Wolves, Coyotes & Foxes: Symbols of the Wild (Favorite Wildlife) - Tapa blanda

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Naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer Stan Tekiela is the author of more than 190 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 30 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations.

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Skull and Jaws

A wolf skull tends to be extra large and blocky. The larger skull provides room to anchor extra jaw muscles, which enable a more powerful bite. Wolves have tremendous jaw pressure (double that of a German Shepherd or other large domestic dog) and can exert as much as 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch! This incredible pressure is essential for initially killing prey and crushing bones while chewing.

Unlike wolf skulls, the skulls of coyotes and foxes are smaller and narrower, with much less surface area for additional muscle attachment. Coyotes and foxes tend to feed on voles, mice and other small prey, which they often swallow whole. While extremely large and powerful jaws are less important, they still need a killing bite and sharp teeth.

Canid Teeth

Wolves have 42 teeth—4 upper molars, 6 lower molars and 16 other teeth in each jaw that include 8 premolars, 6 incisors and 2 canines. The largest teeth are the canines, sometimes called fangs. The canines can be as long as 2.25 inches and are used to grab and hold prey. Since all canids are mainly meat eaters (carnivorous), most of their teeth are designed to cut or slice flesh. Only the molars are for grinding. These get minimal use.

When wolves are feeding, it’s usually a fast and furious frenzy. They quickly bite, tear and swallow—bones and all. It is easy for wolves to slice off large hunks of meat with their sharp teeth and swallow them whole. They will also bite cleanly through a deer rib, grind it with a few chomps and swallow. Wolves consume so much meat that their bellies are visibly swollen and sagging after feeding. Overeating is necessary for those with pups to feed at the den because they carry the extra food back in their bellies to regurgitate.

Excellent Sense of Smell

All canids have an excellent ability to smell. It is the most powerful of all their senses. Wolves, coyotes and foxes rely on smell more than any other sense for communicating, finding food and gathering information about mates or other canids. In these animals, the sense of smell is estimated to be about 100 times better than in humans. In fact, they can smell odors that people can’t even imagine. Wolves also have a better sense of smell than domestic dogs.

A wolf’s nose has about 5 times more surface area than that of an adult human. The long, narrow snout creates additional area for the extra olfactory senses. The enhanced ability to smell allows wolves to catch the scent of prey up to a mile away, providing the wind is blowing in their direction. This gives them the slight advantage needed for a successful hunt. Some studies suggest that they can detect the odor of an animal or human for up to 3 days after the individual has left the area. Of course, this amazing ability to smell also allows them to read scent marks left by other members of their pack or neighboring packs. Odor also tells the males when a female is ready for mating. For wolves, odors may convey information such as gender, individual identity, breeding condition, social status, age, physical condition and even the diet of the animal that left the scent.