Gray Wolf Facts

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest member of the Canidae (dog) family, with a range extending through Alaska and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming. Gray wolves share their ancestry with domestic dogs, coyotes, and wild dogs such as dingoes. Scientists consider the gray wolf to be the species from which most other wolf subspecies evolved. The gray wolf is classified as part of the kingdom Animalia, order Carnivora, family Canidae,  and the subfamily Caninae. Fast Facts: Gray Wolves Scientific Name: Canis lupusCommon Name(s): Gray wolf, timber wolf, wolfBasic Animal Group:  Mammal  Ã‚  Size: 36 to 63 inches; tail: 13 to 20 inchesWeight: 40–175 poundsLifespan: 8–13 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat:  Alaska, northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, western Montana, northern Idaho, northeast Oregon, and the  Yellowstone  area of WyomingPopulation:  17,000 in the United StatesConservation  Status:  Least Concern Description Gray wolves look very much like large German shepherd dogs, with pointed ears and long, bushy, black-tipped tails. Wolf coat colors vary from white to gray to brown to black; most have a mix of colors with tan facial markings and undersides. Northern wolves are often larger than southern wolves, and males are usually larger than females. Jim Cumming/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Gray wolves were once found in large numbers throughout the Northern Hemisphere—in Europe, Asia, and North America. At one time or another, gray wolves have ranged across nearly every type of environment found north of the equator from deserts to tundra, but they were hunted to near extinction wherever they were found. In the ecosystems they inhabit, wolves are a keystone species: They have a large influence on their environment despite their low abundance. Gray wolves exert control on their prey species, changing the numbers and behavior of large herbivores like deer (which is now overabundant in many places), thus ultimately affecting even the vegetation. Because of that important role, wolves hold a central place in  rewilding projects. The gray wolf is an extremely adaptable species and is one of those animal species that survived the last ice age. The gray wolfs physical characteristics enabled it to adapt quickly to the harsh conditions of the ice age, and its cunning and adaptation helped it survive in the changing environment. Diet Gray wolves typically prey on large ungulates (mammals with hooves) such as deer, elk, moose, and caribou. Gray wolves also eat smaller mammals such as hares and beavers as well as fish, birds, lizards, snakes, and fruit. Wolves are also scavengers and will eat the flesh of animals killed by other predators, by motor vehicles, and so on. When wolves find ample food or hunt successfully, they eat their fill. A single wolf may consume as much as 20 pounds of meat in a single feeding. Behavior Gray wolves are social animals. They usually live and hunt in packs of six to 10 members and often range over long distances—up to 12 miles or more—in a single day. Typically, several members of a wolf pack will hunt together, cooperating to pursue and bring down large prey. Wolf packs follow a strict hierarchy with a dominant male and female at the top. The Alpha male and female are usually the only two wolves in the pack that breed. All of the adult wolves in the pack help to care for the pups by bringing them food, instructing them, and keeping them from harm. Gray wolves have a complex system of communication that includes a wide range of barks, whines, growls, and howls. Their iconic and legendary howl is one way that gray wolves communicate with each other. A lone wolf may howl to attract the attention of his pack while wolves in the same pack may howl together to establish their territory and declare it to other wolf packs. Howling may also be confrontational or may simply be an answering call to the howls of other wolves nearby. Andyworks/Getty Images Reproduction and Offspring Most wolves mate for life, breeding once a year between January and March (or earlier in the south). The gestation period is about 63 days; wolves usually give birth to between four and six pups. Wolf mothers give birth in a den (typically a burrow or cave), where they can oversee the welfare of tiny pups which are born blind and weigh only about one pound. She will move the pups several times during the first few months of their lives. To feed their young, wolves regurgitate their food until the pups are old enough to manage meat on their own. Young wolves stay with their natal pack until they are about three years old. At that point, they make the decision to either stay with their pack or strike out on their own. Enn Li  Photography/Getty Images   Conservation Status Gray wolves have a conservation status of Least Concern, meaning that there is a large and stable population. Wolves were successfully reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and parts of Idaho in 1995. They have been naturally recolonizing parts of their former range, moving into Washington and Oregon. In 2011, a lone male wolf made it to California. There is now a resident pack there. In the Great Lakes region, gray wolves are now thriving in Minnesota, Michigan, and now Wisconsin. One of the challenges of expanding gray wolf populations is that people continue to fear wolves, many farmers and ranchers consider gray wolves a menace to livestock, and hunters want the government to declare open season on gray wolves to stop them preying on game animals such as deer, moose, and elk. By the mid-1930s, most gray wolves in the United States had been killed. Today, the gray wolfs North American range has been reduced to Canada and parts of Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Mexican wolves, a gray wolf subspecies, are found in New Mexico and Arizona. Gray Wolves and Humans Wolves and human beings have a long adversarial history. Although wolves rarely attack humans, both wolves and humans are predators at the top of the food chain. As a result, they are often in conflict as habitats decline and wolves become more likely to attack livestock. Negative feelings toward wolves have been nurtured over the centuries through popular culture. Fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood represent wolves as vicious predators; these negative representations make it very difficult to present wolves as a species to be protected. Despite negative interactions, wolves are also seen as symbols of strength and icons of the wilderness. This may be one reason why there is an increased interest in keeping wolves or wolf/dog hybrids as pets—a practice which is rarely successful for the animal or its owner. Sources Booker, Emily. â€Å"Ten Interesting Facts about Gray Wolves.†Ã‚  WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 21 July 2011, www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-gray-wolves.â€Å"Gray Wolf.†Ã‚  National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Gray-Wolf.Sartore, Joel. â€Å"Wolf | National Geographic.†Ã‚  Wolf | National Geographic, 7 Mar. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/g/gray-wolf/.

