Little-Known Facts About Wolves and Their Endurance
According to the California Wolf Center, there are four main species of wolves: the gray wolf, the Eastern wolf, the red wolf and the Abyssinian wolf. The gray wolf is the only species with subspecies, these being Alaskan wolves, Great Plains wolves, arctic wolves and Mexican wolves. The average lifespan for a wolf in the wild is seven years, and 12 years for a wolf in captivity. Depending on their species, they can weigh anywhere from 40 pounds to 175 pounds, with females weighing less than males.
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Endurance
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A great advantage for the wolf is its fast sprint. When chasing their prey at a sprint, wolves run 36 to 38 miles per hour for short periods. According to the California Wolf Center, the average trotting pace of a wolf is five miles per hour. If chasing prey at a trot, a wolf travels over rough terrain and long distances easily.
Endurance in the Daily Search for Food
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Some wolves travel more than 50 miles a day when searching for food. Because of their body design, they can travel for hours without getting tired. According to the International Wolf Center, their elbows turn inward, they have perfectly balanced lean bodies and long legs that allow for huge strides.
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Little-Known Jaw Facts
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A wolf has 20 teeth on its upper jaw and 22 teeth on its lower jaw. A wolf has double the jaw pressure that a German Shepherd has, and it "exerts 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch," according to the California Wolf Center.
Diet Facts
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Wolves need large quantities of meat to survive, stay strong and endure on their daily food searches. A wolf needs a minimum of 2 1/2 pounds of meat a day to survive, according to the International Wolf Center, but requires 7 pounds of meat per day for maximum energy and reproduction. The animal can eat a large quantity of meat on one day, equivalent to several days' worth of servings, to get them through the next few days. While healthy adult wolves can go several days without food, their productivity and overall health will decline. A large gray wolf can eat up to 22 pounds of food at one time. Wolves may bury food and dig it up later when they are hungry.
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References
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