What is the life history (life cycle) of the gray wolf?
Gray wolves breed once a year between January and March (normally only the male and female leaders of the pack.) After a 63-day gestation period, the mother gives birth to an average of 4-6 pups in April or May. Wolf pups are born blind and deaf, weighing about 1 pound. During the first 3 weeks, while the pups are nursing every 4 to 6 hours and still need help regulating their body temperatures, the mother usually stays with them in the den, eating food brought to her by other members of the pack. The pups are weaned at about 8 weeks of age after learning to eat more solid food in the form of regurgitated meals from the female or others members of the pack. Also at this time they are moved to one or more “rendezvous sites,” where they spend the remainder of the summer learning from the pack the ways of the wolf. At 6 to 8 months, the pups begin to travel with the pack and join in hunts. After reaching sexual maturity, usually at 2 to 3 years, most wolves leave their pack to find territ
