Winter is Coming
Tundra's coat is getting thicker & more luxurious. This is the main way a wolf stays warm in the winter. It starts growing in late August as the sun gets lower in the sky it triggers a hormone to start producing the winter coat. Wolves live in very harsh environments with temperatures getting as low as -50C in BC but even colder in the Arctic where it can reach -65C. So the thick coat is the main defence against this bone chilling cold but what about the nose & paws? They do not have fur.
Wolves have adapted a counter-circulatory circulation system where the warm blood goes to the paws first to keep them warm. Along with the nose & ears. Humans do not possess this system so the blood gets to our fingers & toes last, therefore we are cold in our extremities. This circulation system is one of the many ways in which canis lupus can adequately cope with its harsh environment.
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteI have just found your blog about wolves. It seems we haven't come far from the days that Farley Mowatt wrote about in 1963. Wolves are still feared and considered fair game by many. I host a sort of natural history night, in Metchosin, on southern Van Island, about once a month that I call Talk and Walk. Usually it consists of a "Talk" on a Fri night, followed, if applicable on the Sat morning by a "Walk" that emphasizes the previous evenings "Talk". From 30 to 90 people attend. The whole point is to have people learn to know and appreciate all the species and fascinating links in nature that surround us, in the hopes this will lead to a commitment to personal stewardship of our wild spaces. Last night was on mushrooms and their mycorrhizal associations with 94% of the plants on this planet, but especially with forest trees, fascinating! I wonder if you are ever in this area and could give a presentation on wolves? One was seen a year or so ago, in Metchosin and I know they are in the Sooke Hills, although still hunted. I would really love to raise their profile and have people learn to care for them. I am in contact with a man who takes wildlife photos with a wildlife camera that he stations in the Hills. He's had some great shots of wolves at deer kills (along with bears, cougars and elk. Please contact me at 250-478-3838 or moraleamilne@gmail.com, if you are interested. I'm afraid this is all volunteer efforts and I don't have any funding, nor do I offer any money, nor charge people for admittance. I want as many people as possible to feel free to attend and learn. I could try to come up with some $ to help with your gas and you would be welcome to stay at my home while here, which has lots of room. Whether you can come here or not, thanks for caring for these magnificent animals. Moralea Milne