Tundra Wolf
Encyclopedia
The Tundra Wolf is a subspecies of Gray Wolf
native to the tundra
and forest
zones in the European and Asian parts of Russia
and Kamchatka. Outside Russia, its range includes the extreme north of Scandinavia
.
It is a large subspecies, with adult males measuring 118-137 cm (46-54 in) in length, and females 112-136 cm (44-54 in). Tail length in males is 42-52 cm (17-20 in), in females it is 41-49 cm (16-19 in). Although often written to be larger than forest wolves, this is untrue, as heavier forest wolves have been recorded. Average weight for males is 40-49 kg (88-108 lb). Females average 36.6-41 kg (81-90 lbs). The highest weight recorded among 500 wolves caught in the Taymyr Peninsula
and the Kanin Peninsula
during 1951-1961 was from an old male killed on the Taymyr at the north of the Dudypta River
weighing 52 kg (115 lb). The fur is very long, dense, fluffy and soft. The top hairs are 150-160 mm, the guard hairs 80-150 mm and the underfur 70 mm. The fur is usually light and grey in colour. The lower fur is lead-grey and the upper fur is reddish-grey. Its fur and size are so similar to that of large Canadian wolves that their pelts are often sold together.
The tundra wolf usually makes its den in river valleys and thickets in dry plateaus, and tends to form packs of 5-7 members. It feeds primarily on wild and domestic reindeer
and snow sheep
in their eastern range. It also preys on hare
s and arctic fox
es. It rarely forms permanent territories, travelling 200-300 km annually to accompany reindeer migrations. Reindeer losses to tundra wolves can be considerable for the Nenets people
, who rely on them for subsistence; in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
, 1708 reindeer were killed by tundra wolves in 1951, and 7048 others were scattered. In the decade between 1944-1954, tundra wolves killed 75,000 reindeer.
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
native to the tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
zones in the European and Asian parts of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Kamchatka. Outside Russia, its range includes the extreme north of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
It is a large subspecies, with adult males measuring 118-137 cm (46-54 in) in length, and females 112-136 cm (44-54 in). Tail length in males is 42-52 cm (17-20 in), in females it is 41-49 cm (16-19 in). Although often written to be larger than forest wolves, this is untrue, as heavier forest wolves have been recorded. Average weight for males is 40-49 kg (88-108 lb). Females average 36.6-41 kg (81-90 lbs). The highest weight recorded among 500 wolves caught in the Taymyr Peninsula
Taymyr Peninsula
The Taymyr Peninsula is a peninsula in the Far North of Russia, in the Siberian Federal District, that forms the northernmost part of mainland Eurasia and Asia...
and the Kanin Peninsula
Kanin Peninsula
Kanin Peninsula is a large peninsula in Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Latitude : 68° Longitude : 45°It is surrounded by the White Sea to the west and by the Barents Sea to the north and east. Shoyna is one of the few communities on the peninsula....
during 1951-1961 was from an old male killed on the Taymyr at the north of the Dudypta River
Dudypta River
The Dudypta River is a river in Krasnoyarsk Krai in Russia, a right tributary of the Pyasina River. The length of the river is 687 km, the area of its drainage basin is 33,100 km². The Dudypta River originates from Lake Makar and flows over the central part of the North Siberian Plain. The river...
weighing 52 kg (115 lb). The fur is very long, dense, fluffy and soft. The top hairs are 150-160 mm, the guard hairs 80-150 mm and the underfur 70 mm. The fur is usually light and grey in colour. The lower fur is lead-grey and the upper fur is reddish-grey. Its fur and size are so similar to that of large Canadian wolves that their pelts are often sold together.
The tundra wolf usually makes its den in river valleys and thickets in dry plateaus, and tends to form packs of 5-7 members. It feeds primarily on wild and domestic reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
and snow sheep
Snow sheep
The snow sheep , or Siberian bighorn sheep, is a species of sheep, which comes from the mountainous areas in the northeast of Siberia. One subspecies, the Putorana Snow Sheep lives isolated from the other forms in the Putoran mountains...
in their eastern range. It also preys on hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s and arctic fox
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
es. It rarely forms permanent territories, travelling 200-300 km annually to accompany reindeer migrations. Reindeer losses to tundra wolves can be considerable for the Nenets people
Nenets people
The Nenets are an indigenous people in Russia. According to the latest census in 2002, there are 41,302 Nenets in the Russian Federation, most of them living in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Nenets Autonomous Okrug...
, who rely on them for subsistence; in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug , is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the town of Salekhard. Population: -Geography and natural history:...
, 1708 reindeer were killed by tundra wolves in 1951, and 7048 others were scattered. In the decade between 1944-1954, tundra wolves killed 75,000 reindeer.