How long do wolves live?

Without any doubt, wolves are among the most incredible animals in the world. In case you have the opportunity to spend some time to get familiar with wolves you will understand how impressive they really are.

Wolves lifespan

How long do wolves live in the wild?

When they live in the wild, the average lifespan of wolves is between 5 and 8 years. This is not a surprise because wolves live in dangerous habitats. They have a few enemies, but their specific way of life makes them vulnerable. There were cases when wolves lived for about 15 years in the wild.

Starvation, malnutrition, disease and injuries are the typical causes of death of these animals that live in the wild. The majority of wolves that live close to people die from human actions. Car accidents, illegal hunting and killing and livestock damage control are some of the human activities that result in the death of wolves.

How long do wolves live in captivity?

When wolves are kept in captivity, in sanctuaries or zoos, they can live longer. The average life span is between 14 and 16 years in captivity.

The people who work there know exactly what kind of food wolves need. They can also take care of all health issues and physical injuries and there are no deaths or complications due to rivalry or unexpected attacks from other animals.

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Where do wolves live?

Typically, wolves live in groups (pack) and they don’t hunt on their own. If they want to survive for a longer period of time, they must be part of a pack. A wolf pack has somewhere between 6 and 12 wolves.

It’s worth mentioning that one male and one female in the pack are the leaders of the pack and others follow their activities. Thanks to this specific way of life wolves can attack much larger animals.

What do wolves eat?

Every wolf regardless of their subspecies is a carnivorous animal. They also hunt for food like elk and deer (we should also mention that wolves almost exclusively target animals that show signs and symptoms of fear).

How much do wolves measure?

• Height: up to the shoulder they have a height between 31.4 in/80 cm and 33.4 in/85 cm.
• Length: between 3.2 ft/1 m and 52.4 ft/1.6 m.

How much do wolves weigh?

Different wolf species have different sizes, but they usually weight between 90 and 95 lbs. Gray wolves are usually larger and the largest one caught was over 100 pounds.

Wolves reproduction and life cycle

The so-called alpha pair, that includes the male and female leaders in the pack, is the ones who mate. Wolves choose one partner to mate with and they usually stay loyal to the female for life. A pregnant female wolf carries the pups for 2 months and usually gives birth to 4, 5 or 6 pups.

Wolves facts

Subspecies of wolves

There are many different subspecies of wolves around the globe. Some of the most interesting and most common wolf subspecies include...

• Tibetan wolf
• Red wolf
• Mexican wolf
• Texas wolf
• Gray wolf
• Arabian wolf
• Arctic wolf

They are all similar, but each of them has some at least a couple of characteristics that make them unique.

Wolves anatomy

The wolves are known for their strong jaws and their teeth that are modified for hunting purposes.

Picture: Max Pixel