These animals are very family-oriented.

Who are these tight-knit families? Let’s find out!

Wolves are the largest member of the dog family. The most common wolf is the gray wolf, once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. Because many people fear wolves, despite the fact that they rarely attack humans, the gray wolf was hunted to almost extinction in the United States. Some populations have been reintroduced and are mostly found in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.

The red wolf lives in the southeastern United States, although in 1980, was hunted to extinction in the wild. A captive breeding program was initiated, and today, approximately 100 red wolves live in the United States.

One of the most notable characteristics of wolves is their piercing howl, which can be heard for miles. Wolves, like domestic dogs, howl for a number of reasons—to get the attention of the rest of their pack, to warn of an intruder, and for territorial reasons. Wolves have also been known to howl back at a already-howling wolf.

Wolves live in families, called packs, of about seven to nine, and will roam up to 12 miles in one day! They operate their packs according to a rigid hierarchy, meaning that there is one dominant animal at the top with the rest following under. In wolf packs, males are at the top, with their mates not far behind, followed by the rest of the pack. The whole family helps raise wolf babies, called pups.