What do wolves eat?
Wolves’ preferred food is ungulates (large hoofed mammals like deer, elk, moose, mountain sheep, and bison). They will also eat smaller mammals like hares, rabbits, beavers, and rodents, and will sometimes catch and eat fish and small birds. Here’s an article and picture of a wolf catching a salmon in Alaska. The wolf is in the upper right hand corner, with a fish in its mouth. Wolves will eat plants and berries though not in great quantities.
Wolves primarily eat meat. Their favorite prey is large ungulates (hoofed mammals) such as deer, elk, moose, caribou and bison. Since many of these animals are larger than wolves, the only way wolves can catch them is to live and hunt in groups. Wolves will also catch and eat rabbits, mice, birds, snakes, fish and other animals. Wolves will eat non-meat items (such as vegetables), but not often. Even working together, it is hard for wolves to catch their prey. Healthy deer can easily outrun wolves, and large animals like moose or bison often stand their ground until the wolves give up. Some studies have shown that when wolves hunt deer, an average of 84 to 87 out of every 100 deer escape. The ones caught are usually old, sick, or very young, rather than healthy animals in the prime of life. Some documentaries show hunting wolves growling or snarling at their prey with their hackles raised. Wolves do not do this. Growling and snarling are part of social aggression expressions of an inte
Wolves are carnivores (meat eaters). If food is scarce, wolves will eat other foreign foods. Wolves’ diet ranges from big game to little game and some little critters. When it is time to eat the food the alpha male and the alpha female would eat first. After the alpha male and alpha female eat, the remaining pack members will dig in. Alpha male and female get the most food. The other wolves in the pack get less food. Wolves eat there food very fast to avoid it from being stolen. That makes the chances of losing their meal less. They eat the best parts of the carcass first, then the wolves will come back later for the other parts. They will cache (hide) the food in the snow or the icy soil, which will help preserve it. Wolves can eat every five to six hours when there is plenty of food or they can live on scraps for two weeks if there is less food. Wolves eat several large animals such as moose, deer, elk, caribou, and musk oxen. Wolves will also eat smaller animals such as beavers, rab
Wolves are carnivores, or meat eaters. Gray wolves prey primarily on ungulates – large, hoofed mammals such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, Dall sheep, musk oxen, and mountain goats. Medium-sized mammals, such as beaver and snowshoe hares, can be an important secondary food source. Occasionally wolves will prey on birds or small mammals such as mice and voles, but these are supplementary to their requirements for large amounts of meat. Wolves have been observed catching fish in places like Alaska and western Canada. They will also kill and eat domestic livestock such as cattle and sheep, and they will consume carrion if no fresh meat is available. Some wolves eat small amounts of fruit, although this is not a significant part of their diet. If prey is abundant, wolves may not consume an entire carcass, or they may leave entire carcasses without eating. This is called “surplus killing” and seems inconsistent with the wolves’ habit of killing because they are
