Saving the Endangered Gray Wolf

Saving the Endangered Gray Wolf — page 1 — 4 BRAVE AND INTELLIGENT ANIMALS When people think of wolves they often think about the wicked wolf characters in many stories and movies Wolves are certainly wild animals but that does not make them evil In fact they are known to be brave and in telligent Some North American In dians named their most powerful warriors after wolves Early humans admired wolves and hunted with them in order to overtake large prey Wolves might look and sound frightening but there is a lot we can learn from them

Saving the Endangered Gray Wolf — page 2 — 5 There are three wolf species The best known is the gray wolf It lives in North America Europe and Asia The red wolf once lived throughout the southeastern United States Now most live in captivity The Ethiopian wolf lives in Ethiopia All species of wolf are in danger of dying out This is partly because their habi tats are being destroyed People also kill wolves be cause they attack cattle Today there are many pro grams to protect wolves Vocabulary A species is a group of similar living things that are able to produce offspring with one another BRAVE AND INTELLIGENT ANIMALS Gray wolves are the largest of the three wolf species All wolves have many similarities

Saving the Endangered Gray Wolf — page 3 — 6 Gray wolves look somewhat like dogs though they have larger heads and bushier tails In fact they be long to the dog family Canidae which includes the coyote and the jackal However unlike dogs wolves are not kept as pets As you might guess the gray wolf’s fur is usually gray It may also be brown red white or black The animal’s legs and belly are yellowish white Gray wolves have powerful teeth and jaws They also have very sharp senses The males are larger SHADES OF GRAY Their sharp teeth help gray wolves attack and eat their prey

Saving the Endangered Gray Wolf — page 4 — 7 In the Arctic where there is snow or ice for much of the year gray wolves have white or light-colored fur How do you think this helps them survive Think About It SHADES OF GRAY than the females A male gray wolf usually weighs about 100 pounds 45 kilograms Including the tail it is about 6 5 feet 2 meters long Gray wolves are built for traveling long distances Their long legs large feet and deep narrow chest help them stay on the move after prey They can travel up to 30 miles 48 kilometers in a day Gray wolves can run fast for short stretches of time while chasing their prey

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