Arctic Wolf Facts

"Now halt your minds
and listen to their cry
From northern alters
formed of snow and ice,
Beneath celestial curtains
in their sky,
The wolves give evensong
of sacrifice." ~ The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness by
John Hubbard Bidwell

The arctic wolves are among the few animals who have the tendency to survive the harsh and freezing climate of the arctic region of the tundra biome. The unnatural climatic conditions of the arctic makes the survival of any living organism almost next to impossible!!! One of the few animals who have adapted themselves to live and breed in these conditions are the arctic white wolves. Along with them, other animals like the polar bear, arctic hare, lemming, muskoxen, caribou, arctic sheep, etc., are a few which manage to survive in the most unsurvivable environment in the world. Speaking specifically about arctic wolves, this article will tell you some interesting facts and information that will add this beautiful creature to your list of favorite animals.

Facts About Arctic Wolf

As mentioned earlier, the natural habitat of the arctic wolf is extremely isolated and away from world we live in. All you would find, is likely to consist of frozen grounds covered with snow, no sign of greenery and miles and miles of wilderness. There is scarcity of food and well as shelter. This is why arctic wolves tend to eat whatever they find on the arctic. Although these animals are naturally designed to adapt to this environment, surviving is not an easy job. This is why I absolutely commend the courage and patience of the arctic wolf. Some interesting facts of the arctic wolves are mentioned as under.

• Arctic wolves are always found in packs. The maximum number of wolves in a pack can be up to 30, although usually they can be seen in packs of 2-7.
• Did you know that the arctic wolves too live in small families like us humans? There is one alpha male and female who are the head of the pack and they live with their pups. They all work together to feed their family.
• Another interesting arctic wolf fact is that they have to travel huge areas to look for a prey. This is because the food is so scarce in the arctic region. Many a time, if they have to, they travel almost 800 square miles to look for prey.
• Did you know that the arctic wolves can live without eating food for many days? But they also can have 20 pounds of meat at one time!!!
• Like all other wolves, even arctic wolves mark their territories which can exceed to almost 1000 square miles!
• The jaws of the arctic wolves are very strong. They have 42 sharp teeth which are strong enough to chew away even the bones of their prey!
• March is the time when they mate. A male arctic wolf becomes sexually matured at the age of 3, while the female is matured at the age of 2. Once the female is pregnant, she moves into a den or a cave and stays there during her gestation period, which is about 53-61 days.
• The pups of the arctic wolf are born blind and deaf. Therefore they are completely dependent on their mother to take care of them and feed them. While the mother goes hunting, other members of the pack take care of the pups.
• The maximum pups can be 5 or 6. Initially, they feed on the regurgitated meat that the mother gets for them. It is after a month that they can eat the meat directly.
• As mentioned earlier, the arctic region has a lot of scarcity when it comes to food. This is why the arctic wolf eats each and every part of the prey, including the hair, fur, skin and even the bones!
• The average lifespan of an arctic wolf is seven years.
• When it comes to hunting large preys, like the muskoxen, arctic wolves hunt in packs. They surround the herd from all directions and try to separate the herd. Once the herd is scattered and separated, the arctic wolf looks for the weakest in the herd and attack it on the neck.
• The only threatening enemy of the arctic wolf is the grizzly bear which can hunt the pups and eat them. So the pack takes extra care of the pups till they are old enough to take of themselves.
• Arctic wolves communicate by howling and movements of their tails.

These creatures have adapted to survive the extreme winters of the arctic where the temperature rises to more than -25°F. They often move to the south caribou in winters. After knowing these interesting facts, I am sure you would have grown fond of these animals. You need not worry because these animals don't attack humans, may be because humans are hardly found in the arctic! No matter what, these facts have changed my perspective towards wolves. Earlier they were just wild animals howling at the moon. Now they are strong animals struggling for survival in the most inhospitable environment in the world, and that too with success. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I did writing it. Take care.