, inhabiting most of the Western United States, southeastern Alaska, and central and northeastern Canada. However, by the 1930s, the subspecies had been almost totally eradicated from the United States. By the mid-1960s, just a few still survived in northeastern Minnesota along the Ontario border. It is currently found in the western Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Ontario. The size of the wolf's territory can vary depending on the type and availability of prey.</p>
<p><b>CHARACTERISTICS</b><br/> Great Plains wolves vary from 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long from nose to end of tail, and weigh between 60 and 110 pounds. The female is roughly 80 percent the size of the male. Their coat is usually a blend of grey, black, brown, buff, or red. They travel in packs of 5 or 6 wolves on average.</p>
<p><b>DIET</b><br/> <img src="http://www.cosmosmith.com/images/great_plains_wolf01.jpg" alt="Great Plains Wolf" height="414" vspace="5" width="303"/>The Great Plains wolf preys on white-tailed deer, moose, snowshoe hare, small birds, and rodents such as beaver.</p>
<p><b>BREEDING</b><br/> To maintain the strength of the pack, usually only the alpha male and female reproduce. Mating season usually occurs from early January through late February at such northern climates. Roughly 63 days after mating, the mother will give birth to 4 to 6 pups in a den. They become fully grown in 6 to 8 months and are sexually mature by about 22 months.</p>
<p><b>STATUS</b><br/> It was believed the Great Plains wolf had become extinct by 1926. However, later studies showed wolves found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan to be descendants of the <i>Canis lupus nubilus</i>. Even then, their number became fewer and fewer until they were federally protected as an endangered species in 1974. Because of being federally protected, their population in Minnesota had become large enough to be reclassified as just threatened in 1978.</p>
<p>By 2009, the number of wolves in the Great Lakes region had climbed to an estimated 2,922 in Minnesota, 580 in Michigan, and 626 in Wisconsin. In response, the Fish and Wildlife Service removed these 4,000 wolves from the endangered species list. As a result, the agency was sued by 5 environmental and animal protection groups and forced to return the wolves to the list - at least temporarily. The Fish and Wildlife Service still believes that the wolves in the western Great Lakes region have met the recovery criteria and don't need to be listed.</p>
Singing with Wolves Spell by Rev. Carol A. Ingle AKA Raven
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2011-02-15:2185477:Topic:101890
2011-02-15T17:53:54.380Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
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Singing with Wolves Spell<br></br><br></br>An unusual park can be found in Edwards, Illinois, Wildlife Prairie. It exists for the people of the state, but as a preserve for wolves and other wild canines that still roam this industrialized state. On Friday evenings, just before sundown, a guide takes parties out to small hill.<br></br><br></br>There is no light except the Moon's. Everyone stands in silence waiting for the ancient song of the wolves to begin. You may feel you've been holding your breath when…
Singing with Wolves Spell<br/><br/>An unusual park can be found in Edwards, Illinois, Wildlife Prairie. It exists for the people of the state, but as a preserve for wolves and other wild canines that still roam this industrialized state. On Friday evenings, just before sundown, a guide takes parties out to small hill.<br/><br/>There is no light except the Moon's. Everyone stands in silence waiting for the ancient song of the wolves to begin. You may feel you've been holding your breath when finally the first howl of the night is heard echoing from another hilltop. Soon the chorus is picked up by the other wolves, a discordant yet beautiful song. As you raise your head to join the chorus, you may feel a primal stirring inside you.<br/><br/>You know without being told that this is an ancient magick. Wolves mate for life, and often will remain in their birth packs unless dominance issues force part of the pack out of the area.<br/><br/>In honor of this love and loyalty, the Romans instituted the festival of Lupercalia, or the Festival of the Wolf. Later on the church would rename this festival in honor of St. Valentine. If you want to call out for a mate, or you wish to strengthen your bonds with your present partner or coven, go outside on Lupercalia Eve and raise your voice high in the ancient wolf song. This will help bond you with your partner, and bond all who participate to beautiful Mother Earth.
