Lecture notes Biodiversity: Exploiters and Exploited Wolves (BI2EEE4)

10.12.19


L10 – Wolves
Keywords:


Lecture:
 Wolf (Canis lupus – only species?)
o Mammalia w/ order: Carnivora
o Generalist carnavor (large stomach = fast intake for fast digestion)
 Bites w/o precision and shallow bites
 Cannot lock jaw (dislocate) because shallow indent for jaw)
 Cats/weasels can lock bc similar ball/socket joint
 Teeth
 Pointed molars for crushing bones
 Incisors for grasping prey
 Canines = slash hide and muscles
o 10 mya = vulpine (wolf ancestor)
o 30 mya = Bering land bridge from America to Eurasia = spread of colony
 From new world (America) to old world (Eurasia) and then back to new
world (700kya)
 Wolf ancestor = dire wolf (unable to chase faster herbivores in dense
landscape?)
o 5-7 mya = Modern lineage
o Wolves and Coyotes (C. latrans) = can (fertile) interbreed so what is a species?
 Coyote could have evolved from the wolf (100kya)
o Widely distributed mammal, most adaptable, inhabits all of N hemisphere and preys
on all large mammals
 In North America = mostly feed on large ungulates (2 toed)
 In Europe = mostly feed on domestic (humans killed ungulates) = conflict
o Hunting
 Bold, speedy, endurance
 Preys are damaging to wolf
 Hunting strats (mostly in winter bc no young)
 Stalking = alpha male leads
o Using stiff limbed trot = rhythmical
 Encounter
 The rush (get larger animals moving)
 The chase (singled out and worn out)
o Only a few larger alphas are involved
o Seasons
 Hunt in winter
 Mating in Feb-March
 Cubs born April-May
 Secure breeding area (cave)
 Blind for 2 weeks
 Leave the nest @ 6 weeks
 Weaned at 9 weeks