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Terrestrial Wild Animals
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Carnivorous and Omnivores Animals, Excluding Felids
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Canids (Canidae) & Hyaenids (Hyaenidae)
Wolf (Canis lupus)
Wolf (Canis lupus)
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Wolf (Canis lupus)
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An Inside Look at Mission: Wolf: Written by Haley Colgate.
 *This image is copyright of its original author As instructed, I bared my teeth and made eye contact while a 120-pound wolf pushed his muzzle into my face. Just prior to this meeting, I spent hours scraping away soil to dig a trench that would eventually house lines connecting solar panels to the main circuit breaker of the veterinary building. I was on a Block Break Breakout trip to Mission: Wolf, a sanctuary for the species, in Westcliffe, Colo. In exchange for improving the homes of caretakers who live off the grid to care for the 32 wolves and wolf-dog mixes that call the sanctuary home, nine other Colorado College students and I got to interact with some of the most demonized species in history. When we arrived Thursday morning, we were met by two Mission: Wolf employees who gave us a rundown on regulations (primarily instructions on proper body language while in view of the wolves) and explained how the reserve came to be. Kent Weber, co-founder of the sanctuary, originally planned to build a house with his partner but came across a wolf in a cage while inspecting potential properties. Heartbroken at the sight of such a powerful animal reduced to captivity, he obtained the necessary licenses to take in wolves in need of shelter, bought some land far from civilization, and began establishing the sanctuary. At peak, his sanctuary housed 52 wolves that consumed some 2,000 pounds of meat per week. Since then, they’ve scaled back to maintain sustainability. Those who work at the refuge live completely off the grid. Solar panels provide energy for hot water and lights, and the primary vehicles run on vegetable oil and diesel. They use a processing system designed by CC students in a building called the Greasy Spoon to turn vegetable oil from local restaurants into useable fuel. The staff live in tipis equipped with wood stoves for warmth. Permanent structures are built out of salvaged materials from a local landfill. Moreover, much of the food eaten by the sanctuary’s staff comes from greenhouses in geodesic domes that are temperature-regulated by a combination of large water storage basins and hydraulics filled with beeswax that expands when heated to open ceiling vents. Thus, their lifestyle is built to have a low impact on the land and to reduce reliance on nearby towns (the closest of which is 45 minutes away).  *This image is copyright of its original author CC students completed a variety of tasks to improve the caretakers’ space. In addition to trench digging, the group helped tend plants and remove harmful insects. Scampering up precariously balanced ladders, we also coated the newest geodesic dome with paint that has the potential to double the lifespan of the canvas and provide insulation. The paint required temperature stability while it dried, so in order to counter the unforgiving desert nights, we kept a fire going in the wood stove inside the dome, requiring someone to stoke the fire at least once every two hours. The most memorable day of the trip was Saturday, a “big feed” day. In order to mimic the feast and famine cycle experienced by wolves in the wild who only feed when their pack makes a kill, Mission: Wolf provides large meals on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The locals provide livestock donations that have either recently died of natural causes or are on their way out. These donations are returned to the food cycle by the rapid consumption of hungry wolves—a decent-sized male grey wolf alone can eat 15 pounds of food in 90 seconds. To aid this feeding system, our group helped butcher a horse. Using rather large knives, we scraped the meat off the bones and then split the bones apart. Being covered in horse blood and sawing away at tendons provided a new appreciation for the origins of the meat we eat. Because we assisted in preparing the meat, we also got to help feed. We tossed steak-sized chunks of meat to the wolves and watched them swallow them in nearly one bite. They eat not just the meat, but also the hair and the hide. According to one staff member, most of the vitamins a wolf needs are provided by the bone marrow they obtain while gnawing on bones. Following feeding, they go into a food coma, and remain mellow for multiple days until it is time to eat again. This trip was a prime example of using physical activity to be outdoors and to give back to organizations that help humanity. Our labor assisted Mission: Wolf in providing a safe home for captive wolves and educational programs to curious humans by supporting their staff. We may have struggled to pry open ditches with pickaxes without hitting power lines and lay coat after coat of paint while atop shaky ladders, but we also got to pet wolves and meet the people that live with them. It demonstrated to me that it is possible to trade hard work for amazing, worthwhile experiences.
