Gray wolves are members of the canine family which incudes, dogs and foxes. They live in packs of 7-8.  Each pack has a mother, father and their children. The pack is very important. They work together to hunt, raise their young ones and protect their territory. 

Wolves are highly intelligent and social animals. Wolf families are very close. Family members will even die protecting each other. But because wolves kill livestock, they are often seen as bad. Wolves are important. Without them, there would be too many animals such as deer and elk which would be bad for the forests.

Wolves are not endangered. There are about 400,000 of them worldwide. 

canine - a dog-like animal

pack - group of animals

territory - area, land

livestock - farm animals

Gray wolves live 6-8 years.

They are much larger and stronger than dogs. They are about 36-38 inches (91-96cm) long and weigh up to 175lbs (79kg).They are about 30 inches (76 cm tall) Otherwise, they look and behave a lot like dogs do. They have thick fur to keep them warm and they have long bushy tails too. Like dogs, they use their tails to communicate. If a wolf is confident, it will have its tail and ears up. If its ears are down and its tail is between its legs, then another stronger animal is near.

Another way they communicate is by howling. Wolves howl when they want to call another pack or when they want to warn others of danger.

They have excellent hearing as well as a great sense of smell. Their sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human's! It is important for them. They use urine (pee) to mark their territory. Other wolves smell the urine and know to keep away. They can also smell other animals that they hunt for food.

Wolves have long legs and can run about 28 mph (45 km/hr). They are not too fast, but they can run all day and night if they need to. They must run long distances to catch their food.

communicate - talk to each other

howl - long call

prey - animals they hunt and eat

Gray wolves like to hunt large animals such as moose, deer, bison, wild boar and mountain goats but they can also hunt smaller animals such as beavers or rabbits. They are carnivores and can eat up to 20lbs of meat in just one meal.

carnivores - meat eaters

A gray wolf mother has one litter of 4-6 pups every year. There is only one mother and one father in the pack. They mate for life. The others in the pack are brothers and sisters. They help take care of the new pups.

The pups cannot see or hear when they are born. Their eyes are blue but turn yellow after a few months.

Newborn pups are small enough to fit in your hand and only weigh about 1lb (2.2 kg) That's about the same as a can of cola. They stay safe in the den and drink their mother's milk. Then, after a month or so, they can go outside and play.

They stay with their parents' pack for about 2 years and then they will go off and join a different pack or they will start their own.

mate - have babies together