Alaskan Tundra Wolf

Facts about Alaskan Tundra Wolfs. "Scientific name for Alaskan Tundra Wolf is Canis lupus tundrarum". The Alaskan Tundra Wolf is a sub variety of Gray Wolf that belongs to the genus Canis of the Canidae family. Alaskan Tundra Wolf is a native animal to the infertile grounds of the Arctic Coast area that ranges from the eastern part of Point Barrow to Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Arctic Archipelago. Hence, the Alaskan Tundra Wolves are also called the Barren Ground Wolf, which was named by Gerrit Smith Miller, an American botanist and zoologist, in 1912. The alaskan Tundra Wolf closely resembles the Great Plains Wolf in terms of head and tooth morphology, though it has a fine rostrum and palate.

The Alaskan Tundra Wolves are largely found all through the northern parts of Asia and Europe, and they are chiefly found in the boreal and northern arctic regions of Russia. Even though the Alaskan Tundra Wolves were abolished from some parts of the North Arctic islands of Siberia, they have been found on the Wrangle Island in recent times.

The Alaskan Tundra Wolf are particularly susceptible to the fur trade because their pelages are more abundant than forest living wolves.

Features of Alaskan Tundra Wolf

Alaskan Tundra Wolf is the biggest animal in its genus. Usually, male wolves are larger than the female ones, with the body length of 7 feet (2 m). The Alaskan Tundra Wolf has a body weight, ranging from 100 lbs to 125 lbs (45 kg to 57 kg), but some wolves of this genus are capable of attaining a maximum body weight of 220 lbs (100 kg).

The Alaskan Tundra Wolf looks like the Yukon Wolf in terms of body size and shape and has a grey-colored body. The color of their body is mixed with rust, black, and silver grey colors. Similar to most canids, the Alaskan Tundra Wolves encompass a high body, broad head, fine muzzle, and have long legs. The tail of the Alaskan Tundra Wolf is hairy and their coat has a chunky, solid underfur.

As the Alaskan Tundra Wolf lives in high latitude environment, with the temperature of 71 degrees, they will breed much shortly in the year when compared to other wolf breeds. Usually, the Alaskan Tundra Wolves will breed during the last part of March up to April. Female wolves will go into an estrus period for about 5 to 15 days, during that time they will mate with the male ones. A female Alaskan Tundra Wolf is capable of offering birth to 2 to 6 wolf pups per litter after a gestation period between 62 and 63 days. The newborn wolf pups are nursed by their mother wolf for a period of 45 days.

Diet of Alaskan Tundra Wolf

Similar to all wolves, the Alaskan Tundra Wolf is a carnivorous animal and it mostly feeds on big animals, such as wapiti, deer, moose, bison, caribou, mountain sheep, and musk ox. The smallest prey that the Alaskan Tundra Wolves will take constantly is beaver. An adult Alaskan Tundra Wolf is capable of consuming as much as 20 lbs (9 kg) of meat in a single feeding.

The average lifespan of the Alaskan Tundra Wolf is approximately 16 years.