Wolves are predators. This means that they hunt weaker animals for food. To make them even better hunters, wolves live in large packs.
Packs are complex groups of wolves, including the alpha male, alpha female, and their offspring. Packs are arranged by hierarchy (organized chain) of dominance--the alpha pair are the most dominant and are, therefore, in charge of all other wolves in the pack. The lower down the hierarchy, the more submissive the wolves are.
This type of organization allows wolves to function consistently in such large groups through horrible weather conditions, danger caused by other competing predators, and movement across many miles. Even more importantly, this type of organization allows wolves to hunt better and faster.
All wolves are carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to survive. Since wolves travel in these large pack formations, they are often found preying on and eating animals that are much larger than themselves.
Examples of animals wolves prey on are elk, bison, species of deer and antelope, and moose. If desperate, they will also hunt beavers, rabbits, baby animals, or other small animals.