For The Wolves by Marjabella La Fey
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-10-21:2185477:Topic:67766
2010-10-21T02:54:34.831Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img alt="" src="http://api.ning.com/files/z33ppkhT-h8kUJygpi*TfP6A31sJ9RqQyocCP6glp3Rh89iPR4IrSzX7a4QJiME*RNLp5qcQBpFGib*4qxiSIJUxUWJBWSKV/welpic.jpg"></img></p>
<br></br>Today, the wolf represents all that which is wild and free. They call us to the last retreats of our vanishing wilderness, where their songs carry on the wind, a wild defiant sorrow.<br></br><br></br>Roaming where few men dare, wolves pierce the silence with their powerful song. The howl begins low and melodious. The sound is lonely, haunting, surreal; as if the voices of our ancestors were howling through the canyons.<br></br><br></br>Soon, the ridges resound…
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img alt="" src="http://api.ning.com/files/z33ppkhT-h8kUJygpi*TfP6A31sJ9RqQyocCP6glp3Rh89iPR4IrSzX7a4QJiME*RNLp5qcQBpFGib*4qxiSIJUxUWJBWSKV/welpic.jpg"/></p>
<br/>Today, the wolf represents all that which is wild and free. They call us to the last retreats of our vanishing wilderness, where their songs carry on the wind, a wild defiant sorrow.<br/><br/>Roaming where few men dare, wolves pierce the silence with their powerful song. The howl begins low and melodious. The sound is lonely, haunting, surreal; as if the voices of our ancestors were howling through the canyons.<br/><br/>Soon, the ridges resound with the chorus of a wolf pack on the prowl. Then, as the last note descends, it is quiet, as the winds whisper like spirits of ancient times.<br/><br/>Remember that sound and treasure it. It is as old as time, wild as the wind and as poetic as moonlight on snow. It is the trademark of the wolf.<br/><br/><br/>~SacredWolfDreams~
Animal Totem Energies - The Wolf by tony fields
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-09-29:2185477:Topic:64318
2010-09-29T22:19:18.753Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
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<p>****CONTENT REMOVED DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT****</p>
<p>****CONTENT REMOVED DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT****</p>
Skinwalkers by Marjabella La Fey
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-08-13:2185477:Topic:52622
2010-08-13T02:15:27.688Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
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Native Americans have incredibly profound and fascinating beliefs, many of them involving wolves. To several tribes (past and present), the wolf itself is known as a protective spirit or totem. They view the wolf as a wise fellow hunter to be respected and admired<br></br><br></br>Quite a few Native American tribes are familiar with the idea of a man transforming from man to beast. The belief is known in many tribes including the Mohawk (whose territories once covered upstate New York to southern…
Native Americans have incredibly profound and fascinating beliefs, many of them involving wolves. To several tribes (past and present), the wolf itself is known as a protective spirit or totem. They view the wolf as a wise fellow hunter to be respected and admired<br/><br/>Quite a few Native American tribes are familiar with the idea of a man transforming from man to beast. The belief is known in many tribes including the Mohawk (whose territories once covered upstate New York to southern Quebec) where those that could shift were known as limmikin (sometimes yenaloosi) but it is the Novajo tribe that is best known for its shifter beliefs. These shifters are called skinwalkers, the Navajo word for such people is yeenadlooshi, which means “he goes on all fours.”<br/><br/>According to Navajo tradition skinwalkers will even look physically different from normal people – the main difference being their eyes, which are large and glowing, even in daylight. It is thought that if someone looks a skinwalker in the eyes they can absorb a person and “steal their skin.” So it goes without saying that someone should avoid looking anyone suspected of being a skinwalker in the eyes. They were also believed to have no genitals and their skin was supposedly rock hard, making it impervious to axes and arrows.<br/><br/>In some versions of the tradition the skinwalker’s tongue would be black, proof that their soul was poison. It was also believed that becoming a skinwalker was caused by dark forces, a person that becomes one was believed to have done something immoral to attract that darkness. Also, a skinwalker didn’t take just one form, they took many, such as owls, crows, coyotes, but one of the most common forms was wolf. While in animal form they lost all trace of humanity, the beast and animal instincts took over, making them vicious and unpredictable. This was only one version though, another is that while in animal form they were actually much more intelligent. They were also able to read minds and could lure people out of their homes and into the woods by imitating the voices and cries of loved ones.<br/><br/>Then there are the Hopi Indian traditions where shapeshifting is brought on by a special ceremony known as Ya-Ya. The details on this ceremony are extremely secret and well-protected but it is thought to involve wearing the skin of the animal one wishes to become.