Black Plague And The Plague - 1367 Words

1,825. The amount of days it took a deadly disease to kill over twenty million citizens of Europe. By the 14th century, the plague had wiped out sixty percent of Europe’s population. Because of its devastating fatality rate, The Black Plague was one of the most devastating pandemics in history. The disease was made famous by the outbreak in Europe, however it did not originate there. The origination of the Plague, History of the Plague, Strains and Symptoms, as well as effects of the Plague are essential ideas, important to understand the Black Plague. The Black Plague is said to have originated in Central Asia in the early 1300s, according to an article titled ‘Black Death: The Disease’ by BBC. Prior to the most famous instance of the Black Plague in Europe, the disease killed an estimated fifteen million in central Asia. According to an article in the New York Times, by Nicholas Wade, â€Å"After much research, it was determined that the Plague disease was caused by the Yersinia pestis, a bacterium commonly associated with rats, but originating from the fleas that were carried by rodents.† As the Silk Road extended to many countries and regions, it was a prime travel route for such a deadly disease. It was predominantly carried by Mongol Armies and traders, and spread by the rodents that infested ships traveling to neighboring regions. Before it struck Europe in 1346, it wiped out many regions such as Mesopotamia, Syria, India, and Armenia. It was a wild spreading disease,Show MoreRelatedThe Plague Of The Bla ck Plague1624 Words   |  7 Pageswhat became known as the Black Death of the fourteenth century, possible death to most, spread by measly fleas and rats. Because of the rapid outbreak of this terrifying disease, death defying symptoms, and resulted in the death of 25 million people, the Black Plague is considered the greatest catastrophe ever.†¯ †¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The Black Plague started in Italy. The plague traveled from Italy to Europe. Jim Ollhoff, author of the The Black Death, described the outbreak of the plague as a â€Å"deadly hitchhiker†Read MoreThe Plague Of The Black Plague1261 Words   |  6 PagesThe Black Plague is a disease that spread around the world and killed many people. There are three different types of the plague; Bubonic, Septicemic, and Pneumonic (Dugdale). The Black Plague effected Europe greatly and effected there way of life. It came to Europe around the 1300s and had a great impact on society in the 1500s (History). Important parts of the black plague are the different types of the plague, how they spread, treatments for them, and effects the plague had on Europe in the 1500sRead MoreThe Plague Of The Black Plague Essay2352 Words   |  10 PagesABSTRACT The Bubonic Plagues a highly lethal infection caused by the microbe Yersinia pestis. This plague is most commonly associated with the plague of the 14th century, when it wiped out nearly half of the entire European population. The Bubonic Plague spread rapidly throughout Europe and was an often fatal illness, characterized by enlarged lymph nodes with pus filled buboes, gangrene, septicemia, and severe lung infections, followed by the quick onslaught of death. The Black Plague is the worstRead MoreBlack Plague1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epidemic is Here The Black Plague, one of the most devastating out breaks in history, is an historical event brought about with a great depression throughout Europe. This plague brought out the worst in mankind during the time the plague ran its course. How do people behave, when there environment becomes life threatening? (Herlihy, 18). The Black Death accounted for nearly one third of the deaths in Europe. Due to the death of many people there were severe shortages in labors, duringRead MoreThe Black Plague1207 Words   |  5 Pages The black plague, the foremost severe epidemic in human history, ravaged Europe from 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed a minimum of 1 village. Greatly causal to the Crisis of the Fourteenth Century, Not only did the black plague take a devastating toll on human life, but it to boot contend a major role in shaping European life among the years following. The black plague consisted primarily of plague; but plague was to boo t gift among the epidemic. SymptomsRead MoreThe Black Plague608 Words   |  2 PagesThe Black Plague What is the Black Plague? The Black Plague first was found in Europe around the 1300’s, killing roughly about 25 million people. The disease was often carried by rats and their fleas. People contracted the plague when they were bitten by a flea that carried the plague bacteria from a rodent. The cause of plague was not discovered until the famous outbreak in China, in 1855. The first breakthrough came in Hong Kong, when researchers secluded the rodent bacteria, known as,YersiniaRead MoreDeath by the Black Plague1017 Words   |  4 Pages The plague was the most devastating pandemic in human history, killing around 80-200 million people mostly throughout Europe, leaving most people back then wondering how they and others got sick and died. â€Å"Evidence available from rural continental Europe suggests a slow spread of human mortality across trade and travel routes, patterns consistent† (Carmichael 3), until after multiple inventions such as printing, word spread of this murderer, preventing mo re deaths and to treat those affected. ThisRead MoreThe Black Death Plague795 Words   |  3 PagesThe Black Death is one of the worst disease in ancient history. It was an epidemic that killed millions of people between 1349-1351.Many people suffered from lack of care and lack of remedy, also it became difficult to find a medical person to diagnose such a horrible disease. Boccaccio, Tura and Venette describe the physical and social effect of Europe when the Plague had begun. In this selection, they describe how people respond and changed their behaviors .People were so scared from Plague thereforeRead MoreThe Plague Of The Black Death1798 Words   |  8 Pagesoutbreaks of the Black Death pandemic in the world. In the history the Black Plague is also called as the Black Death or Bubonic Plague. This research paper will mainly cover the European outbreak of the 14th century as it is considered to be the era of the worst time of the Black Death period. Many historians would agree t hat the events of 1300s led to dramatic changes affecting every European country in all the aspects. Creating economic, social, religious, and medical issues, the Black Death causedRead MoreBlack Plague And The Black Epidemic1337 Words   |  6 PagesBlack Plague The Black Plague outbreak was one of the scariest events in human history. The people were afraid to do everyday activities and carry on with their normal routines. This plague is known to almost every person on Earth. Even as a kid, teachers tell their students about this plague. Even the thought of an outbreak like the Black Plague makes people’s skin crawl. I am included in that category. It has gotten to the point that when any outbreak of any type or kind of disease happens

