Mexican Gray Wolf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overview: The Mexican grey wolf has unique characteristics that distinguish it from other wolves, dogs, and coyotes. This wolf is the smallest in comparison to other wolves in the same subspecies, only reaching up 1.7 meters (5.5 feet). They have long legs, a long nose, and a short, bushy tail (differentiating them from dogs and coyotes). They are usually grey in color, with small patches of black, brown and white. There is also lighter fur on their bellies, and darker fur on their backs and sides, allowing for camouflage while hunting. One major behavioral difference is that the Mexican grey wolf's tail points upwards while they move. The Mexican grey wolves will eat up to twenty pounds of meat every time they feed (a couple times a week). In order to take down large game, the wolves hunt in packs. After the pups are born, older wolves bring back food from the hunt to get the pups acclimated to eating solid food. After 8-10 weeks the pups will be moved to a new sight, but they will not begin to hunt until they are around 10 months old. The wolves inhabit mountainous forests and woodlands. They prefer a temperate deciduous forest biome, with an average temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). Historically, these wolves were found throughout Texas, southern New Mexico, central Arizona, and northern Mexico. However, because of human predation and habitat destruction the wolves now only exist in recovery areas in New Mexico and Arizona.The main threats to the Mexican grey wolves are farmers and ranchers. Many of the wolves will attack and feed on the livestock, and, although it is illegal to do so, many farmers/ranchers will hunt and kill the wolves to protect their livestock. In 1976, the Mexican grey wolves were added to the endangered species list, because only about 75 were recorded in the wild in 2013. Since then, many breeding facilities have been set up to rehabilitate the species. In captivity there are about 300 wolves. Researchers have indicated that the wolves help other species evolve. For instance, the wolves attack the sick and old elk, allowing the stronger, more advanced elk to reproduce - thus making the species stronger and healthier. The Mexican grey wolf has a very strong pack dynamic, with each pack consisting of 4-9 members. This includes the alpha pair, two or three adolescent wolves, and some annual wolf pups. The strongest male and the strongest female make up the pack's Alpha wolves, as well as the only wolves that reproduce, ensuring the production of the strongest and healthiest wolves possible. Breeding occurs from January to March, with a gestation period of about 60 days, giving birth to 4-6 pups. The pups are born blind and deaf, and are kept in a den for 6 weeks. They will not open their eyes until they are about 2 weeks old. At 3 weeks, the pups are allowed to go outside for the first time. After 6 weeks, the pack begins to travel their territory. At age 2 or 3, the wolf pups choose to either stay with the pack or disperse to find new territories and mate (they typically choose to stay in the same pack). The wolves can live up to 13 years in captivity, but live around 6-9 years in the wild.

 

Physical description:

The Mexican grey wolf is the smallest Grey wolf Subspecies in North America. Contrasting many of the European wolves, Mexican grey wolves to have broader heads, thicker necks, longer ears, and shorter tails. The wolves typically stand around 66-81 centimeters (26-32 inches) at the shoulder, 27-41 kilograms (60-90 pounds), and can reach up to 1.7 meters (5.5 feet) in length. The males are generally taller and heavier than the females. Mexican grey wolves are not completely grey. In fact, they have black, grey, light brown, and rust brown colored fur on their bodies. They typically have lighter fur on their bellies and part of their faces, and darker fur on their backs and sides. This coloration provides them camouflage when hunting prey. The wolves also have long legs and compact bodies to aid their speed and endurance. The Mexican grey wolf has a long snout, with a strong jaw and large canine teeth, to allow them to hunt and eat more efficiently. The wolves also have a sleek and strong muscular system to allow them to have the strength and speed they need to survive. The majority of the Wolves’ nervous system is virtually identical to that of a domesticated dog; however, the grey wolves have larger and heavier brains. On their lower jaws they have: six incisors, two canines, eight premolars, and six molars. Thier upper jaws have two less molars than the lower jaws, making a total of 42. Accompanying these sharp teeth, are strong jaw muscles that allow the wolf to effectively tear into meat. Overall, the Mexican grey wolf is both physically and anatomically designed to be a top predator.