~A Night With a Wolf~ by Bayard Taylor
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-02-19:2185477:Topic:34453
2010-02-19T21:27:43.874Z
Fae Oonagh
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A Night With a Wolf<br />
<br />
Little one come to my knee !<br />
Hark how the rain is pouring<br />
Over the roof in the pitch dark night,<br />
And the winds in the woods a-roaring<br />
<br />
Hush,my darling, and listen,<br />
Then pay for the story with kisses;<br />
Father was lost in the pitch-black night<br />
In just such a storm as this is.<br />
<br />
High on the lonely mountain<br />
Where the wild men watched and waited;<br />
Wolves in the forest, and bears in the bush,<br />
And I on my path belated.<br />
<br />
The rain and the night together<br />
Came down, and the wind came…
A Night With a Wolf<br />
<br />
Little one come to my knee !<br />
Hark how the rain is pouring<br />
Over the roof in the pitch dark night,<br />
And the winds in the woods a-roaring<br />
<br />
Hush,my darling, and listen,<br />
Then pay for the story with kisses;<br />
Father was lost in the pitch-black night<br />
In just such a storm as this is.<br />
<br />
High on the lonely mountain<br />
Where the wild men watched and waited;<br />
Wolves in the forest, and bears in the bush,<br />
And I on my path belated.<br />
<br />
The rain and the night together<br />
Came down, and the wind came after,<br />
Bending the props of the pine tree roof<br />
And snapping many a rafter.<br />
<br />
I crept along in the darkness,<br />
Stunned and bruised and blinded...<br />
Crept to a fir with thick-set boughs,<br />
And a sheltering rock behind it.<br />
<br />
There, from the blowing and raining,<br />
Crouching I sought to hide me;<br />
Something rustled,two green eyes shone,<br />
And a wolf lay down beside me.<br />
<br />
Little one, be not frightened;<br />
I and the wolf together,<br />
Side be side through the long, long night,<br />
Hid from the awful weather.<br />
<br />
His wet fur pressed against me;<br />
Each of us warmed the other;<br />
Each of us felt in the stormy dark<br />
That beast and man was brother.<br />
<br />
And when the falling forest<br />
No longer crashed in warning,<br />
Each of us went from our hiding place<br />
Forth in the wild wet morning.<br />
<br />
Darling, kiss me in payment...<br />
Hark! how the wind is roaring!<br />
Father's house is a better place<br />
When the stormy rain is pouring.<br />
<br />
Bayard Taylor
Wolf Tactics and other intrests
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-01-05:2185477:Topic:31784
2010-01-05T10:28:00.450Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
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Wolf Hunting Tactics<br />
<br />
Wolves are primarily nocturnal animals that avoid the heat of day. They generally commence hunting at dusk.<br />
<br />
Wolves detect prey by three primary means, sent (most common), tracking, and chance encounters.<br />
<br />
After prey is detected, wolves may split up to search through brush, travel on ridge tops searching for the prey below, or test herds looking for signs of weakness.<br />
<br />
It has long been recognized that wolves often take advantage of wear members of the herd. In 1804,…
Wolf Hunting Tactics<br />
<br />
Wolves are primarily nocturnal animals that avoid the heat of day. They generally commence hunting at dusk.<br />
<br />
Wolves detect prey by three primary means, sent (most common), tracking, and chance encounters.<br />
<br />
After prey is detected, wolves may split up to search through brush, travel on ridge tops searching for the prey below, or test herds looking for signs of weakness.<br />
<br />
It has long been recognized that wolves often take advantage of wear members of the herd. In 1804, Captain Clark of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition wrote that prairie wolves followed buffalo and fed "on those that are killed by accident or those that are too pore or fat to keep up with the ganges."<br />
<br />
Later researchers reinforced the image of the wolf as a predator of the very young, the very old, the weak, of the diseased. Aldolph Murie, in the Wolves of Mount McKinley,wrote: "Many bands seem to be chased, given a trial, and if no advantage is gained or weak animals discovered, the wolves travel on to chase other bands until an advantage can be seized."<br />
<br />
Lois Crisler notes in Arctic wild, "In all our time in the arctic, the only healthy caribou we saw or found killed were fawns with big herds." She observed that adult caribou killed had "hoof disease, or lung tapeworm, or nostril-cloging ... botflies." In a 1980 study in northeast Alberta, T. Fuller and L.B. Kieth found that "wolves killed disproportionately more young, old and probably debilitated moose (Ales alces), as well as more female calves."<br />
<br />
In fact, the only animal that habitually preys upon prime mature animals is man.<br />
<br />
Although it does not prey only on the weak and the ill, the wolf is opportunistic, and it is inevitably the disadvantaged that are the easiest to catch.<br />
<br />
The Selection<br />
<br />
