PHOTO COURTESY OF ysyoong ysyoong In album: Wildlife In Webshots channel: outdoors
ARCTIC WOLF
The Arctic wolf is one of numerous subspecies of grey wolves:
* Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos)
* Plains wolf (Canis lupus nubilus)
* Eurasian tundra wolf (Canis lupus albus)
* Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus)
* Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)
* Arabian wolf (Canis lupus arabs)
* Eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon)
* Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)
The Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) is a subspecies of the Grey wolf (Canis lupus). Adult Arctic wolves are between 25 and 31 inches in height (measured at shoulder) and reach weights of up to 175 pounds. Females tend to be smaller and lighter than males. They measure between 3 and 5 feet from head to tail. Their thick coat is off-white.
Arctic wolves live in groups of 7 to 10 individuals. Occasionally, Arctic wolves form groups of larger numbers (up to 30 individuals). They reach sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years and have gestation periods of 53 to 61 days. Litters usually include 4 to 5 pups. Their average lifespan is about 7 years.
