Primarily targeting white-tailed deer, caribou, and elk, eastern timber wolves keep these large herbivore populations in balance, keeping the overall forest health and growth rate in check.ĭespite their apex predator role, these carnivores have occasionally been spotted foraging for blueberries in July and August, when the berries are in season. They have large territories of about 150 km (93 mi) in which they roam for food as they can eat as much as 20 kg (44 lb) a day. Communication amongst the group and their night hunting are the reasons for their frequent howling. Living together in packs, eastern timber wolves are very social and loyal, with the dominant male and female breeding pair leading the way. Their genetic makeup is 58% gray wolf and 42% coyote, with hybridization occurring 546–963 years ago. Genome sequencing in 2016 indicated that this species resulted from ancient and complex gray wolf and coyote mating. They come in various colors but are most commonly a grayish-brown mix with their flanks and chest having a lighter, cream hue. From the tip of the nose to the end of their tail, they measure about 1.6 m (5.5 ft) in length and 63 to 91 cm (25 to 36 in) in height. Smaller than the standard gray wolf but larger than a coyote, eastern timber wolves are intermediate, with females weighing on average 23.9 kilograms (53 lb) and males 30 kilograms (67 lb). The eastern timber wolf is the Iconic Species of the Northern Great Lakes Forests Bioregion ( NA11). Regardless of their mysterious past and spooky personification throughout folklore, eastern timber wolves are a fascinating species and, as apex predators are essential in maintaining the balance of their ecosystem. Some claim they are a unique subspecies of gray wolves, while others say they are a separate species that originally split from a common ancestor over 1 million years ago. Known also as the eastern wolf, timber wolf, or Algonquin wolf, they have baffled biologists with their origins.
As their name suggests, eastern timber wolves are made for life among the forests.
GIANT BLACK TIMBER WOLF SERIES
One Earth’s “Species of the Week” series highlights an iconic species that represents the unique biogeography of each of the 185 bioreg ions of the Earth.Īs night falls in the thick, densely wooded forest that spans across the Great Lakes region and southeastern Canada, a low siren of a howl pierces through the dark and is followed by a chorus of equally eerie and majestic cries.
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