Trivia Tuesday: Grey Wolves
Published on December 07, 2013
Skip To
Every Tuesday we'll share a few fun animal facts with you from experts all over the country.
Today's expert: The Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y. The zoo is celebrating Wolf Awareness Month with wolf-themed artifacts and activities, plus the addition of grey wolf siblings Romulus, Remus and Sylvia.
- The grey wolf is the largest of approximately 41 species of wild canids.
- Grey wolves are highly social and live in groups called packs. There is a strong hierarchy within the pack: the alpha male is dominant over all males, the alpha female over all females.
- Historically, grey wolves have the largest range of any land mammal, other than people. They have lived in all habitats in the Northern Hemisphere except for tropical forest.
- Grey wolves are widely recognized to be the ancestor of all domestic dog breeds. Their paws are as big as those of much larger dogs.
- Adult grey wolves have 42 teeth, compared to the 32 teeth that adult humans have.
