Mammals · Carnivora · Canidae

Polar Wolf

Canis lupus arctos

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The polar wolf is the subspecies of grey wolf adapted to the High Arctic, with a white or cream coat, smaller ears and a shorter muzzle than other wolves, features that reduce heat loss. It hunts mainly muskoxen and Arctic hares, and its territories are enormous because prey is scarce. Since the ground stays frozen for much of the year it cannot dig dens, and breeds in caves or among rocky outcrops. It lives in one of the few regions on the planet where it has hardly been persecuted.

Weight

32 kg – 70 kg

Size

1 m – 1.8 m

Lifespan

7 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

DesertTundraPolarCarnivore Variable activity Desert Tundra Polar Mammal

8countries 5parks34same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt can go months without seeing the sun and cover 4,000 km a year following the musk oxen.
In the High Arctic the sun does not set for months and then does not rise for as many again, so it has no fixed daily rhythm: it alternates hunting and rest regardless of the light.
It is one of the few wolves that shows no instinctive fear of humans, simply because it has almost never met one.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Arctic tundra and polar desert of the islands of the Canadian High Arctic and northern Greenland
Sexual maturity: 22 months
Gestation / incubation: 63 days
Litter / clutch size: 3

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canis_lupus_arctos