Biology

The Red Wolf is an intermediate sized candid, roughly between the size of its' cousins the coyote and the gray wolf. While they are typically a brown color, it is possible to have a mixture of black, tan, and red colors within their coat. They can weigh anywhere between 40-90lbs (18-41kg) with the males usually being larger than the females. These wolves can range from 3-4ft in head-to-body range, with their tail adding on an extra 25-35 inches (63.5-88.9 cm), and stand at around 26-32 inches (66-81.3cm). They have large heads, with broad muzzles, pointed ears, and slim legs with large feet, similar to that of a coyote.

Wolves are powerful animals and they have many special skills to help them survive in the wild. A wolf has around 200 million smelling cells inside its nose, meaning they have the capability to smell up to 100 times better than humans. This allows them to smell prey over a mile away. Their keen sense of smell is accompanied by acute eyesight and amazing hearing that provides a range of up to six miles through a forest and ten miles on open tundra. They use their powerful jaws lined with 42 sharp teeth, including four canines, and a bite force of 1200lbs of pressure do take down their prey. Their back teeth are used for crushing bones, while the front teeth are used for pulling and tearing skin. They also have a very rough tongue which aids them in cleaning meat off of bones.

Wolf skeletons are well adapted to their lifestyles. They are strong, and powerful, with narrow collarbones, interlocked foreleg bones, and unique wrist joints for speed and efficiency. The radius and ulna bones are ‘locked’ in position and this inability to rotate the forelimbs gives extra stability when traveling at high speeds.

Wolves have long, broad skulls which is typical for most carnivores. Their skulls house extensive and strong cheek muscles which are essential in capturing and holding prey. They skulls also allow space for a more advanced cerebral cortex necessary for coordinating social activities. This is important for wolves as they function mostly in groups and are very social creatures.

A wolf's fur is one of the most important elements in their survival. They have two layers, the first being made of tough, course hair that repels dirt and water, and the second, being a dense undercoat that acts as insulation during harsh winters in order for the wolf to maintain homeostasis. This undercoat is then shed in late spring to prepare for the summer months.

Paws are another unique trait that wolves have to aid in survival. Wolf paws are durable and they can tread over various terrains. They are padded in between each toe to help the wolf travel over snow easier and swim better. Wolves are digitigrades (an animal that stands or walks on its digits, or toes) and because of the largeness of their feet, this helps them to distribute their weight evenly. The front paws tend to be larger than the hind paws and have a dew claw. A dew claw is a vestigial digit of the paw which grows higher on the leg and provides no real benefits. Their claws prevent slipping on terrains where ice is likely and blood vessels in their pads prevent them from freezing.

Muscular System

Wolves are incredibly muscular animals, as they spend a great deal of time on the run and they need their muscles to be as efficient as possible. With wolves, there are three types of muscle: smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscle. Smooth muscles line organs like the intestines and bladder and are not energy costly. They produce small contractions that are controlled by the nervous system. Cardiac muscles surround the heart and are linked to smooth muscles, their sole job is to keep the heart pumping at 120 beats per minute so the cardiac cycle can continue to function. Skeletal muscles are what keeps the wolf moving, they controls posture and movement and are arranged symmetrically all over the body. All of these different muscle system work closely together to ensure that the wolf stays peak condition needed for survival.