Page 52 - World of Animals - Issue #41

Arctic wolf

Life in the pack

The common stereotype of the lone wolf
isn’t typical of the Arctic variety. These
charismatic canines are social animals, and
their success as a species is largely down to
their behaviour as pack animals.
Litters of Arctic wolves usually contain
two or three pups, and their parents work
together to keep them safe and well-fed,
doing everything they can to ensure that
their offspring survive into adulthood.
Breeding takes place once a year, and is
usually restricted to the alpha male and
female of the pack. This prevents the group
from becoming too large, thereby reducing
the need for food supplies to be spread
thinly across the pack.
The alpha pair play an important role,
deciding when and where the pack should
hunt. They are consequently the most
respected members of the wolf pack, and
are usually the first to feed on prey that has
been successfully killed by the group.
Arctic wolves prefer to establish their
rank in the pack through psychological
confrontations rather than physical ones.
However, fights do occur between rival
wolves seeking alpha status. A high ranked
wolf establishes dominance by holding
its tail high and baring its teeth, while
submissive pack members keep their mouths
closed and their tails between their legs.

On the hunt
No food is off limits
for Arctic wolves, Roaming the vast Arctic wilderness for food
from old bones to
regurgitated flesh requires tight teamwork and a strong stomach
Like other pack animals, Arctic wolves grey wolves, which is typically under 259
work together to take down prey square kilometres (100 square miles).
several times their size. Musk oxen During the winter, it is common for Arctic
are their primary target, but they will wolves to follow herds of migrating
also hunt caribou and moose if the mammals as they make their journey
chance arises. Other animals, such south. The wolves prey on the smallest
as hares, seals, and lemmings are and weakest members of a herd to
small enough for an individual reduce their risk of injury and maximise
wolf to hunt alone. They will the chance of a successful kill.
also scavenge on the remains of Arctic wolf pups are too small to hunt
animals killed by other predators. for the first few weeks of their life, so
With the tundra being a largely survive on scraps and regurgitated meat
lifeless environment, Arctic wolf provided by their parents and other
packs travel for hundreds of miles wolves. With only a single litter of pups
to track down food. The territory of per pack, the whole group helps to
a pack can span over 2,590 square provide for the babies. At ten weeks old,
kilometres (1,000 square miles) – pups begin to follow the adults on hunts
larger than the average territory of and learn to become apex predators.

52

048-053 Arctic wolf_WOA041.indd 52 30/11/2016 17:49