The wolf (Canis lupus) is a very widespread animal in the world, well known, majestic and yet so mysterious. I encourage you to browse the synthesis work I did when I was ten years old and discover something new about these animals. What are you wai...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus filchneri), also known as the woolly wolf, is a subspecies of gray wolf native to Central Asia from Turkestan throughout Tibet to Mongolia, northern China and the Indian subcontinent. In Tibet and Ladakh, it is known as chánkú or shanko.
Habitat:
Tibetan wolves can be found in northern and central China, the Manschurai, Mongolia, North Sikkim, Tibet, south-western Russia, the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Characteristics:
Tibetan wolves can vary from 58 to 65 inches (from nose to end of tail) and from 27 to 30 inches high, weighing from 65 to 70 pounds. Compared to the Eurasian wolf, they are slightly larger, with shorter legs. Their skull is similar with a longer thinner muzzle. This "woolly wolf" has a long shaggy coat which seasonally varies in color, usually a blend of white, yellow, brown, grey, and black.
Diet:
Tibetan wolves' preferred prey includes deer, blue sheep, and other large mammals. When food becomes scarce, it will feed on smaller animals like marmots, hares, ground squirrel, and mice. When hunting, the wolf can reach speeds up to 40 mph.
Breeding:
The Tibetan wolf reaches sexual maturity in it's second year. Breeding season usually occurs in the Spring. To maintain strength of the pack, only the dominant male and female breed. Two months later, four to six pups are born weighing roughly one pound each. At three to four weeks they will leave the den. They are nurtured by their mother for two to three months after which they begin to tag along with their parents hunting. In the wild, they live anywhere from six to ten years. They can long as twenty years in captivity.
