Urban Animals - Art Gallery of Alberta

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program
Animal Facts: Wolf
The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the
Canidae family. It is an ice age survivor
originating during the Late Pleistocene era. The
gray wolf migrated into North America from the Old
World, via the Bering land bridge, around 400,000
years ago. They did not become widespread,
however, until around 12,000 years ago. A member
of the genus Canis, which comprises between 7
and 10 species, the wolf was once abundant over
much of Eurasia and North America. It now
inhabits a very small portion of its former range
because of widespread destruction of its territory,
human encroachment, and the resulting humanwolf
encounters that sparked broad extirpation.
Jason Carter
The Wolf, 2012
Acrylic on canvas
Collection of the artist
Wolf weight and size can vary greatly
worldwide, tending to increase
proportionally with latitude. In
general, height varies from 24 to 37
inches at the shoulder. Wolf weight also
varies geographically: on average,
European wolves may weigh up to 85
lb., North American wolves up to 79 lbs,
and Indian and Arabian wolves up to 55
lbs. Females in any given wolf
population typically weigh 20% less than
the males. Females also have narrower
muzzles and foreheads; slightly shorter,
smoother furred legs; and less massive
shoulders.
Wolves have bulky coats consisting of two layers. The first is made up of tough guard hairs
that repel water and dirt. The second is a dense, water-resistant undercoat that insulates. The
undercoat is shed in the form of large tufts of fur in late spring or early summer. Fur
colouration varies greatly, running from gray to gray-brown, all the way through the canine
spectrum of white, red, brown and black. These colours tend to mix in many populations to form
predominantly blended individuals, though it is not uncommon for an individual or entire
population to be entirely one colour. Fur colour sometimes corresponds with a given wolf
population’s environment; for example, all-white wolves are much more common in areas with
perennial snow cover. At birth wolf pups tend to have darker fur and blue irises that will change
to a yellow-gold or orange colour when the pups are between 8 and 16 weeks old. The
undercoat of fur is usually gray regardless of the outer coat’s appearance.
AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB. Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479
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