The Arctic wolf has one of the smallest ranges of any of the Arctic’s species, residing only on the Queen Elizabeth Islands. Canada’s most northerly islands, administered as part of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, they provide the perfect tundra-like habitat for this subspecies of the North American grey wolf.
Although the Arctic wolf has several distinct differences in shape and form to the grey wolf, including their overall size, the most obvious difference is its coat of off-white fur from head to tail. As with other animals with similar coat colors, their year-round white fur helps them to blend in to the snowy surrounds in which they live, since Arctic wolves are found also exclusively north of the tree line in open country. Although their fur remains white throughout the year, their thick winter coat is shed during the spring to prevent them overheating.
Relatively little is known about the lives of Arctic wolves. However, it is known that the animals feed almost exclusively on musk ox and Arctic hares. Caribou, birds including ptarmigan, Arctic foxes, and insects such as beetles are known to contribute to their diet to a lesser extent too.
The Arctic wolf can weigh in at anywhere between 70 and 175 lbs, and has a length of 3-5 feet when fully grown. As social animals, they tend to live in packs which average 4-7 animals, which enables them to target much larger prey than they could alone. Each pack is led by a dominant male and female, who mate for life. Since the icy ground is hard to dig, dens tend to be rocky outcrops or natural caves. Because of the sparsity of potential prey in the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Arctic wolves have adapted to cover large areas in search of food.
Recommended Artic Cruises
Other Arctic Wildlife
Arctic Fox / Arctic Hare / Caribou / Musk Ox / Polar Bear / Bearded Seal / Beluga Whale / Narwhal / Ringed Seal / Walrus / Arctic Tern / Gyrfalcon / Puffin / Snowy Owl
