Gray wolf is extremely adaptable which can be understood by its varied diet. They are most likely to kill arctic hares in summer in the Ellesmere Island. Some however prefer killing beavers along the watered valleys of Isle Royal National Park. This happens when these Michigan waters unfreeze.
What Do Gray Wolves Eat
Wolves are opportunistic feeders and they have an extraordinary ability to locate food. They often look for seal carcasses which can be thrown by a storm or wildfire.
Wolves living in the Midwestern United States are known to kill White-tailed deer. Along with deer, wolves also feed on moose which is perhaps the most common in their diet. In North America, they are responsible for killing beavers on a large scale in summer.
The prey size also determines the dietary habit of wolves. Gray wolf fancy killing small ungulate prey as they run away instead of using direct defense against wolves. Large ungulates such as moose and bison are hard to kill as they know how to defend them.
In Eurasia, wolf’s diet includes wild reindeer, saiga, European saiga, mountain goats, musk deer, fallow deer, chamois, and mouflon.
Wolves living in the tundra regions of Siberia, hunt roe deer and wild reindeer in the forested areas. In the temperate forests of Eurasia, the most valuable prey is wild boar. Near the Caspian Sea, wild boar makes up two-third of the wolves’ diet.
In mountains and the lowlands, gray wolves fancy eating red deer in the deciduous temperate forest regions. They supplement their diet with roe deer and sika deer.
In the Bialowieza Primeval Forest (North America), wolves hunt in packs killing young deer, beavers, and wild boar piglets.
In the northwestern Spain, wolves are involved in killing wild goats, dogs, and sheep.
Wolves in the eastern Canadian are known to kill mule deer, elk, moose, black-tailed deer, caribou, and mountain sheep.
When they attack smaller prey, they will try to tear it down and kill it quickly. However, wolves attack on larger prey (in packs) from behind. While one member firmly holds the nose others attack on the rear limbs to make the prey as helpless as possible.
Read more here: Gray wolf facts for kids
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