Weakened animals may show thier condition to predators through body stance, uncoordinated movements, the smell of wounds or infection, or some other tangible signal. The reading and evaluation of these signals comprises what Barry Lopez has poetically termed "the conversation of death."<br />
<br />
Once a weak individual is selected by a pack, wolves will usually travel upwind. By traveling upwind, the sent of any prey will be carried to them. They will follow the air currents directly to the game. Or, they may follow the sent trail left by a game animal's foot tracks and body odors.<br />
<br />
The Chase<br />
<br />
Just before the chase wolves prefer to make there final approach downwind so there body sent is not carried to the prey species, alerting it to their presence<br />
<br />
Prey that runs is usually chased. Prey that stands its ground may be able to bluff off its pursuers. Moose and Elk often take to deep water or swift rivers and await departure of the pursuing wolves, But more often than not the wolves wait. While the majority of the pack rests, one or two members test the prey for signs of fatigue.<br />
<br />
Usually the chases are short, but L. David Mech has stated that "One wolf I know of chased a deer for 13 miles."<br />
<br />
David Gray described one such encounter in Canada's high Arctic in the musk-oxen of Polar Bear Pass:"the wolves approached to within a hundred meters of the herd ... one wolf lay down as two others circled the milling herd."<br />
<br />
Contrary to popular belief, most prey chased by wolves actually gets away. In one study, only three percent of the moose that were tested ended up being killed. The percentage of prey that is killed is called the "predation efficiency," and in spite the wolf's prowess as a hunter, the majority of his prey escapes.<br />
<br />
The Attack<br />
<br />
When the attack comes, the prey is usually seized by either the nose or the rump. Rarely, if ever, does a wolf hamstring a prey animal. This is one of the oldest and most pervasive false beliefs held about wolves. As late as 1980, the Aubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals stated that the wolf kills "by slashing tendons in the hind legs.", this is pure myth. The actual death of the prey is usually caused by massive blood loss, shock, or both. Sometimes with smaller prey a neck bite will snap a backbone.<br />
<br />
The Alpha wolf will eat first, Wolves usually begin to feed on the rump, if it was exposed during the chase, or else on the internal organs. The muscle and flesh is the last portion of the prey that is eaten, in contras with human habits. Having strong jaws allows the wolf to crush bones to get to the soft marrow, it also helps the wolf eat most of its prey leaving very little waste at the killing site.<br />
<br />
Another myth is that packs are required to bring down large prey; several observers have seen single wolves catch and kill elk and moose. The first wolf to return to Sweden after the extermination of its wolf population regularly brought down large moose by itself.<br />
<br />
There is evidence that wolves have some knowledge of proper prey management. L. David Mech found one pack in Minnesota that varied its killing by hunting in a different part of its territory each year, allowing prey numbers elsewhere to recover, aiding the long-term survival of the pack.<br />
<br />
Wolves hunt out the weak, the sick, the old, and the injured. They help the population of prey animals like the elk, deer, moose, and caribou, by taking away the weak and letting the strong survive. This is important part in the ecological system. By enhancing the strength into the herds. Without animals like the wolf to eliminate the weak, old , sick and injured, the herd of deer would swelter. They would become so numerous that they would starve to death. The wolf helps keep them healthy by insuring the breeding of the strong.<br />
<br />
Wolves also help feed other animals. When a wolf kills and eats, he sometimes can't eat it all. This leftover feeds animals such as the buzzard, the possum,fox, coyotes and eagles. They help keep the forest clean by removing the sick before it can spread.<br />
[1/4/2010 6:43:11 AM] Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries a Dept of Ask For IT: Mating season can be anywhere from January to April with the alpha female having only five to seven days of oestrus. During this time, the alpha pair may move out of the pack temporarily to prevent interruption from other pack members. Also the alpha pair is almost always the only pair to mate, to avoid over population.<br />
<br />
Usually the alpha male has dominance over the entire pack including the alpha female. But this not always true. During the mating season the alpha female takes total dominance even while the pups are still in the den. This is for the rest of the pack to know that she is the one to serve. She also decides were the den will be. With this in the packs mind, they go in search of food and bring it back to the den either for the hungry, laborious female or for the pups.<br />
<br />