 

Behavior:

The Mexican grey wolf will only hunt and eat a few times a week because they eat up to 9 kilograms (20 pounds) of meat at each feeding. They hunt in packs to take down large game such as elk, which serves as their main food source. They communicate with each other very thoroughly, using a variety of howls and barks, especially during the hunt. Wolves will also scavenge carcasses if they get the chance, including dead cattle and gut piles from hunters. When the new pups are born, the older wolves bring meat to them so they can get acclimated to solid food ("The Lobo Life"). While everyone goes out hunting, they leave behind an older wolf to “babysit” the pups.The pups learn their hunting skills that they will utilize as an adult through playing with each other. Pups will also establish a hierarchy between them fairly early on. Once the pups are 8-10 weeks old they are moved from the site they were born at to a new place (“The Lobo Life”).

 

Reproduction:

The alpha male and female are the only wolves to breed within the pack, and both of these wolves reach reproductive maturity at age 2. The alpha female and male usually breed from January to March. The females are pregnant for about 60 days and give birth to four to six pups, each weighing about .5 kilograms (1 pound). The wolf pups are born blind and deaf and are weaned in a den for 6 weeks. During this time, the alpha male is protective over the den and guards it to keep predators away. The pups are also born with dark fur, and do not open their eyes until they are 2 weeks old. At about 3 weeks, the wolf pups begin to go outside for the first time. By this time, the den is no longer needed for the pup’s shelter, which allows the pack to begin traveling to different territories.Conservation: The Mexican grey wolf has been on the endangered species list since 1976, and has been treated as a ‘Species of Special Concern’ by the US Game and Fish Department. Because only about 75 wolves were recorded living in the wild at the beginning of 2013, breeding facilities have been set up to help bring the species back. There are about 300 wolves in captivity (“Mexican Wolf Reintroduction and Management”). Another organization, the Wolf Conservation Center, was accepted into the Species Survival Plan in order to help support the reintroduction and species growth of the Mexican grey wolf. This organization currently owns 14 Mexican grey wolves located in five different enclosures, in order to promote strong reproduction, while still allowing the wolves to have a “pack” feel. Many ranchers and farmers in Mexico and Southern America pose a significant threat to the remaining wolf species because the wolves attack livestock. Even though it is illegal to trap and hunt Mexican grey wolves, many ranchers and poachers still do. The Mexican Wolf Conservation Fund also helps provide funds for research concerning the Mexican grey wolf (“Mexican Wolf Fund”). Many people have hopes that the wolves will reach a sustainable population so the species can be reintroduced to the wild, hopefully continue to grow in population.

 

Habitat: The Mexican grey wolf inhabits mountainous forests and woodlands. The wolf enjoys a temperate deciduous forest biome, with a cooler climate, averaging at around 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees fahrenheit). These areas are ideal because there is an abundance of elk and deer for the wolves to feed on. The Mexican grey wolves are also commonly found in areas with roads, because the wolves use them as travel corridors (“Grey Wolf Habitat”).

 

Movement and dispersal: A large population of Mexican grey wolves once lived throughout the western part of the United States and Mexico, but unfortunately can only now be found in a restricted area of Arizona and New Mexico. According to Lobos of the Southwest, a Mexican grey wolf conservation website, thousands of these wolves could be found in Mexico and a few southwestern U.S. states in 1910. Currently, about 60 Mexican grey wolves roam the Gila River in both southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. In southeastern Arizona, the Mexican grey wolf can be found in the upper region of the Apache National Forest. This forest is located in Greenlee county, and also goes into the gila wilderness of New Mexico. For a historal map of the Mexican grey wolves range, visit this website: http://www.mexicanwolves.org/index.php/wolf-country

 

Migration: Mexican grey wolves typically travel in small packs which consist of 4-9 members. In the packs, there is an adult alpha pair, two or three adolescent wolves, and some annual wolf pups. When hunting prey the packs cover large areas, of about 9-152 sq meters (30-500 sq feet). However, due to the reduction of prey during the 1950’s, the Mexican grey wolf began attacking domestic livestock, which resulted in government procedures to eliminate this species from the wild. In order to protect the Mexican grey wolf from extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department introduced the wolves to the Blue Range area of Arizona in 2005. In 2011, Arizona’s largest wildfire, swept through the Blue Range area of Arizona and New Mexico and negatively impacted the already sparse population. Since this incident, the Defenders of Wildlife program has kept a close eye on these wolves to make sure the pups are able to survive, as well as to ensure that this species does not go extinct.