They will generally consume all but the hide, some of the large bones and skull and the rumen (stomach contents of ungulates) of their prey. When wolves catch and kill a large mammal, they will gorge and then rest while the food is being rapidly digested. Getting enough to eat is a full-time job for a wolf. Additionally, they may cache food and dig it up at a later time. Red wolves primarily prey on white-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, nutria and other rodents. Since wolves are programmed to kill when possible, they may simply be taking advantage of unusual situations when wild prey are relatively easy to catch They may return later to feed on an unconsumed carcass, or they may leave it to a host of scavengers. Surplus killing seems to occur when prey are vulnerable and easy to catch – in winter, for instance, when there is deep snow. This is called “surplus killing” and seems inconsistent with the wolves’ habit of killing because they are hungry. If prey is abundant, wolves may not consume an entire carcass, or they may leave entire carcasses without eating.

Some wolves eat small amounts of fruit, although this is not a significant part of their diet.

They will also kill and eat domestic livestock such as cattle and sheep, and they will consume carrion if no fresh meat is available. Wolves have been observed catching fish in places like Alaska and western Canada. Occasionally wolves will prey on birds or small mammals such as mice and voles, but these are supplementary to their requirements for large amounts of meat. Medium-sized mammals, such as beaver and snowshoe hares, can be an important secondary food source. Gray wolves prey primarily on ungulates – large, hoofed mammals such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, Dall sheep, musk oxen, and mountain goats. Most wolves hold territories, and all communicate through body language, vocalization and scent marking. All species and subspecies of wolves are social animals that live and hunt in families called packs, although adult wolves can and do survive alone. There are far more commonalities among wolves than differences. But one wolf is, in reality, like any other wolf in terms of natural history and behavior. The different traits we see in subspecies are likely the result of geographic range, available habitat, and prey base. They interbreed where their ranges overlap so that their populations tend to blend together rather than form distinctive boundaries. This is because wolves are so mobile and travel such great distances. Subspecies are often difficult to distinguish from one another. Some scientists maintain this wolf is a separate species, Canis lycaon.

Canis lupus lycaon – the eastern timber wolf.

Canis lupus occidentalis – the, Rocky Mountain or MacKenzie Valley wolf.

Canis lupus nubilus – the Great Plains or buffalo wolf.

Canis lupus baileyi – the Mexican wolf or lobo.

The currently recognized subspecies in North America are: There are five subspecies, or races, of the gray wolf in North America and seven to 12 in Eurasia. The gray wolf, Canis lupus, lives in the northern latitudes around the world.

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Wolf cut female back