Eurasian wolf Wilk Canis lupus lupus - ZOO in Opole - Ultra HD video 4K

• published: 08 Jul 2015
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The Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus), also known as the common wolf or Middle Russian forest wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to Europe and the forest and steppe zones of the former Soviet Union. It was once widespread throughout Eurasia prior to the Middle Ages; aside from an extensive paleontological and genetic record, Indo-European languages typically have several words for 'wolf', thus attesting to the animal's abundance and cultural significance. It was held in high regard in Baltic, Celtic, Slavic, Turkic, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Thracian cultures, whilst having an ambivalent reputation in early Germanic cultures. It is the largest of Old World grey wolves, averaging 39 kg (86 lb) in Europe, however, exceptionally large individuals have weighed between 69–80 kg (152–176 lb), though this varies according to region. Its fur is relatively short and coarse, and is generally of a tawny colour, with white on the throat that barely extends to the cheeks. Melanists, albinos and erythrists are rare, and mostly the result of wolf-dog hybridisation. The howl of the Eurasian wolf is much more protracted and melodious than that of North American grey wolf subspecies, whose howls are louder and have a stronger emphasis on the first syllable. The two are however mutually intelligible, as North American wolves have been recorded to respond to European-style howls made by biologists. Many Eurasian wolf populations are forced to subsist largely on livestock and garbage in areas with dense human activity, though wild ungulates such as moose, red deer, roe deer and wild boar are still the most important food sources in Russia and the more mountainous regions of Eastern Europe. Other prey species include reindeer, argali, mouflon, wisent, saiga, ibex, chamois, wild goats, fallow deer and musk deer. In describing North American wolves, John Richardson used European wolves as a basis for comparison, summarising the differences between the two forms as so: The European wolf's head is narrower, and tapers gradually to form the nose, which is produced on the same plane with the forehead. Its ears are higher and somewhat nearer to each other ; their length exceeds the distance between the auditory opening and the eye. Its loins are more slender, its legs longer, feet narrower, and its tail is more thinly clothed with fur. The shorter ears, broader forehead, and thicker muzzle of the American Wolf, with the bushiness of the hair behind the cheek, give it a physiognomy more like the social visage of an Esquimaux dog than the sneaking aspect of a European Wolf. The size of Eurasian wolves is subject to geographic variation with animals in Russia and Scandinavia being larger and bulkier than those residing in Western Europe, having been compared by Theodore Roosevelt to the large wolves of north-western Montana and Washington. Adults from Russia measure 105–160 cm in length, 80–85 cm in shoulder height and weigh on average 32–50 kg (70.5-110 lbs), with a maximum weight of 69–80 kg (152-176 lbs). One of the largest on record was killed after World War II in the Kobelyakski Area of the Poltavskij Region in the Ukrainian SSR, and weighed 86 kilograms (190 lb). Larger weights of 92–96 kg (202.8-211.6 lbs) have been recorded in Ukraine, though the circumstances under which these latter animals were weighed are not known. Although similar in size to central Russian wolves, Swedish and Norwegian wolves tend to be more heavily built with deeper shoulders. One wolf killed in Romania was recorded to have weighed 72 kilograms (158 pounds). In Italian wolves, excepting the tail, body length ranges between 110–148 cm, while shoulder height is 50–70 cm. Males weigh between 25–35 kg (55-77 lbs) and rarely 45 kg (99 lbs).[17] The now extinct British wolves are known to have reached similar sizes to Arctic wolves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_wolf Wilk eurazjatycki (Canis lupus lupus) – podgatunek typowy wilka szarego, średniej wielkości, waga ok. 60 kg. Poluje na jelenie, sarny, dziki. Sierść szara, ciemnoszara lub szaropłowa. Najszerzej rozpowszechniony podgatunek wilka. Niegdyś występował szeroko na obszarze całej Europy, jednak zaciekłe polowania trwające kilka wieków spowodowały, że na wielu obszarach wyginął. Obecnie w Europie najwięcej tych wilków żyje na Ukrainie, w Polsce, Rumunii, Estonii, Białorusi, zaś największa populacja żyje na dużym obszarze zachodniej Rosji. Zamieszkuje Europę północną, środkową i wschodnią (niewielkie populacje w krajach Europy zachodniej i południowej) oraz duży obszar Azji zachodniej i środkowej. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilk_eurazjatycki