Although in rare cases a non-alpha pair will mate, according to one study, "Twenty to forty percent of the packs contain at least two adult females produce two litters".<br />
<br />
Breeding other than the alpha pair<br />
<br />
Depends on certain conditions:<br />
<br />
* How dominate the alpha pair are:<br />
- Sometimes the alpha female will become aggressive to the other females in the pack<br />
- Other males that mate may be chased from the pack by a very dominate alpha male<br />
<br />
* Mild winter's, adequate food supplies, Habitat conditions (In the arctic multiple litters is the norm, due to the harsh conditions, more litters means more chances for survival.)<br />
<br />
* Disruption of pack hierarchy:<br />
- when the social order of the pack changes some researchers have noted that sometime subordinate females may mate.<br />
<br />
Courtship and Bonding<br />
<br />
When the two are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close and touching each other more and more. They will approach each other making quiet whining sounds, mouth each others muzzles, touch noses, and bump there bodies together. There may be mutual grooming and nibbling of each other's coats and the two may walk pressed close together. The Male may bow to the female, toss and tilt his head, and lay his legs over her neck in what could only be described as a flirting manner. The two may even sleep side by side.<br />
<br />
As the courtship progresses, the male will smell the genital region of the female to determine her readiness to mate, his tongue flicking in and out, testing the air for traces of her sex hormones, If she is not sexually receptive, she will repel the male with growls and snaps of her jaws.<br />
<br />
Copulation<br />
<br />
Right before copulation, the alpha pair might act jubilant by nuzzling, whipping tails in each others faces, and even urinating. This is when the actual bliss comes in by the alpha female releasing her sex hormones.Every Male in the pack reacts to this, even the male pups. As you might already know, wolves copulate like dogs, the male mounting the female from behind. During mating, an actual physical tie occurs caused by swelling in the alpha male's penis and constriction in the female's vaginal wall. After about five minutes the male will stops and twists around so the two are end to end. (This may be were the actual exchange of sperm is.) The two will still be in a tie up to a half an hour.<br />
<br />
After Mating, pairs will continue to be affectionate. Although wolves often have long-lasting attachments to their mates, if one wolf dies, the widowed mate may breed with another wolf. In addition, some males may bond to different females in different years, destroying the long-held "mate for life" myth.<br />
<br />
Gestation Period<br />
<br />
The gestation period for wolves is fifty-nine to sixty three days.<br />
[1/4/2010 6:43:47 AM] Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries a Dept of Ask For IT: Pups are born completely blind and deaf (but have a keen sense if smell), depending on the their mother and other members of the pack. The whole pack takes care and raises the pups (non-breeding females produce milk and males compete to baby sit).<br />
<br />
pups Usually four to six pups are born together. This is called a litter, and the pups in a litter are called litter mates. Pups are born inside a den. A den is sometimes a small cave or a hole dug out of the ground.<br />
<br />
(left) Picture from The ©Richard E. Flauto Wildlife Foundation<br />
<br />
The den must be big enough for the mother and her pups. It shelters them from the weather and protects the pups from other animals that may want to hurt them. Packs sometimes use the same den year after year. At other times, they make or find a new den each year.<br />
<br />
To Learn more about dens, Click, here.<br />
<br />
Wolf pups at this age may be preyed upon by Golden Eagles, Bear can also prey on young pups. There are several records of a number of adult wolves decoying bears away from their pups' den until they left.<br />
<br />
Gestation Period<br />
<br />
Pups grow inside their mother for about 63 days before being born. At birth they weigh only one pound, and their eyes are closed. Pups grow quickly. About 12 to 15 days after they are born, they open their eyes. By two weeks of age, the pups can walk, and about a week after that, they may come out of the den for the first time. At first, they live only on milk from their mother.<br />
<br />
The Birth and Nursing<br />
<br />
After birth the female wolf will lick the fetal sac from the puppy's head (she will also swallow all of these membranes), this allows the pup to take its first breath. The placenta attached to the pup by the umbilical cord will be delivered along with the pup. The mother severs the cord and eats the placenta (eating the placenta provides a valuable meal when she is unable to hunt).<br />
<br />
The female wolf will lick the puppy dry and encourages it to nurse. The pup will instinctively move to the warm underbelly and nuzzles around to find a teat. The mothers mammary glands secrete colostrum, a watery milk which contains important antibodies. During nursing the mother will clean the pups and stimulates them to urinate and defecate by licking the genital region. She swallows all of their excretions, keeping the birthing area clean and odor-free.<br />
