Eurasian Wolf with Summer Coat;
Photographer, Tom Bech; used with permission under C.C. BY 2.0
The Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus) is known as the common wolf, and as its name suggests, is found in areas of Europe and Asia. When you think of all the wolves in fairytales, nursery rhymes, or fables, these are the kinds of wolves being presented!
The gray wolf is known for its impressive stamina! For example, a gray wolf can steadily trot at around 10 kilometers per hour for a very long period of time. However, gray wolves can also run fast! At most, a gray wolf can chase its prey at almost 70 kilometers per hour! Safe to say, you do not want to be running away from this predator!
As an ancestor of the dog, wolves, like the gray wolf, are the largest members of the canine family. The average European gray wolf, for example, can reach up to 80cm in shoulder height--almost as tall as a metre stick! They weigh anywhere from 50 to an impressive 120 pounds. Like dogs, they live anywhere from 8 to 12 years in the wild.