From Earth Justice, WHY DO WOLVES HOWL? DECODING THE LANGUAGE OF LUPINES:
Wolves have sophisticated social lives, which leads to a complex array of howls that signal different things. MAX GOLDBERG/FLICKR  *This image is copyright of its original author Wolves have influenced human language for many thousands of years. In ancient Greece, “λύκον ἰδεῖν” meant “to see a wolf,” or to be struck dumb, apparently the result of being sighted by a wolf. The word “wulf” was one of the most common compounds in early Anglo-Saxon names, and today we lament (or sometimes celebrate) how fast we “wolf down” a meal or complain of someone who has “cried wolf” again. Wolves utilize their own language, and recently scientists have learned that the howl of these enthralling animals changes over the course of seasons. Wolves have sophisticated social lives, which leads to a complex array of howls that signal different things. According to Yellowstone-based biologist Doug Smith, wolves howl more or less often according to the time of year and the rhythm of their reproductive cycles. Smith was interviewed for a recent episode of NPR’s “Living on Earth.” He told NPR that during the winter, Yellowstone’s gray wolves travel in packs and call out the most frequently to warn neighboring families to stay away. In the spring, the number of howls decreases as wolf pups are born. Smith calls the pups’ spring arrival an “anchor” for the pack. Instead of traveling together, the pack establishes dens and leaves its pups in their shelter. The pack members then split up, searching for sustenance. Each wolf howls to communicate with other pack mates, rather than with encroaching neighbors. Wolf species also have "howling dialects," according to a 2016 study from the University of Cambridge. Different species have their own vocal fingerprints, using specific types of howls with varying regularity. For example, a timber wolf howl is low and flat, while a red wolf howl often features a high, looping vocal. Another study from 2013 suggests that when separated, wolves will howl out of loneliness or affection for other wolves. The scientists conducting the study concluded that a wolf howls more or less depending on the strength of its relationship with the missing wolf.  *This image is copyright of its original author Wolf calls have not been completely demystified, nor have they lost their power to amaze. Smith vividly remembers the first moment he heard a wolf’s cry in the wild: “It came from a mile or two out and right at the end when, I swear, it came in so close I could hear the sticks snapping, the howls were booming in—it was like in the palm of your hands—[but] that wolf never stepped into the light of the moon and I never saw it.” The tingle running down Smith’s spine, remembered decades later, is the same reason Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” begins with a haunting howl. Smith explained, “When you sit and you listen to that lone wolf howl, almost moaning … it seems to mean so much more to the individual wolf.” The lingering mystery of a wolf’s howl creates a connection between the animal and man. It’s fun to imagine howling with the pack, or joining the family dog as he howls at a passing fire truck. In a way, we hear undercurrents of our own emotions in wolf song. And this complex connection with wolves is not limited to humans. Other animals in Yellowstone have benefited from the re-introduction of the magical, mysterious grey wolf to the park. The wolf’s howl is not something to be feared; it’s a harbinger of better days to come.