<br />
Stages of Development<br />
<br />
* 10 - 13 days: the eyes open<br />
* 3 weeks: the milk teeth appear, they start to explore the den<br />
* 4 - 5 weeks: short trips outside the den, begin to eat meat<br />
* 6 weeks: moving up to a mile from the den (with adult wolf)<br />
* 6 - 8 weeks: pups are weaned, traveling to rendezvous site.<br />
* 12 weeks: begin to travel with the pack on hunts (with adult wolves)<br />
* 15 - 28 weeks: milk teeth are replaced<br />
* 7 - 8 months: begin to hunt with the pack<br />
<br />
Mortality<br />
<br />
Pup mortality ranges from 30% to 60%. Pups die from diseases, malnutrition and starvation, life in the wild can be difficult. Wolves being very social animals are known to bury the dead pups, In R.D Lawrences' "In praise of wolves" pack members "mourn as deeply as might a human family".<br />
<br />
The Early Years<br />
<br />
pups In a few weeks (4-5 weeks), the pups start eating meat. This is brought to them in the stomachs of the adult wolves. The pups lick around the mouth of the adult, and the food comes back up into the adult's mouth. This sounds terrible to us, but wolf pups love it!<br />
<br />
All the wolves in a pack help take care of the pups. When the pups are very small, other pack members bring food to the mother so she does not have to leave the den. When the pups are a little bigger, pack members "take turns" bringing them food, playing with them and even "baby sitting." Once the pups are about eight weeks old, they leave the den and start using "rendezvous sites." These are meeting places where the wolves gather to sleep, play and just "hang out." Until the pups are old enough to go with the adults, (when pups are six months old, they look almost like adult wolves. Around this time, they start hunting with the rest of the pack) they stay at the rendezvous site. Often, one of the adult wolves stays with the pups to watch over them.<br />
<br />
pupsWolf pups love to play. They chase each other and roll around the way dog puppies do. Many of their games appear to be a sort of practice for the things they will do as adult wolves. Pups have been observed playing with "toys" like bones, feathers or the skins of dead animals. They "kill" the toys over and over again and carry them around as "trophies." As they get bigger, they begin to hunt small animals, like rabbits. This is all good practice for the day they join the pack for their first real hunt for large animals.<br />
Eye Color<br />
<br />
pupsMost wolf pups are born with blue eyes, which gradually change to a yellow-gold color by eight to sixteen weeks, though sometimes their eyes can change color much later. Occasionally, a mature wolf will be found with blue eyes.
Animals for food
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-01-05:2185477:Topic:31783
2010-01-05T10:24:30.570Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
https://travelingwithintheworld.ning.com/profile/Artistsandthings
Wolves kill and eat other animals for food. Depending on where they live, wolves live mainly on the meat from such animals as deer, moose, elk or bison. They also eat beavers,rabbits and even mice. They do not eat humans. Wolves are not a threat to humans!<br />
<br />
(There is no documented account of a healthy wolf ever attacking a human.)<br />
<br />
Wolves are very shy around people and try to avoid them in the wild.<br />
<br />
wolf prey Wolves kill only to eat - to survive. Because wolves usually hunt for large animals,…
Wolves kill and eat other animals for food. Depending on where they live, wolves live mainly on the meat from such animals as deer, moose, elk or bison. They also eat beavers,rabbits and even mice. They do not eat humans. Wolves are not a threat to humans!<br />
<br />
(There is no documented account of a healthy wolf ever attacking a human.)<br />
<br />
Wolves are very shy around people and try to avoid them in the wild.<br />
<br />
wolf prey Wolves kill only to eat - to survive. Because wolves usually hunt for large animals, (although wolves are opportunistic and will eat smaller prey) they work together to catch their prey. Wolves will eat a healthy, strong animal if they can catch it.(Wolves need an average of three to ten pounds of meat each day).<br />
<br />
Hunting is not always successful, so their bodies are designed to feast (eat a lot)or famine (eat nothing). Wolves can eat as much as 22 pounds of meat at a time and then may not eat again for many days. Wolves require from one to three quarts of water per day, depending on the size of the animal, the climate, and the moisture content of the prey.<br />
<br />
When hunting in winter the wolf will conserve energy when ever possible, by following the same trail as the prey animal, staying upwind, and staying out of sight of the prey as long as possible. When it is time to strike the wolf will start wagging their tails with excitement. Some times when young pups are with the hunt they may dash after the prey in the excitement and spoil the hunt.
