by Scarlett Salerno The Timber Wolf

Description Timber wolves are gray, white, or brown, and furry. Their ears are rounded and pointy. They have bushy tails that look like a lightning strike. They are the biggest relative of the canine (dog) family. In the winter months their fur gets darker. In the summer their fur gets lighter. Timber wolves have gray or brown under parts and stubby legs.

Location An eastern timber wolf located in the forest parts of Northern Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. They live separately from humans to keep danger away. There are city’s in these states but, they keep away from real life.

Habitat The habitat of a timber wolf is cold in the winter months and humid in the summer. Their habitat is mostly damp during the year because they need water supply, they live near swamps, rivers, waterfalls, ect. It is located in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Northern Michigan. There are normal things too such as trees, rocks, and soil. They live in the forest area to keep danger away for them and for humans. Timber wolves live there to keep their privacy so nobody (humans) disturbs them. Wolves live separately from humans. They’re habitat got smaller because humans started moving into the area. They didn’t have any space so they got mad and tore up farms. Before Wisconsin settled in the 1830’s, wolves lived around the state. Nobody knows how many animals there are now that have survived, but the estimate is around…… 3,000-5,000 animals.

Food Timber wolves only eat meat, animals that only eat meat are called carnivores. A natural prey for the eastern timber wolves include deer, hares, mice, muskrat, and beaver. Their favorite prey in the summer is a white-tailed deer. In the winter months they’re favorite prey is caribou.

Predator/Prey Humans are they’re predators because they tear up their farms so they get mad and decide to get rid of them. They have now become endangered animals because of some farmers. When the wolves tear up their farms the farmers lose money because they give it to companies for money. They have no more predators. The preys for timber wolves are large hoofed animals such as deer, elk, and occasionally smaller animals (beavers and rabbits). Wolves generally kill animals that are the easiest to capture young, old, or diseased ones.

Food Chain A timber wolf fits into the food chain by eating a new species that enter the habitat. They could also harm it if the population got too big it could eat a lot of the animals and then there aren’t any left for them to survive. In many ways they could danger the food chain than help the food chain.

Life Cycle The life cycle of a timber wolf is the same as a dog’s, the mother gives birth. sooner or later they turn into a pup. They’re parents teach them how to hunt and trap prey. Years later they are on their own and eventually mate then reproduce, the cycle continues.

Group Life Wolves live in packs of 2 to 15, usually 4 to 7 are formed. They are usually made up of family members and relatives. They live with their pups for a while then it’s off on it’s own like a young adult moving out of their parents house and going to college.

The timber wolves have adapted to the cold weather The timber wolves have adapted to the cold weather. That is why they live in the northern states. They change their behavior during the seasons by, in the summer they hide behind trees and bushes to catch it’s prey. In the winter it changes it’s behavior by trying to blend with the snow when it’s skin turns a grayish-white color. In the summer it’s fur changes that’s why it can’t catch prey as good in the winter because in the summer it can’t blend in so it stands out and the prey runs away. Adaptation

Senses Timber wolves use their sharp eyesight, sense of smell, and perfect hearing to hunt for their prey. As the wolf sees something from far away, smells it’s track and recognized the smell. Then it hears it’s feet. It’s the prey. It also hears a human is coming for them after farmer’s get mad.

Dangers and Conservations The timber wolf is on the verge of being extinct. Why? Timber wolves are being killed because they have no space in where they live. What do they do? They destroy farms, and if they ruin them farmer’s lose money because they sell their fresh products to famous companies. WOW! Farmers have anger problems! Nothing is being done to save these animals because people want their store workers to sell products at stores to make money. Shoppers want their products and they think wolves should become extinct. What we could do is explain to people that they don’t have room they need space maybe if they knew they would stop killing them, a protest would help.

Other Facts Wolves live in packs. They live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Northern Michigan. They change their skin every season. They live in the wilderness. They’re mammals.