Red Wolf Coalition:
JAW SPARRING is often a part of red wolf play. Human spectators sometimes gasp in horror when they see captive wolves rearing up on their hind legs like two gladiators engaged in a high-energy duel, front legs and jaws engaged. But those jaws, capable of crushing big bones, exert minimal pressure during sparring games, and injuries are rare, though there can be nicks and lacerations if things get too rough. Wolves will sometimes engage in jaw sparring while lying down or rolling around on the ground. Whining, groaning, and growling vocalizations usually accompany the roughhousing. All play behavior solidifies bonds, reinforces status and hones physical skills. And speaking of gentle jaw pressure: Photo #2 shows an arctic wolf carrying her pup in her massive jaws. The wolf's neck and shoulders are so strong that lugging a youngster or a big hunk of meat for miles is just one of life's jobs! Photo #1 - Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Photo #2 - L. David Mech  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
From Native American, Two Gray Wolves Confirmed Present in Lassen County:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has confirmed the presence of two gray wolves in western Lassen County. After a wolf-like canid was photographed by trail cameras in Lassen County in fall 2015 and spring 2016, CDFW began operating additional trail cameras in the area and regularly searching for wolf scat and tracks. This summer, photographs, tracks and eyewitness sightings suggested the presence of two canids frequently traveling together. Numerous scat samples were collected by CDFW scientists and submitted to the University of Idaho’s Laboratory for Ecological, Evolutionary and Conservation Genetics. Genetic analysis of the samples confirmed the presence of a male and a female gray wolf. There is no current evidence — such as trail camera images, tracks, scat or reported observations — suggesting the wolves produced pups this year. Analysis of scat indicates that the male wolf was born into the Rogue Pack in 2014, and most likely dispersed to Lassen County in late 2015 or 2016. The founder of the Rogue Pack is the well-known gray wolf OR7 (collared in Oregon by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) who dispersed from northeast Oregon and traveled around northern California in 2011 and 2012 before eventually finding a mate and establishing a territory in southern Oregon in 2013. The DNA of the female wolf does not match that of any known individual wolves from Oregon, and initial analyses indicates she is not a close relative of current Oregon wolves. Dispersing wolves have commonly been documented to travel great distances, and it is possible that she dispersed from another western state. The collection of higher-quality genetic samples may eventually lead to a better understanding of her origin. Gray wolves were eliminated from California more than 100 years ago, until the return of OR7 in 2011. In May and July 2015, a trail camera in Siskiyou County captured images of a single adult, black wolf. Additional cameras were placed in the vicinity and in August 2015 images of two separate adult black wolves and five pups were captured. CDFW designated these animals the Shasta Pack. Until confirmation of the pair of wolves in Lassen County, these were the only wolves known to occur in California. According to strategies identified within CDFW’s draft Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California, CDFW will continue to assess and monitor gray wolves in California. If the pair documented in Lassen County continues to stay in the region, monitoring may include capturing at least one of the two and fitting it with a satellite-based GPS transmitter. “The purpose of collaring gray wolves is to understand some key biological parameters such as habitat use, prey preferences and reproduction, as well as to potentially minimize wolf-livestock conflicts” said Karen Kovacs, a CDFW Wildlife Program Manager who has studied the wolves. “Due to concerns for the welfare of wolves, capturing them is generally not feasible in cold weather. Therefore, we would not attempt to capture and collar the wolves until late spring at the earliest.” Gray wolves are currently listed as endangered both federally and within the state of California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and CDFW have no plans to reintroduce gray wolves into California.  *This image is copyright of its original author
Credits to Eugene Kiedrowski.
Lamar Canyon Alphas There was a new carcass today at Hitching Post near the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek. An unfortunate bull elk was hit by a vehicle and the rangers dragged the body out a ways and then marked off the area. There were at least 6 coyotes at one time today and then later in the afternoon all 6 members of the Lamar Canyon Pack briefly passed through but didn't come to the carcass and looked to cross the road but were stopped by cars that had stopped to watch them. They turned around and went back into the brush and to the river where they had a deer trapped mid stream. That was the last we saw of them today. This was my first close-in sighting of the pack for months and they are all in prime condition with no signs of the mange on 926 or Little T. The picture of the Alphas was shot at about 300 yards away and cropped so it's not very good but should give you an idea of what they look like.  *This image is copyright of its original author
11-21-2016, 09:31 PM
( This post was last modified: 11-23-2016, 11:28 PM by Vinay
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The Wolf and The Wild Ass.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Golden jackal or redwolf  *This image is copyright of its original author The majestic denizen of our grasslands - The Indian Grey Wolf!!! We had an unexpected encounter with a pair of these amazing creatures!!! I didn't have the faintest idea how grand they could be until I actually saw one Mayureshwar, Pune | Oct 2016  *This image is copyright of its original author Indian Grey Wolves around Pune outskirts.  *This image is copyright of its original author Tibetan Wolf picking up live stock of Pashmina goat in Leh near Durbuk in Karakoram range...  *This image is copyright of its original author Indian Wolf - wildlife around Pune - Aug 2016 - #Nikon #Nikkor #d5 #600mm - My page Wild colours - by Anup Deodhar  *This image is copyright of its original author
Credits to Rick Lamplugh.