The Dire Wolf
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-01-05:2185477:Topic:31782
2010-01-05T10:18:37.145Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
https://travelingwithintheworld.ning.com/profile/Artistsandthings
The dire wolf was a large canine that exhibited hyena like characteristics. Like thehyena, the dire wolf hunted and scavenged for food. Researchers suspect that dire wolves, due to their scavenging nature, scattered the bones of animals they killed or that were killed by other prey.<br />
<br />
The dire wolf was not quite like any animal we have today. It was similar in overall size and mass to a large modern gray wolf.<br />
<br />
(A popular misconception is that dire wolf dwarfed the modern day grey wolf)<br />
<br />
It was…
The dire wolf was a large canine that exhibited hyena like characteristics. Like thehyena, the dire wolf hunted and scavenged for food. Researchers suspect that dire wolves, due to their scavenging nature, scattered the bones of animals they killed or that were killed by other prey.<br />
<br />
The dire wolf was not quite like any animal we have today. It was similar in overall size and mass to a large modern gray wolf.<br />
<br />
(A popular misconception is that dire wolf dwarfed the modern day grey wolf)<br />
<br />
It was about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and weighed about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) on average. The dire wolf looked fairly similar to the modern gray wolf; however, there were several important differences. The dire wolf had a larger, broader head and shorter, more sturdy legs than its modern relative. The teeth of dire wolf much larger and more massive than those of the gray wolf. The braincase of the dire wolf is also smaller than that of a similarly-sized gray wolf. The fact that the lower part of the legs of the dire wolf are proportionally shorter than those of the gray wolf, indicates that the dire wolf was probably not a good a runner as the gray wolf.<br />
<br />
Many paleontologists think that the dire wolf may have used its relatively large, massive teeth to crush bone. This idea is supported by the fact that dire wolf teeth frequently have large amounts of wear on their crowns. Several people have suggested that dire wolves may have made their living in similar ways to the modern hyenas. Wolves and coyotes are relatively common large carnivores found in Ice Age sites. In fact, several thousand dire wolves have been found in the asphalt pits at Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles, CA. The coyote, gray wolf, and dire wolf have all been found in paleontological sites in the midwestern U.S.<br />
<br />
The first specimen of a dire wolf was found at near Evansville, Indiana. Clark Kimberling of the University of Evansville has traced the very interesting history of this specimen.<br />
<br />
The Evolution of the Genus Cains<br />
<br />
The genus Cains underwent a mixed fate at the end of the Pleistocene. The gray wolf and coyote survived the extinction that occurred approximately 10,000 years ago. The dire wolf, however, was one of the animals that did not survive. Perhaps the dire wolf depended on scavenging the remains of the large herbivores of the last Ice Age. The extinction of these herbivores may have then led to the extinction of the dire wolf. Scientists do not know if this is the case; however, they continue to search for the reason that many kinds of mammals went extinct about 10,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
The evolution of these three species of canids is very interesting. Paleontologists think that, although all three of the species were found in the same area at the same time, each comes from a different evolutionary lineage within the genus Canis. That is, none of these three species is the direct ancestor of either of the other two species.<br />
<br />
The Grey wolf was well was established in North America by the time the first Native American and Inuit Peoples came across the Beringia, about eighteen thousand years ago.<br />
<br />
The Evolution of the domestic dog is still a matter of much debate. Some Believe that the dog is descended from the wolf, while others think they are evolved separately from a common ancestor. Recently the American Society of Mammologist recommended that the domestic dog be reclassified as a new subspecies of wolf, Canis lupus familiars. There is some genetic evidence that the dog is descendant from the wolf and that the domestication of the dog took place several times over the course of history.
The Evolutionary history of the wolf.
