Female Arctic wolves have a gestation period of about 63 days. It is generally thought that the lower number of pups compared to the average of 4 to 5 among Grey Wolves is due to the lack of prey in the Arctic. The mother gives birth to 2 or 3 pups in late May to early June, about a month later than Grey Wolves. Due to the Arctics permafrost soil and the difficulty it poses for digging dens, Arctic Wolves often use rock outcroppings, caves or even shallow depressions as dens instead. Normally, only the alpha male and female Arctic wolves breed, however, in large packs others may mate as well. Moose are also common prey, their long legs may render them slow and at times, stuck, in thick snow, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by wolf packs.Īs grazing plants are scarce, they roam large areas to find prey up to and beyond 2600 kilometres squared (1000 square miles) and they will follow migrating caribou during the winter. They mostly prey on Caribou and musk oxen, however, they will also kill a number of Arctic Hares, seals, ptarmigan and lemmings, as well as other smaller animals. Arctic wolves can be black, grey or white.Īrctic wolves, like all wolves, hunt in packs. The alpha male is always the largest and will continue growing after other wolves had stopped.
Weights of up to 175 pounds (80 kilograms) have been observed in full-grown males.Īrctic Wolves usually have small ears, which help the wolf maintain body heat. Their shoulder heights vary from 25 to 31 inches (63 to 79 centimetres).Īrctic Wolves are bulkier than Grey Wolves, often weighing over 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Male Arctic Wolves are larger than female Arctic Wolves. The Arctic Wolf and the Timber Wolf are the only subspecies of the Grey Wolf that still can be found over the whole of its original range, largely because in their natural habitat they rarely encounter humans.Īrctic Wolves generally are smaller than Grey Wolves, measuring around 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 metres) long including the tail. The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and a subspecies of the Grey Wolf.Īrctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic and the northern parts of Greenland.
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