Eastern timber wolf, Timber wolf, Algonquin wolf
The Eastern wolf (Canis lupus lycaon or Canis lycaon or Canis rufus lycaon) is considered to be either a unique subspecies of Grey wolf or Red wolf or a separate species from both. Regardless of its status, it is regarded as unique and therefore worthy of conservation with Canada citing the population in eastern Canada (also known as the "Algonquin wolf") as being the eastern wolf population subject to protection.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Apex predatorAn apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
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Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
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Pack huntersA pack hunter or social predator is a predatory animal that hunts its prey by working together with other members of its species. Normally animals ...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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Pack huntersA pack hunter or social predator is a predatory animal that hunts its prey by working together with other members of its species. Normally animals ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Eastern wolf is small to medium in size, as wolves go, with a reddish or light brown coat. They have long hairs, usually black in color. There is a faint reddish color behind the ears. As the wolf gets older it will grow more long black hairs.
The Eastern wolf is a native of the northeastern side of the Great Lakes region in America, being mainly found in and around Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park, also venturing from here into Quebec in Canada. It can also be found in Manitoba and Minnesota. The Eastern wolf lives in coniferous and mixed forests in the north, and deciduous and mixed forests in the south.
Wolves live together in packs, which are social structures of some complexity that are based on the breeding adult pair (the dominant male and female) with their offspring. The pack size varies according to the amount of available prey. The hierarchy of dominance within the pack helps in its functioning as a unit. The wolves are quite loyal within the packs and work hard to keep other wolves out of their area. This is the reason for their frequent howling. They are most active during the night but can be seen during the day. They have large territories of about 150 km (93 mi) and rove constantly searching for food, often as much as 20 km (12 mi) a day. They communicate through scent marking, vocalizations, body posture, and facial expressions.
Eastern wolves are carnivores and they eat large hoofed mammals including elk deer and moose, as well as beavers.
Eastern wolves are monogamous for their lifetime. The dominant pair in the pack will mate between January and February, with the pups born about two months afterward, a litter numbering 4 to 7. The female will stay in a den until the pups are about two months old. They stay around the den for 6 - 8 weeks and those that leave the pack do so after 37 weeks.
The main threat outside protected areas is probably from hunting and trapping, facilitated by roading networks. Research in Algonquin Park has shown that large numbers of deaths probably limit dispersal and change pack breeding dynamics, causing another main threat: cross-breeding with eastern coyotes due to the scarcity of eastern wolves as mates. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to roading networks and urbanization is another threat to population expansion, as well as negative public attitudes towards them, and established eastern coyote territories.
According to the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) resource the total population size of the Eastern wolf is less than 500 individuals. Most Eastern wolves live in central Ontario and western Quebec; the highest population densities are found in Algonquin Provincial Park (Ontario, Canada).
Eastern wolves are keystone predators because of their help in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. As they eliminate only weak animals from the pack, the pack becomes stronger and healthier overall.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...