Katie

 **Gray Wolf**
//Canis lupus// Picture source

**__Common Name:__** Gray Wolf __**Habitat:**__ Gray wolves live in boreal forests, deciduous forests, and temperate grasslands. __**Niche:**__ Height: 26 - 32 inches Length: 4.5 - 6.5 feet Weight: 50 - 130 lbs Life Span: 7 - 8 years - Wolves live packs of 4 - 7 members on average, although there can be many more in wolves in a pack. - The alpha male and females are the only ones who reproduce. They mate in the winter and 4 - 7 pups are born in the early spring. - Wolves eat elk, deer, moose, beaver, rabbits, other small prey and are occasionally known to eat livestock in times of scarcity. The only predator wolves have are humans. - Biotic Factors are trees and small animals. - Abiotic Factors are water. - Wolves can be active during the day or night. __**Endangered Status:**__ - An endangered species is a species at risk of extinction because of human activity, changes in climate, changes in predator-prey ratios, etc., especially when officially designated as such by a governmental agency such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. - A wolf's biggest threat is conflict with humans over livestock. People kill wolves to protect their livestock even if wolves haven't killed them. - Population: 200,000 wolves around the world - There are many organizations trying to protect wolves. Defenders of Wildlife is working with farmers to get a non lethal way to protect their livestock from starving wolves. Conservation groups are trying to save wolves from aerial hunting. Wolves are not endangered in Alaska so hunting them is allowed which is greatly decreasing their population. Other groups are trying to reintroduce gray wolves into the lower 48 states. - If wolves went extinct populations of elk, caribou and wolves other prey will increase. they are herbivores so more plants will be required to feed them. when they run out of plants the species will die off and have low populations again or become extinct themselves. Source #1 Source #2 Source #3
 * __Scientific Name:__** //Canis lupus//



Picture source