Q: Hey, what's that eye icon for? A: NOTHING. It's just a graphic we thought would look cool. Don't go there. Just ... go sign the guestbook or something.	Lykos Institute FAQs     Q: What is L.I.?   A: L.I. is a non-profit organization, founded by Rafael Stone, located in Chicago, Illinois. His brother and co-founder, Dr. Gabriel Stone, oversees daily operations and is one of the institute's leading researchers. Q: What is L.I.'s goal?   A: L.I. promotes the humane treatment of canines, both wild and domestic, through educational programs. Our facilities include: Wildlife Exhibits Canine Training (Obedience, Security, Law enforcement) Biological research Habitat preservation Fun Wolf Facts Q: Is that all?   A: Our exhibits are open Monday through Friday from May through August. Special school tours are available upon request during the Fall and Spring months. Sorry. Our research facilities are off limits to the public. Check your local listings for our training schedules. Yes. That's about it. Stop by anytime. :) And remember... The strength of the Pack is the Wolf And the strength of the Wolf is the Pack Rudyard Kipling
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FUN WOLF FACTS

Feeding Habits

• Wolves are carnivores. Moose, deer, caribou, elk, and bison are their primary food source; although, small mammals such as hare, beaver, and even mice, birds and fish will suppliment a pack's diet.
• Wolves have 42 teeth. Their biting capacity is 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. A wolf's jaws are strong enough to bite through a moose femur in a few bites!
• Since wolves are opportunistic, very young, old, or diseased animals are preyed upon more heavily than other age classes. The balancing act between predator and prey is relatively fragile and can be easily disrupted.
• A pack may kill a deer or moose every few days during the winter. At other times, they may go for several days with almost no food.

Packs & Their Territory

• Gray wolves travel greater distances than any other terrestrial mammal except the caribou, often traveling up to 30 miles a day in search of food.
• Gray wolves inhabit 85 percent of Alaska, but in the rest of the United States only Minnesota has a substantial population of wild wolves.
  (However, habitat preservation and other efforts in recent years have helped to increase the wolf population in some parts of the country.)
• A wolf pack's territory vary with location. In Alaska, territories range from a few hundred miles to as many as a thousand. The average is 600 square miles. In the continental U.S., the average is 25 to 150 square miles.
• Wolf packs usually have 2 to 12 members, but some are known to have up to 30.
• Packs are social creatures that adhere to a dominance heirarchy. Leaders (typically a male and female pair) are known as Alphas. Next in command are betas. And the lowest in the chain are omegas.

Appearance

• Pelt color of wolves range from black to nearly white, with every shade of gray and tan between these extremes.
• Wolves reach their adult size by the end of their first year.
• Adult males can weigh from 40 to 175 pounds, with the largest occurring where food supply is plentiful. Their length varies between 4'6" to 6'6".
• Females are typically 5 to 10 pounds lighter.

Breeding

• Wolves normally breed in February and March. Gestation lasts 63 days.
• Litters are 2 to 10 pups, but average around 5.
• In spite of a generally high birth rate, wolves rarely become abundant because mortality is high. Average life span in the wild is 6 to 8 years; in captivity they've been known to live up to 16 years. (By comparison, that's the equivalent to 112 human years.)
• In some parts of the country (where they are not listed as an endangered or protected species), hunting and trapping are the major sources of mortality. However, diseases, malnutrition, and accidents are also contributing factors.

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