How Big Is A Wolf?

How big is a wolf? That’s a tricky question to answer because wolves vary in size by species and by location; so there’s no solid answer. But, while looking for an average measurement, it became clear that there are some real monsters in Canada.

Wolves in colder, more northerly spots can be 3–6 times bigger than their cousins in the Middle East and South Asia. This follows Bergmann’s Rule, which states that the closer to the poles you get, the bigger an individual in a species will be.

In general, a male gray wolf (the largest of the wolf species) averages at 43–45 kg (95–99 lb) and can hit 50–60 km/h on a clear run. The heaviest wolf ever killed was in the Ukraine shortly after World War II, he tipped the scales at a feisty 86 kg (190 lb)! At that weight and speed, the gray wolf has been known to induce pant-spoiling in humans.

Senses & Music

Unlike hunting dogs, a wolf’s sense of smell is pretty poor, so they rarely manage to sniff out hiding bunnies. To make up for their below par noses, they have better hearing than most dogs.

There’s an urban myth that wolves are scared of the sound of stringed instruments, and this might have some basis in truth. Apparently, there have been occasions where captive wolves show signs of fear when listening to low minor cords. Strange but (semi) true.

Wolf Intelligence

Although they haven’t been formally tested for IQ, wolves are generally considered to be pretty smart. For instance, there’s good evidence that they can tell the difference between an armed and an unarmed man.

In areas where wolves have been hunted by gunmen mounted in aircraft, they learn to avoid open spaces when they hear aircraft. On the other side of the coin, during the great slaughtering of bison, the wolves of the great planes learned to seek out the sounds of gunshot; they would watch patiently as the humans skinned the bison, wait for them to leave, then tuck in.

Pictures Of The Biggest Wolves

Anyway, here are the biggest wolves I could find on the internet. Unfortunately, they’re all dead. I’m certainly not a fan of hunting as a sport, that’s a pointless loss of life; however some of these may have been shot for the good of local residents; at least I hope that might be the case… although these guys look like trophy hunters to me.

One thing that we do know, is that wolves used to be much bigger. In 2019, a wolf buried in the Pleistocene was unearthed, still snarling after all these years.

It’s incredible to think that this guy was wandering around in Yakutia 40,000 years ago. The head measures 40 centimeters in length, which is around half the entire length of most modern wolves.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LAZER HORSE ANIMAL POSTS

THE WEIRDEST BIRD IN THE UNIVERSE

THE LARGEST BAT SPECIES ON EARTH