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YEAR 



NW MONTANA UJ YELLOWSTONE I I CENTRAL IDAHO 



Figure 2. Grey wolf population trends in the Northwestern Montana, Greater Yellowstone, and Central 

 Idaho recovery areas from 1979-2002. (Source: USFWS et al. 2002, and USFWS unpubl. 

 data as of February 2003). 



Ecology 



Physical Characteristics. Male gray wolves in Montana weigh 90-1 10 pounds, and females weigh 80-90 

 pounds. About half of the wolves in Montana are black and the remainder gray. Both color phases may 

 be found in a pack or in one litter of pups. Tracks are normally 4.5 to 5.5 inches long (Harris and Ream 

 1983). 



Wolves may resemble coyotes, particularly when wolves are young. Wolves may also be confused with 

 some large domestic dog breeds. Wolves are distinguished from dogs by their longer legs, larger feet, 

 wider head and snout, narrow body, and straight tail. Other distinguishing characteristics require closer 

 examination than is possible in field settings with live animals. In many instances, actual behavior must 

 be used to distinguish wild wolves from wolf-dog hybrids and domestic dogs (Boyd et al. 2001, Duman 

 2001). 



Pack Size. The highly social gray wolf lives in packs. Packs are formed when male and female wolves 

 develop a pair bond, breed and produce pups. The pack typically consists of a socially dominant breeding 

 pair (alphas), their offspring from the previous year, and new pups. Other breeding-aged adults may be 

 present, but they may or may not be related to the others. Cooperatively, the pack hunts, feeds, travels, 

 and rests together. The pack also shares pup-rearing responsibilities, including hunting and tending pups 

 at the den or at a series of rendezvous sites. Pack size is highly variable, ranging from as few as three to 

 as many as 37 (USFWS et al. 2001 ). 



15 



