Gray Wolf

Also known as the Timber Wolf, the Gray Wolf is the largest member of the dog family. Their fur color varies depending on the habitat they live in, allowing them to better blend in with their surroundings. These territorial animals live and hunt in packs of up to two dozen individuals.
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Canis lupus
CLASSIFICATION
Mammal
LIFE SPAN
10-13 Years
SIZE
34-51” | 40-175lbs
STATE CONSERVATION STATUS
  • State Protected
FEDERAL CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
GAME STATUS
Game
GAME TYPE
Illegal to harvest in NV
  1. Washoe
  2. Humboldt
  3. Pershing
  4. Churchill
  5. Mineral
  6. Lyon
  7. Douglas
  8. Carson City
  9. Storey
  1. Elko
  2. Lander
  3. Eureka
  4. White Pine
  1. Esmeralda
  2. Nye
  3. Lincoln
  4. Clark

Habitat & Range

Nevada currently does not have an established gray wolf population but sporadic sightings have occurred. Gray Wolves can habituate almost any habitat including tundra, woodlands, forests, grasslands, and high deserts; their habitat depends on prey availability and human disturbance.

  • Cold desert shrubland and sagebrush
  • Pinyon juniper forests
  • Upland Forests

Threats

  • Disease
  • Habitat Degradation
  • Human Conflict

Natural History

Wolves will work with their pack to take down larger animals such as deer, elk and moose. They can consume up to 20 pounds of meat at a time and at each meal! Their diet also consists of smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit. Gray wolves live in hierarchical packs consisting of the alpha pair that breeds, their offspring (called “pups”), and other non-breeding adults. There are usually five to six individuals in a pack. A litter of approximately five pups are born in early spring. Their territories can range from 50 to 1,000 square miles.

Fun Facts

Wolves are very intelligent and have shown to possess foresight, understanding, and the ability to plan. They hunt communally using their keen sense of smell to track prey and they have the ability to pursue prey at 37 miles per hour!