Page 45 - May2008

98 THE NATIONAL 13u'T'Ton BULLETIN May 2008

Junior News by Nancy Kienitz, Junior Division Chair

For years people have been frightened of wolves. In truth,
wolves avoid people. Tn my research I discovered that there
has never been a case of wolves attacking people in North
America. Perhaps the howling and the many tales we've heard
has lead us to be frightened of them.
Shell scrimshaw studio:
Diane Schefferly Wolves are an ancestor of "man's oldest animal friend,"
the dog. In North America the most common wolf is the
Gray Wolf. [t resembles a German Shepherd, but has longer
legs and bigger feet. The wolf also has a larger head and
rounder eyes set further apart. Its cheeks bulge with jaw
muscles. An average male wolf is about 2 to 3 feet tall at
the shoulder and weighs 75 to 100 pounds. The females
are smaller at about 60 to 80 pounds and 1 to 2 feet tall.
Canadian and Alaskan wolves are bigger than those found
in the lower 48 states.
brass Wolves can be found in many colors. Their color may
be influenced by the environment, providing camouflage.
The Arctic wolf is white. Many wolves are gray, but some are
brown, golden brown, rusty red or any combination of these
colors, and some are all black.
Tundra wolves have a thicker fur because of the ex-
treme cold. All wolves have two types of fur: an undercoat
of short soft fur for warmth, and an overcoat of longer hairs
brass that provide protection from rain and snow.
Wolves mate for life. They travel in packs for hunting
and defense. Each pack has a dominant male and female who
make decisions for the pack and face danger. The lower
ranking wolves help hunt for food and care for pups.
They are master hunters and eat any animal available,
from mouse to moose. Wolves have a keen sense of smell
that helps them find small animals under the snow and in
brush and burrows. They choose their prey carefully, often
the oldest, youngest or weakest. Hunting in packs, they can
litho under celluloid
circle their prey even if that prey can run faster. Wolves can