Mahatma Gandhi’s Death Free Essays

What are we to make of Gandhi’s life? How should we judge this homespun-wearing politician-saint, the man who brought down an empire by preaching brotherhood and nonviolence? At the very end, with his beloved India reaping its own destruction, Gandhi considered himself a failure. But his place in history is secure, and it does not diminish his greatness to point out that in some respects, he had failed. He had spent his life working toward the achievement of independence for India without violence or division–†you can cut me in two if you wish,† he famously told Muhammed Jinnah, â€Å"but don’t cut India in two. We will write a custom essay sample on Mahatma Gandhi’s Death or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yet in the end, he was forced to watch as his newborn country was torn by one of the great human calamities of the century. Gandhi had made India ungovernable for the British, but in the autumn of 1947, it became ungovernable for anyone. If his political dream was in some sense a failure, so too was his dream of an India cleansed of the age-old inequities of caste and prejudice, and yet uncorrupted by modern technology and industry. He imagined a country where countless Indian peasants wove their own clothes and tilled their own land, without what he considered the ruinous effects of modernity. But after his death, history passed him by: his great disciple, Jawaharlal Nehru, was an ardent socialist, and by the 1950s Nehru’s five-year plans were turning India into an industrial state–and eventually, a nuclear state. Meanwhile, the iniquities of class and gender that he had so loathed persisted, even into the 21st century. Yet Gandhi had to aspire as high as he did to achieve what he did; indeed he won triumphs for India that less idealistic leaders would never have dreamed possible. No one did more than Gandhi to improve the lot of poor Indians, and if his dreams fell short of reality, it was not because the dreams were flawed, but because the human race, which he loved so much, could not rise to the standard he set. It is true that India split after independence, but without Gandhi’s labor, without the power of his person, there would have been no India at all. The nationalists of the Indian National Congress fought for independence, but they were, and always would be, a Westernized elite, out of touch with the vast masses inhabiting the real India. It was Gandhi, the Mahatma, who made the people of the subcontinent believe in the idea of an Indian nation; indeed, it was he, the frail, bespectacled figure with the simple clothes and the ready smile, who embodied this idea throughout the long decades of struggle. To the Indian people, Gandhi gave a nation. To the world, he gave satyagraha, arguably the most revolutionary idea of a long and ravaged century. He showed that political change could be affected by renouncing violence; that unjust laws could be defied peacefully and with a readiness to accept punishment; that â€Å"soul-force,† as much as armed force, could bring down an empire. He drew this lesson from his readings of the Bible and Tolstoy and the Bhagavad-Gita, and he taught it to Martin Luther King Jr. , Nelson Mandela, and countless other political protestors who would follow his example in the years to come. In some sense, Gandhi’s greatest achievement lay in his legacy; for his ideals, and the example he provided in living them out, inspired, and continue to inspire, people of all nations to take up the peaceful struggle for freedom from oppression. India won independence in 1947, followed by the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, and partition of India. Gandhi said, â€Å"Before partitioning India, my body will have to be cut into two pieces. † About one million people died in the bloody riots until partition was reluctantly asserted by Gandhi as the only way to stop the Civil War. He urged the Congress Party to accept partition, and launched his last â€Å"fast-into-death† campaign in Delhi, calling for a stop to all violence. Gandhi also called to give Pakistan the 550,000,000 rupees in honor of the partition agreement. He tried to prevent instability and anger against India. Gandhi was shot three times in the chest and died while on his way to a prayer meeting, on January 30, 1948. His assassins were convicted and executed a year later. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were split in portions and sent to all states of India to be scattered in rivers. Part of Gandhi’s ashes rest in Raj Ghat, near Delhi, India. Part of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes are at the Lake Shrine in Los Angeles. How to cite Mahatma Gandhi’s Death, Papers