It's Time to Thank Wolves:  *This image is copyright of its original author As the thankful time of year arrives, I think wolves deserve our thanks. With the help of wolves, early humans improved their hunting skills and out competed Neanderthals. Ancient wolves were generous enough to share their hard-earned kills and brave enough to make a leap of friendship with humans. For hundreds of thousands of years, wolves dogged herds of reindeer that migrated between what is now Spain and Siberia. After the last Ice Age, perhaps 10,000 years ago, early humans may have seen wolves bringing down reindeer. Our ancestors may have been as hungry as those wolves. Stomachs growling, they puzzled over how to plunder some of their competitor’s bounty. A couple of early humans--no matter how desperate--couldn't just take a pack's kill. But early humans were superior to their competitor in some ways, say Wolfgang Schleidt and Michael Shalter in the journal article “Coevolution of Humans and Canids.” Humans have greater cognitive ability. Humans can see better at longer distances, because we stand taller than wolves. Humans with weapons could hit a target from a distance. These strengths could have enabled early humans to assist wolves in hunting. Ancient wolves hunted, as they do now, by sorting and sifting a herd to expose the animal that required the least effort to bring down. Once wolves cut that animal from the herd, the dangerous work of bringing down a much bigger animal began. And that’s where humans might have come in. With bigger brains, better vision from a distance, and weapons, humans could have helped the wolves. Working together, a meal was won using the strengths of both predators. The partners shared the spoils. There is even evidence that wolves helped humans survive. Pat Shipman, an anthropologist, in her book, The Invaders: How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction, also theorizes that early humans partnered with wolves. But she adds a twist: that alliance gave our ancestors an unbeatable advantage over Neanderthals, our competitor.  *This image is copyright of its original author Scientists estimate that Neanderthals had dominated the European continent for more than 200,000 years. Our ancestors reached Europe about 45,000 years ago, and within just 5,000 years Neanderthals had disappeared. Some experts believe that climate change caused their demise. Shipman presents an exciting alternative. “At that time, modern humans, Neanderthals and wolves were all top predators and competed to kill mammoths and other huge herbivores,” she told Robin McKie, of The Guardian. “But then we formed an alliance with the wolf and that would have been the end for the Neanderthal.” Shipman describes the partnership. “Early wolf-dogs would have tracked and harassed animals like elk and bison and would have hounded them until they tired. Then humans would have killed them with spears or bows and arrows.” In addition to helping with the hunt, wolf-dogs would have kept rival carnivores and scavengers from stealing the kill—just as wolves protect their kills today.  *This image is copyright of its original author Both wolf-dogs and humans benefitted from this partnership, says Shipman. “This meant the dogs did not need to approach these large cornered animals to finish them off—often the most dangerous part of a hunt—while humans didn’t have to expend energy in tracking and wearing down prey. Dogs would have done that. Then we shared the meat. It was a win-win situation.” These ancient wolf-dogs were not the same as modern wolves or modern dogs, were not a hybrid of wolves and dogs. Shipman told Simon Worrall of National Geographic that wolf-dogs had characteristics similar to those of today’s wolves, but they were a distinct group. Large and built for hunting, they had big teeth and a great sense of smell and could run long and fast. Shipman found no evidence that Neanderthals joined forces with wolves. As she told Worrall, “They continued to do things in the same old Neanderthal way as life got hard and times cold...And that lack of adaptability may have been a telling failure as [modern humans] moved in. If you then add in wolf-dogs, Neanderthals were at a terrific disadvantage.” Modern humans won the evolutionary race. And we have our partners the wolves to thank for some of that victory. As centuries passed, this partnership evolved into wolves becoming dogs. The commonly held view of that domestication is that humans chose the lazy, opportunistic, outcast-from-the-pack wolves that scavenged at human camps. But Schleidt and Shalter present an alternate—and intriguing—possibility of unrecorded history: “…scavenging wolves took the initiative and conned the affluent hunting and gathering humans into sharing their plenty, by pretending to be their obedient servants and hunting companions.” In other words, wolves may have chosen and trained us, much to our benefit.  *This image is copyright of its original author The impact of wolves on human development could be even greater. Wolves and humans are similar in two important ways. Both survive by cooperating in group activities, such as taking care of young or hunting. Both share risks among group members. Schleidt and Shalter hypothesize that humans may have improved these two survival skills by studying wolves. We apprenticed with wolves and then with our bigger brains and the ability to develop technology, “Humans became better gatherers, better hunters, more successful fishermen, gardeners, astronauts, you name it.” Wolves, domesticated to dogs, became our hunting companions, guards, beasts of burden, playmates, and baby substitutes. Mark Derr offers another view of the wolf-to-dog transition in his book How the Dog Became the Dog. He does not see wolves as curs slinking around the edge of a human settlement begging for handouts and eventually tamed by intelligent humans. He writes that the partnership with wolves occurred before early humans even had settlements. Certain nomadic humans and wolves met on the trail and were simply right for one another; were both sociable and curious. Those initial connections were no small thing for either party. The first wolves to take up with humans were exceptional animals capable of making what Derr calls “a leap of friendship” with a creature from another species.  *This image is copyright of its original author Once that leap was made, early human and wolves evolved together. Our ancestors learned a few tricks from wolves—and returned the favor. Early human hunters, writes Derr, were ambushers, while the more experienced wolves were pursuit hunters. Humans observed wolves and learned to hunt by stampeding prey. This method produced more meat than humans could eat or carry away and they left the remains for wolves and scavengers. Wolves ate their fill and learned that they could benefit from human hunters. Derr’s image of two intelligent and resourceful creatures meeting on the trail, befriending one another, and evolving together is an important addition to wolf natural history. No one knows for sure how humans and wolves met or how wolves started their long journey to doghood. But I think that how we view wolves historically is critical to how we treat them today. Consider this scenario: You’re in the market for a dog and you go to a reputable breeder. She has two dogs from which you can choose. The dogs look similar. You ask about each. She points to one and says, “Oh, his parents hung out by my trash pile. They’re just scavengers.” Then she points at the other and says, “This one’s parents were two of my best friends. They were intelligent, attentive, and curious.” Which animal would you take as one you will love and care for? Which might you keep at a distance or demonize?  *This image is copyright of its original author As I see it, ancient wolves were intelligent enough to grasp the advantage of working with our ancestors. Ancient wolves were generous enough to share their hard-earned kills. Ancient wolves were brave enough to make a dangerous leap of friendship with a competitive species. In the end, we became top predators with powerful arsenals and few thoughts of long-term consequences. And, sadly, we came to hate wolves and treat them as unacceptable competitors for game and livestock. We forgot the thanks we owe these fine creatures that befriended and taught us. 
Canis lupus italicus
Photo and information credits: Matteo Di Nicola Wildlife "Lupo appenninico (Canis lupus italicus). Maschio osservato in natura. Abruzzo" Translated: "Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus). Male observed in nature. Abruzzo"  *This image is copyright of its original author
Video credits to Keith Crowley.
The white wolf of the video, the Alpha female of the Canyon pack died a few days ago, in circumstances not known but she was a 12 years old wolf, so she was elderly. 
@epaiva,
The fox skull not only is smaller, but seems to also be much less robust than the coyote or wolf skull. Also, the width/length ratio for wolves appears to be quite apparent than compared to the other two. Bigger wild canids may have wider mouths for their jaw length, or is this just a isolated case and not a general trend? (04-16-2017, 10:46 AM)Polar Wrote: @epaiva, @Polar You are right Bigger wild canids have wider mouths for their jaw length, at the time when I adquired the skull all the other big ones looked a lot like this one.
Credits to YNP wildlife.
Wolves of the Junction Butte pack feeding on a carcass late at night. |
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