Wolf Facts for Kids

23 Wolf Facts For Kids

1. The wolf is a large canine mammal that is a member of the Canis genus.
2. The wolf is also referred to as the gray wolf or grey wolf, depending on the geographical region.
3. Canis lupus is the scientific binomial name for the wolf.
4. Fossil evidence suggests that wolves first appeared around 1 million years ago.
5. The distribution range for wolves includes Asia, Europe, and North America.
6. Wolves can thrive in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts, grasslands, pastures, shrublands, and tundra.
7. The worldwide wolf population is estimated to be between 200,000 and 250,000.
8. Wolves are carnivorous and have a diet that is exclusively meat.
9. The diet of a wolf mostly consists of herbivorous hoofed mammals weighing between 51 and 1,400 pounds.
10. Wolves are social predators and hunt in packs, allowing them to take down large herbivorous mammals like a moose.
11. Wolves are social animals and live in groups known as packs.
12. A pack of wolves usually has between 5 and 8 individuals.
13. A wolf without a pack is referred to as a lone wolf, but their solitary is temporarily until they join a new pack.
14. Wolves have a wide variety of fur coat colors, including black, brown, grey, and white.
15. The color of a wolf’s coat is usually specific its geographical region.
16. The average skull for an adult wolf is between 9 and 11 inches long and between 5 and 6 inches wide.
17. The average head-to-body length for an adult wolf is between 41 and 36 inches.
18. The average tail length for an adult wolf is between 11 and 20 inches.
19. The average weight of an adult wolf is between 79 and 85 pounds.
20. Wolves are known for their vocalizations, which include barks, howls, growls, and whines.
21. A wolfs howl in the right situation can be heard over a 50 square mile area.
22. Some farmers and ranchers consider wolves to be pests due to their predation on livestock.
23. Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 15,000 years ago.

Wolf Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on wolves. Below are three pictures of various wolves. These pictures should help you better understand what wolves look like.

A picture of the wolf (canis lupus).

A picture of a wolf running in the snow.

A picture of a mother wolf and her cubs.