Gray Wolf - Morgane McTighe
Gray Wolf (Canis Lupis)
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| Photo courtesy of USFWS |
ABOUT ME
Hi everyone! I am a gray wolf originally from North America; today, you can usually find me and my crew in Canada, Alaska, the Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest. Our coloring can range from gray, white, brown or black and we can weigh anywhere from 55-140 lbs. Although we are carnivores, we have an indirect impact on the vegetation surrounding us. We are what scientists call a “keystone species”, meaning we have a crucial role in the food chain and other species depend on us for balance in the ecosystem. Rumor has it, that we are one of the most researched animals in the world!
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| You can find me here! |
WHAT I EAT
We do eat scraps that have been left around by other predators but we are extremely gifted hunters too. Some of our top prey include elk, deer, caribou and maybe a few rabbits to snack on here and there. When hunting, the alphas will scout out the best target, usually the weakest link, and attacks. The rest of us follow the alpha to help gang up on our catch, but if our prey gets away, that is the end of our pursuit.
MY FAMILY
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| Photo courtesy of: Malcolm Schuyl Wildlife Photography |
My family and I are super tight knit. When pups are first born they will drink the mothers milk for one month and then they start to eat regurgitated meat that is caught by their elders for their first solid meal. We always stick together and follow orders given from the alphas (aka mom and dad). They tell us where to sleep, help us find food to eat, protect our territory from strangers and occasionally, they will “adopt” other pups that have been orphaned. Once we are about the age of 2-6 we may venture away from the pack to start our own! We like to travel together in a pack to ensure safety, especially since we are endangered species in the lower 48 states.
WHY I'M ENDANGERED
Arriving settlers started taking our prey for themselves, so instead of hunting the usual bison, elk, and caribou, we had to downgrade to sheep and cattle. Eventually the ranchers started to catch on and were not pleased, to say the least. They started setting out traps for us and gray wolves were being hunted for money. Unfortunately for my ancestors, the Endangered Species Act didn't kick in until 1973 and there were only a few hundred gray wolves left. Luckily, we were successfully reintroduced into the Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s and have mostly grown in population since. Some of the dangers we have to watch out for these days are illegal wolf hunting, motor vehicles and deadly diseases like distemper. In 2010 our population in Yellowstone dropped from 180 to about 100 within two years, due to these threats. According to the Fish and Wildlife Services, they have a plan to increase our population enough to remove us from the Endangered Species list by providing and controlling an adequate amount of our favorite prey through habitat improvements. They are also hoping to restrict human activity in places where our mothers keep us safe in our dens. This will allow us to mature properly without any danger or disturbances.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
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| Photo courtesy of: Carnivora Forum |
We like to howl to reinforce our family bond and establish social status within the pack (Listen to my happy howl here), but we also communicate through body language and scent. This strong connection we create with each other is what makes us so successful at being a team. Through facial expressions, posture and tail positioning, it is easy to quickly understand what we are trying to convey and where your place is within our packs hierarchical system. For example, I am one of the younger pups, so when I am approached by a wolf from another pack, I will crouch down and hunch my back to show I am lower in status. My parents, the alphas, walk with confidence and tall posture, which indicates they are in charge and you shouldn't do anything that may upset them. Lastly, if I am ever in a bind and need to show submission to another wolf, I immediately roll over on my back and expose my belly to show that they are in control. Lastly, our scent is a big part of being able to find our way around. On the bottom of our paws, we have scent glands that leave traces behind wherever we walk and travel. Of course, like any other canine species, we mark where we have been with urine and scat.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US
If you’d like to virtually adopt a wolf, you can make a donation! These donations go towards helping defenders provide habitat restoration and research towards the gray wolf community. In addition, you can send a letter to a government representative or speak up on social media and spread the word about gray wolves and their current status. After all, communication is key!
References:
I like how you spoke as if you were the wolf, it is very creative! Your link to show how the Grey Wolf howls was a fun addition. I found it very interesting that facial expression is key to how the Grey Wolf communicates. - Anna Luehrs
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting hearing about wolf interactions and comparing them to my own experiences with dogs as pets. It's amazing how they've evolved so much yet have stayed so similar to their original. It's sad to know that humans are the main cause to their decline as we love on our own dogs so well, yet are killing off their ancestors!
ReplyDelete^^ - Brooke Lochhead
DeleteI really like how you set up this blog from the perspective of the gray wolf... it humanized them a lot more and really gave a voice to these animals that we can obviously not communicate with. Also, your solution (to adopt a gray wolf virtually), was super cool because it helps onlookers become invested in these animals and their recovery. - Ava Mattis
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting that you chose to include a section on wolf communication. I thought that was unique and something that I had never heard about before. Also like that you included a link to a wolf howl.
ReplyDelete_Shea Menzel
I really love how this blog is written from the wolf's perspective! It definitely made me more interested to learn about these animals. I also like how you included a lot of pictures and the wolf howl :) - Hannah Lee
ReplyDeleteIt was really adorable that you wrote this blog in the first person perspective of the wolf! It's super creative and it made me want to read more and I think it's a really good way to get readers to see them as real creatures whose lives matter just as much as ours. - Ashley Lam
ReplyDeleteI love the added links to listen to the wolf howl and to make donations specifically for your species. I also enjoyed how you spoke from the wolf's perspective. All were very creative and original elements. -Alijah Maldonado
ReplyDeleteBest way to capture an audience is making it personal, great job! I think this way of showing your work could definitely capture a larger audience than just students in a wildlife conservation class. I love the part of family, the picture warms my heart. :) I didn’t know that their howls were meant to reinforce their family bonds and establish social status, listening to you added link made me think of my dogs! I always wondered how wolves smell the ground and know where to go, it was awesome that you mentioned that they have scent glands on the bottom of their paws that leave traces behind. - Samary Mayo
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you changed the perspective from yours to as the wolf. It made me a lot more interested in learning about how ecology of the Grey Wolf. Your post is very creative and informational! -Sydney Meertens
ReplyDeleteFirst off I have to say I love wolves and this blog just increased he love. How you changed perspectives is very unique and interesting. Also, the way you added links was a good strategy to emphasize certain points. This is a very interesting blog, one of my favorites.- Scott Martin
ReplyDelete