The Gray Wolf in Transylvania

If you don't know much about wolves, it would be a good idea to check out this information file about the Gray Wolf in Transylvania.

DESCRIPTION:
|-| Adult male wolves average 95-100 pounds, while adult females average 80-85 pounds.
|-| Male body length averages from 5- 6 ½ feet (from nose to tail tip), and females average from 4 ½- 6 feet.
|-| Most wolves are 26 - 32 inches in hieght.
|-| The colour of the wolf's coat varies, from white with gray, brown, black, cream-color, tawny, and some nearly all uniform black or white, though the grey coat is the most common.
|-| Wolves are sexually mature at around 2-3 years of age, and will live for around 13 years on average.

DIET:
|-| In Transylvania, a wolf's diet is mainly red deer, roe deer, chamois (a type of goat-antelope), rabbit, squirrel, beaver and some other small mammals.
|-| If food is scarce, they may even eat domestic sheep, cows, goats and horses, even though this is rare as wolves generally stay away from humans.
|-| Wolves are able to hunt alone or in packs
|-| Packs can take down larger prey but lone wolves will usually go for smaller animals.
|-| Wolves will eat the entire carcass of an animal, including hair and bones.
|-| Wolves can eat up to 20 pounds of meat in one feeding to take advantage of unpredictable prey availability
|-| Wolves can go up to 2 weeks without eating.

BEHAVIOUR:
|-| Most wolves are very social animals
|-| They have an average pack size of 5-20 members, though there is a general average of 12 members.
|-| Large packs usually end up splitting into smaller packs eventually.
|-| Some wolves do remain as loners for varying reasons.
|-| Gray wolves are excellent runners.
|-| Most wolves adore cubs
|-| Packs of wolves can be very vocal and often howl together.
|-| Gray wolves are primarily nocturnal creatures but will come out during the day if necessary.
|-| Many of the things wolves do is done during the daytime, though they rarely sleep straight through the night. Night is often spent howling, resting and playing.

COMMUNICATION:
|-| Wolves can use both chemical and vocal methods to mark territory and communicate.
|-| Scent marking is usually done with urine, anal gland secretions and scratch marks.
|-| Scent marking is mainly used for marking territory and is more long-term than howling, which is a more immediate territory marker.
|-| Marking territories helps to avoid conflicts between packs, though it does not always work.
|-| Wolves also communicate through facial expressions and body posture
|-| Submissive behaviours include the wolf in question crouching or rolling over onto their back.
|-| Wolves can also use body language to show alertness, happiness and aggression.
|-| Aggressive wolves often bare their teeth.
|-| Happy wolves will even wag their tails.
|-| Vocal methods of communication includes barking, whining, whimpering, growling, snarling and howling.

SOCIAL HIERACHY:
|-| Though social ranking in wolves is rarely permenant, packs can cave defined and complex social structures or hierarchies.
|-| There is usually an Alpha Male and Alpha Female, and the Aphas are the primary breeding pair.
|-| There is often a Beta Male and Female, who are second-in-command.
|-| The Alphas track and hunt prey, choose den sites and establish territories.
|-| Wolves that are higher up in the hierarchy often eat first, and lower ranking individuals will wait for permission from the Alphas.
|-| Often, it is the females are more engaged in looking after the cubs, whilst males hunt and provide food, though it is not always this way.
|-| Within packs, wolves develop strong social bonds and often display deep affection for their families.
|-| Pups are ranked low down in the hierachy at first, and must make their way up the hierachy as they grow older.
|-| There is usualy an Omega Male or Female, at the bottom of the hierachy. They are usually related to one of the Alphas, often a brother or sister, and often Alphas hold a degree of care to the Omega wolf. Though it is considered uncommon, Alphas may choose to banish Omegas from the pack for no reason other then their ranking.

In short, the hierachy looks like this:

ALPHA PAIR
BETA PAIR
Subordinates
Pups
OMEGA WOLF

BREEDING:
|-| Gray wolves usually breed once a year between January and April.
|-| Wolves reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years.
|-| Female goes into oestrus once a year for 5-14 days.
|-| Wolves usually mate for life.
|-| After mating, the female will dig or find a den, often using a cave or tree base, in which the cubs are born.
|-| Gestation/pregnancy lasts 60-63 days
|-| Most litters have 4-7 pups.
|-| These pups are born blind and deaf, and are completely reliant on their parents and pack to raise them.
|-| After 12 days, most cubs will have grown their coats and open their eyes.
|-| For the first 3 weeks, the pups will remain in the den with the mother before the rest of the pack begins to help raise them.
|-| For the first 45 days, pups will drink their mother's milk and may also be fed regurgitated food.
|-| Pups will usually start learning to hunt with the pack at about 10 months old.

CONSERVATION:
|-| Wolves play an important role in ecosystem functioning by controlling natural prey populations
|-| Numbers have been descending rapidly mainly due to habitat destruction and poaching, even though it's illegal in most countries.
|-| The Carpathian mountains in Transylvania, Romania is one of the few mostly undisturbed wolf habitats left in the world.
|-| The gray wolf is listed as endangered in many countries.

THREATS:
|-| Though wolf hunting is rare in Transylvania, other threats include bears and dangers regarding the landscape and climate.
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