Ethan Wolf1

GREENLAND CANADA

SIZE

ALASKA FUR COLOUR

WEIGHT

HABITAT PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

WOLF PACKS FOOD SOCIAL HUNTING

ARCTIC HARE

BEHAVIOUR LEMMINGS

MUSK OXEN

PTARMIGAN REPRODUCTION

DENS

PUPS

NATURAL ENEMIES

CARIBOU

WOLVERINE

BEARS MAN

The arctic wolf( Canis Lupus Arctos) ,is known for its keen eye and hunting skills. Some people refer to it as the polar wolf and White wolf, sometimes. It is a mammal of the Canidae family and a subspecies of the grey wolf. Arctic wolves live in the northern parts of Canada , Greenland. as well as northern parts of Alaska. Global warming is causing the arctic wolfs to lose their home, and possibly become extinct. The arctic wolf has forty-two teeth which is their main weapon of attack when hunting. They eat all of their prey, including the bones, and often hunt in packs. Arctic wolves split up and travel up to 2600 km to get their prey, and like to be involved in a chase. The arctic wolf has also been called the tundra wolf because it is generally smaller then forest wolves. Male wolves tend to be a bit more aggressive then females, so they protect and hunt. Full grown males can way up to 100-175 pounds. During winter, the arctic wolf grows a second layer of fur for protection from harsh conditions. They are able to withstand temperatures well below zero, can survive up to five months without any light, and live weeks with no food Pregnant female wolves leave the pack to build a den, to prepare for the birth of their pups. Baby wolf pups are born blind and deaf and weigh one pound.

The Arctic Wolf is the only subspecies of the Gray Wolf that can still be found in its original territory. This is because they rarely meet humans that far north. This is probably going to change in the future because the humans are searching for and finding natural resources of many kinds. This will mean more and more human activity in the far north that is the territory of the arctic wolf. Also, the man-made problem of global warming is another threat. Not only will the arctic wolf be directly effected, but many of the animals it relies on for food will either disappear, move away, or die out. Another problem with global warming is the opening up of new shipping lanes in the north, bringing even more humans and an increase in pollution. Humans need to be very careful in the north. The word extinct is in our vocabulary because it means animals are dying out, and we might not care now, but if one certain animal dies out, then the food chain could crumble, and all species, including humans, may end up going down with it.

KINGDOM

Animalia

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Mammalia

ORDER

Carnivora

FAMILY

Canidae

GENUS

Canis

SPECIES

C. Lupus

SUBSPECIEs

Arctos

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Wolf

wolf.org http://www.wolf.org/wolves/experience/field_notes/high_arctic/arctic_range.asp

Photography Metropolitan Toronto Zoo