Canis lupus chanco
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Reason: No valid subspecies according to Handbook of the Mammals of the World Volume 1: Carnivores
The division of living beings into systematics is a continuous subject of research. Different systematic classifications exist side by side and one after the other. The taxon treated here has become obsolete due to new research or is not part of the group systematics presented in the German-language Wikipedia.
The Mongolian wolf ( Canis lupus chanco ) is a subspecies of the wolf and belongs to the species ( Canis lupus ) and belongs within the family of dogs (Canidae) to the genus wolves and jackals ( Canis ).
description
The Mongolian wolf reaches a body length of about 120 to 140 centimeters, a shoulder height of 70 to 90 centimeters and a weight of around 40 kilograms, rarely up to 60 kilograms. Its powerfully built body ends in a bushy tail that is 40 to 50 centimeters long. Males grow slightly larger and heavier than females. The bushy fur has a very variable color and can be colored from light brown to dark brown. The ventral side and the throat are clearly lighter. In winter the coat is generally lighter. The Mongolian wolf is slightly shorter-legged than the nominate form. The head is quite broad and sits on a massive neck. The ears are erect. Mongolian wolves are pack animals. The pack is led by a pair of leaders, the so-called alpha animals. A pack can consist of ten to fifteen, rarely up to 30 individual individuals. Only the highest-ranking animals mate within the pack. All adult animals in a pack are involved in the hunt. When hunting for prey, they can reach speeds of over 60 km / h.
distribution
The Mongolian wolf is widespread over large parts of the Himalayas, over Kashmir and northwestern China to Mongolia. Here he lives mostly in open landscapes of the steppe, both on the plains and in areas as far as the alpine regions of the Himalaya.
food
The preferred prey animals of the Mongolian wolf include deer, blue sheep and similar larger mammals, which are hunted in packs using a sophisticated hunting strategy. In times of scarce food, however, they also hunt smaller rabbit-sized animals such as marmots, ground squirrels and mice. A Mongolian wolf needs up to four kilograms of meat a day, depending on its age.
Reproduction
Mongolian wolves reach sexual maturity in their second year of life. Mating usually takes place in spring. Only alpha animals mate within a pack. After a gestation period of 60 to 65 days, the female gives birth to an average of four to six young animals (pups) in an earthworks. Litters of over ten young animals have also been observed regionally. The puppies are still blind at birth and weigh around 400 to 500 grams. They open their eyes for the first time after about a fortnight. They leave their den for the first time after three to four weeks. The young animals are suckled by the mother for about two to three months. Little by little they then eat solid foods. All members of a pack participate in the rearing. From the third or fourth month of life, the young wolves accompany their parents on forays or hunting. Mongolian wolves can live to be around ten years old in the wild, and twenty years old in captivity.
swell
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World , Vol. 1 & 2. B&T, 6th edition, 1999, (English), ISBN 0801857899
- Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder: Mammal Species of the World, a Taxonomic & Geographic Reference . J. Hopkins Uni. Press, 3rd ed., 2005, ISBN 0801882214
- David Macdonald: The Great Encyclopedia of Mammals . Ullmann / Tandem, ISBN 3833110066
- Hans Petzsch: Urania Tierreich , 7 vols., Mammals . Urania, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3332004999
- Mammals. 700 species in their habitats . Dorling Kindersley, 2004, ISBN 383100580X