tag:travelingwithintheworld.ning.com,2010-01-05:2185477:Topic:31781
2010-01-05T10:16:36.440Z
Dept of PMM Artists & things
https://travelingwithintheworld.ning.com/profile/Artistsandthings
The Evolutionary history of the wolf is not totaly clear, but many biologists believe that the wolf developed from primitive carnivores known as miacids. Miacids ranged from gopher-sized to dog-sized animals, and appeared in the Lower Tertiary about fifty two million years ago. Miacids in turn had evolved from Cretaceous insectivores. The direct descendants of miacids today are animals called viverrids, which include the genet of Africa.<br />
<br />
Relatively late in the evolutionary history of miacids…
The Evolutionary history of the wolf is not totaly clear, but many biologists believe that the wolf developed from primitive carnivores known as miacids. Miacids ranged from gopher-sized to dog-sized animals, and appeared in the Lower Tertiary about fifty two million years ago. Miacids in turn had evolved from Cretaceous insectivores. The direct descendants of miacids today are animals called viverrids, which include the genet of Africa.<br />
<br />
Relatively late in the evolutionary history of miacids came the appearance of the first canid (Cynodictis), one of these was called the dawn-wolf, this creature had a long body and looked like a enlongated fox, it could live and climb in trees, it was also thought to possibly related to feline species. Some authorities believe that canids originated in North America and then spread to Asia and South America, while others ascribe that a small type of wolf crossed into siberia from alaska, where it eventually developed into the larger, present-day grey wolf. The grey wolf then migrated to North America, where it populated what is now Canada and the United States, except for the southeastern section of the latter country. that area was populated by the smaller red wolf(C. rufus). Still Others believe that the dog family originated in North America, migrated to Asia, and then returned<br />
<br />
Wolf ancestors began to develop in the Paleocene, about sixty million years ago. By the Miocene, about twenty million years ago, canines and felines had branched into two separate families. In one ancestor of the wolf,Tomarctus, the fifth toe on the hind leg became vestigal and is evidenced today by the dew claw on both wolves and dogs.<br />
<br />
Research of wolf history by Robert Wayne at the University of California suggests that a number of wolflike canids diverged from a common ancestor about two to three million years ago. The first gray wolf,(Canis Lupis), probably appeared in Eurasia sometime in the early Pleistocene period about a million years ago. Around 750,000 years ago, it is though to have migrated to North America.<br />
<br />
The Dire Wolf,(Canis Dirus), larger and heavier than the gray wolf, evolved earlier and the two co existed in North America for about 400,000 years. As prey became extinct around 16,000 years ago due to climatic change, the dire wolf gradually became extinct itself. Around 7,000 years ago the gray wolf became the prime canine predator in North America<br />
<br />
The Dire Wolf<br />
<br />
The dire wolf was a large canine that exhibited hyena like characteristics. Like thehyena, the dire wolf hunted and scavenged for food. Researchers suspect that dire wolves, due to their scavenging nature, scattered the bones of animals they killed or that were killed by other prey.<br />
<br />
The dire wolf was not quite like any animal we have today. It was similar in overall size and mass to a large modern gray wolf.<br />
<br />
(A popular misconception is that dire wolf dwarfed the modern day grey wolf)<br />
<br />
It was about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and weighed about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) on average. The dire wolf looked fairly similar to the modern gray wolf; however, there were several important differences. The dire wolf had a larger, broader head and shorter, more sturdy legs than its modern relative. The teeth of dire wolf much larger and more massive than those of the gray wolf. The braincase of the dire wolf is also smaller than that of a similarly-sized gray wolf. The fact that the lower part of the legs of the dire wolf are proportionally shorter than those of the gray wolf, indicates that the dire wolf was probably not a good a runner as the gray wolf.<br />
<br />
Many paleontologists think that the dire wolf may have used its relatively large, massive teeth to crush bone. This idea is supported by the fact that dire wolf teeth frequently have large amounts of wear on their crowns. Several people have suggested that dire wolves may have made their living in similar ways to the modern hyenas. Wolves and coyotes are relatively common large carnivores found in Ice Age sites. In fact, several thousand dire wolves have been found in the asphalt pits at Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles, CA. The coyote, gray wolf, and dire wolf have all been found in paleontological sites in the midwestern U.S.<br />
<br />
The first specimen of a dire wolf was found at near Evansville, Indiana. Clark Kimberling of the University of Evansville has traced the very interesting history of this specimen.<br />
<br />
The Evolution of the Genus Cains<br />
<br />
The genus Cains underwent a mixed fate at the end of the Pleistocene. The gray wolf and coyote survived the extinction that occurred approximately 10,000 years ago. The dire wolf, however, was one of the animals that did not survive. Perhaps the dire wolf depended on scavenging the remains of the large herbivores of the last Ice Age. The extinction of these herbivores may have then led to the extinction of the dire wolf. Scientists do not know if this is the case; however, they continue to search for the reason that many kinds of mammals went extinct about 10,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
The evolution of these three species of canids is very interesting. Paleontologists think that, although all three of the species were found in the same area at the same time, each comes from a different evolutionary lineage within the genus Canis. That is, none of these three species is the direct ancestor of either of the other two species.<br />
<br />
The Grey wolf was well was established in North America by the time the first Native American and Inuit Peoples came across the Beringia, about eighteen thousand years ago.<br />
<br />
The Evolution of the domestic dog is still a matter of much debate. Some Believe that the dog is descended from the wolf, while others think they are evolved separately from a common ancestor. Recently the American Society of Mammologist recommended that the domestic dog be reclassified as a new subspecies of wolf, Canis lupus familiars. There is some genetic evidence that the dog is descendant from the wolf and that the domestication of the dog took place several times over the course of history.