Sociological Perspective free essay sample

The African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s focused on attaining the most basic rights for African Americans. This Movement focused on the fundamental issues that for White Americans were a basic right. They were freedom, respect, dignity, and economic and social equality. This was a movement of ordinary people who made the difficult decision to stand up for what they believe in. They did this knowing that there would be a price to pay, whether it be being jailed, assaulted, or in some cases even killed. The sociological and psychological motivation behind this Movement, and what drove ordinary people to stand up for what they believed in, and accomplish extraordinary achievements for African-American Civil Rights is that of strength, and determination to stand up for what is just. From a psychological perspective it is important to understand the period before the Civil Rights movement was born. This struggle had been fought since the post-Civil War years, when African-Americans fought for the emancipation of slavery (Farber, 1994). Bernard McGrane suggests we adopt a beginners mind and that we should see everything from fresh yes while making no assumptions about how things are supposed to be (19). While using a sociological perspective, many advantages can result. A person sees an occurrence with impartiality in a sociological way. This may involve the vital evaluation of certain things while still accepting what the reality is even if it is not very agreeable. This perspective helps us in thinking about several experiences critically with respect to sociology. As a result, many questions often arise, which enhances an individuals knowledge. Another advantage of this perspective is that by racticing it, a person is able to observe the different ways in which people behave. The observer can understand a particular persons behavior with respect to his or her surroundings and their experiences in life. These actions assist in creating different relationships between behavior and other variables. Once these relationships are established, it is easier to study how they develop over a period of time and how they are influenced by other factors as the time progresses. Using the sociological perspective in our everyday lives, one can study the behavior atterns of poor and homeless people or the behavior of people with a classy type of upbringing. Criminology, why people commit crimes, is a core facet of sociology. The sociological perspective, when it comes to crime, seems to be far from the current American policy of dealing with criminals. Sociological research suggests that crime, like all other decisions, is not something that someone simply chooses to do. When we examine the data, we see a strong correlation between crime and factors like poverty, low levels of education, and deviant activity by family and peers. We may think of marriage as the simple product of personal feelings. Yet, the sociological perspective shows us that patterns involving our sex, age, race and social class guide our selections of partners throughout our lives. Consider the decision by women to bear children. Like the selection of a mate, the choice of how many children to have would seem to be a personal one. Yet, there are social patterns here as well. The average woman in the United States and Canada has slightly fewer than two children during her lifetime. In other countries however, the choice could be anywhere from poor countries have less funding and fewer economic opportunities, they are more likely to remain in the home, and are less likely to use contraception. Clearly, society has much to do with the decisions women and men make about childbearing and mate selection. Thats why the sociological perspective exists: to eliminate the tinted shades of nationality, race, religion, or gender. It exists to give credibility to the sociological science so that anyone can look at data and realize that it is fact and not fiction. The sociological perspective helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives. Sociological thinking leads us to see that, in the game of life, we may have a say in how to play our cards, but it is society that deals us the hand. The more we understand the game, the better players we learn to be. Sociology helps us size up the world around us so that we can more effectively pursue our goals. The sociological perspective empowers us to be active participants in our society. The better we understand how society operates, the more effective citizens we become. Personally, I think that the sociological perspective weakens the general populations idea of self identity when theyre not allowed to determine for themselves what they in fact want to do with their lives. The less amount of influence you have, the more the individual has to determine whats the best path for their lives and the most efficient and self sufficient course they must take. If we apply the sociological perspective to our daily lives, we are likely to feel that we are simply following a blueprint for a society in which only the people who idealized it will appreciate.