Average length (nose to tip of tail): Male: 5-6.5 feet , Female: 4.5 to 6 feet
Average height (to top of shoulder): 26 to 32 inches
Average weight: Male: 80-110 lbs., Female: 60-80 lbs.
Average paw size: 4 inches wide by 5 inches long
Fur color: Any shade of gray, black, brown, white, or tawny; rust (a single litter can contain a variety of colors)
Number of teeth: 42
Breeding season: Mid-January to Mid-April (depending on climate-the colder the climate, the later the breeding season)
Pregnant for (on average): 63 days
Average Weight at birth: 1 pound
Average Litter size: 4-6 pups
Pup mortality (death) rate: Highly variable, but approximately 40-60% per year
Pack size: 6-8 members on average
Pack territory size: 10-100 square miles per animal
Speed: 6 miles per hour (mph) on average but can reach speeds of 43 mph during a chase
Common prey: Caribou, elk, deer, bison, musk-oxen, and moose. Also will prey on bighorn sheep, mountain goats, rodents, beavers, fish, and birds. Basically whatever is available when ungulates (two-toed hoofed animals) are scarce.
Causes of mortality: starvation, injury by prey, inter-pack conflict, and human cause (vehicle collisions, legal and illegal killing).
Threats: Loss of habitat due to destruction, development and encroachment by humans, persecution by humans.