CHAPTER XXXVI 
THE DOG FAMILY: WOLVES AND FOXES 
This class of animals comprises the wolves and foxes, all of 
which bear a close resemblance to our dogs in structure and 
other fundamental characteristics. The members of this 
family and the weasels, skunks, and badgers whose descrip- 
tion follows in the next chapter are our chief representatives 
of the great order of flesh-eating animals. Our domestic 
dogs, which are derived from wolves and after whom the 
family is named, have been described in the previous chapter. 
WOLVES 
Wolves are among our fiercest and meanest flesh-eating 
animals. Hornaday says, ‘“‘ They are the only animals on 
earth which make a regular practice of killing and devouring 
their wounded companions, and eating their own dead. I 
once knew a male wolf to kill and devour his female cage 
mate, with whom he had lived a year.”” We may be glad 
that we have only two types in North America, the gray wolf 
and the coyote. 
Gray Wolf, Timber Wolf, Buffalo Wolf.— This is the 
common wolf that is distributed over a large portion of North 
America as well as Europe and northern Asia, somewhat 
different varieties being found in the different sections, and 
known by different names. It is a strong and fierce beast, 
having an average length of four feet and standing 26 inches 
high at the shoulder. Its color is very variable. Generally 
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