Gray Wolf

(Canis lupus)

Date of Listing: Endangered, 1976

© 1990 Photo courtesy Laurence Parent

Gray wolf breed once a year. They mate in late winter and pups are born in the spring. Dens are usually ground burrows excavated in slopes where rocks will function to support the roof of the tunnel and burrow. Both parents and other pack members, if present, will bring food to the young. Gray wolf packs may contain fewer individuals and be less cohesive in nature than is the case reported for the northern subspecies of wolves.

Note: Special thanks to the photographers for providing images of Texas endangered and threatened animals. All rights to these images are reserved. Educational use permitted.

The decline of the Gray Wolf has been attributed mostly to predator control by humans. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, ranchers killed wolves to prevent loss of livestock and wild ungulates such as deer. In those days, even people living in the towns and cities feared wolves and applauded their demise. Predator control was so successful that few individuals remained. Reintroduction efforts of captive-bred individuals have been difficult to initiate due to residual fears for livestock and people, as well as a lack of large, remote tracts of suitable habitat.

Size:

50-90 lbs; 4-5 feet long; adult males are larger than adult females.

Diet:

Large herbivores such as deer and pronghorn but will also eat rabbits, ground squirrels, and mice.

Habitat (where it lives):

Forests, brushlands, or grasslands where suitable cover and denning sites are available.

Range (where found in Texas):

Historicaly found over the western 2/3 of the state.

Life Span:

Up to 15 years.

Reproduction:

Litter sizes range from 1 to 11 pups but average around 5.

Population Numbers:

No Gray Wolfs remain in Texas; captive-bred individuals may be released in Arizona and/or New Mexico before the turn of the century; status in Mexico is unknown and may be extirpated (no longer exists in Mexico).

Interesting Fact:

The bond between mated wolves is very strong and commonly lasts their lifetime.