Wolf Facts For Kids | Interesting Facts About Wolves For Kids

You won’t find too many wolf facts for kids that prove useful not only for adults but also for your kids. This article demonstrates some of these imperative facts about wolf. The wolf (Canis lupus) belongs to the family of Canidae and is considered to be the largest animal in the canine family.

These species have 42 sharp teeth that penetrate deeply into the kill making it almost helpless. With rounded ears, wolves exhibit unmistakable appearance with its mighty jaws they stand out all other animals in killing preys.

With the help of the dominant jaws wolf is capable to generate 1,500 psi pressure. The population is dramatically reducing in the recent times. Wolves lost its protection in Idaho and Montana when in 2009 people were legally permitted for hunting these animals.

However, the protection was later restored in 2010. Now again in the year 2011 the wolf lost its protection in and more than 500 wolves were killed in this season hunts. Let’s get down for some of the most notable facts about wolves for kids.

Wolf Facts For Kids

• Wolf always attack in groups comprising 5 – 6 individuals that circle the victim. Most of the attacks undergo unsuccessful attempts.
• The weight of the adult males is about 95 – 100 pounds, while females weigh around 80 – 90 pounds. The North American Wolves can be as large as 175 pounds.
• The wolves are 4.6 – 6.6 inches long.
• The shoulder height measures around 26 – 32 inches.
• The average length of the feet is about 4 – 5 inches feet.
• The wolf’s back feet are smaller in comparison to their front feet.
• They have an absolute unity among themselves in that they communicate with harmony and not with resentment.
• Wolves are the strong territorial animals and they do not host any unknown species entering into their territory.
• Though occasionally, wolves are also known to attack other wolves for some reasons. Defending territories is one of them.
• Habitat destruction is one of the major reasons of their decreasing population.
• Wolf always hunts out of hunger and not out of predation.
• Even though wolves are not documented to attack humans; they are still the dominant animals. Too many failed attempts have been made to keep this animal under captivity.
• These types of animals are the active hunters all throughout the day, especially in winter.
• Wolf expends 20 pounds of food at one time.
• Wolves spend 8 – 10 hours in wandering around or looking for their prey. They are known to cover great distances of 30 – 125 miles daily.

Read More: Arctic Wolf Facts

Feeding Ecology and Diet

• Wolves are the opportunistic hunters in that they grab every opportunity to kill their preys. Wolves are known to kill large animals like wild horses.
• Wolf facts about its diet show that these animals normally eat caribou, elk, musk-oxen, beaver, deer, moose, and bison. These animals usually travel more than 5 miles per jog.
• While following its prey, wolf is capable to reach at a speed of about 28 – 40 miles/hour; however, they can retain this much speed only for 15 – 20 minutes. The rear teeth are used for penetrating the bones.
• They have an exceptional sense of smell which is 100 times the human smelling sense. The physical appearance of wolves often reminds you of Indian dogs, German shepherd, malemutes, and huskies.

Distribution and Habitat

Wolf normally reside in the plains, softwood, savanna, arctic tundra and mixed or hardwood forests. They cover a wide range of about 600 sq. miles for hunting purposes. Wolves are commonly found in places where water is abundant.

Reproductive Biology

• The mating season lasts for two months that are February and March.
• The period of gestation lasts for 2 months.
• Females litter 4 – 7 pups in the month of April and May. How fit the female is and how strongly it reacts to its littering depends solely on the extent of food available.
• The juveniles appear to leave their den after 30 days. Apart from their parents, all other family members look after these young wolves.
• They turn out to be mature after 22 – 24 months.
• The lifespan of wolves is 13 years in the wild; nonetheless, they can reach 16 years in captivity. The average age is however 7 – 9 years.