The Arctic Wolf

by June Thunder Schulz

The scientific name for the Arctic wolf is "Canis lupus arctos."  Canis lupus arctos is also the Latin name for Arctic wolves. Arctic wolves are not shy. Although it is believed that most wolves are shy creatures, Arctic wolves have been known to steal equipment from campers, which requires courage.  Although they are not pets, they accept sharing territory with humans and are very curious about human behavior. They even sometimes come close to investigate humans.  Although wolves can be dangerous to humans if angered or very hungry, wolves can be nice to humans and even accept them into the pack. On very rare occasions wolves may even let humans see their pups, despite wolves being very protective parents. 

Wolves are part of the canine family, which is the same family that dogs are part of, which makes them close relatives to dogs, one of the most popular pets in the world. 

Arctic wolves are carnivores. They hunt musk-oxen, arctic hares, caribou, lemmings, seals, ptarmigans and other birds. Like all wolves, Arctic wolves hunt as a pack, which is a group of wolves. This makes hunting much easier for the wolf. The pack uses teamwork to kill their prey. Adults also team up to take care of the pups, which are very vulnerable and must stay hidden and protected or they could be killed by predators. Adults usually regurgitate their food to the pups to feed them. Some of the  offspring can stay up to 4 years in the pack before making their own pack. 

Arctic wolves live in cold environments. They live on smooth, flat landscapes. They live in pretty uninhabited lands, the only humans present being oil miners, military troops and officers, researchers and weather station workers. Arctic wolves are not hunted by humans. Since there are only military bases, oil mines, weather centers and research centers in the arctic, wolves are usually left alone, attacks on humans are very rare but can still happen if the human shows signs of aggression or isn't careful.  

Arctic living can take a lot of energy, Arctic wolves sleep 12 hours a day. This is because they spend a lot of energy hunting and taking care of the pups. After researching this article I think that wolves are majestic creatures and that all wolves should be respected as vital parts of the ecosystem and not hunted as monsters.