The gray wolf, or Canis lupus, is the larger of Kentucky's two historic wolf species. As adults, gray wolves weigh up to 120 pounds and reach lengths of 6.5 feet. The most common habitats for gray wolves are hardwood forests at varying levels of elevation, ranging from mountainous regions to near sea level. Gray wolves hunt large mammals such as deer, moose, bighorn sheep and caribou; these wolves will also eat smaller mammals. Contrary to red wolves, gray wolves live and hunt in packs of two to eight gray wolves. As their name suggests, gray wolves have gray fur all over their body.
The red wolf, or Canis rufus, receives its name from reddish-brown fur mixed with gray fur; the tip of their bushy tails have black hair. This wolf is smaller than its gray wolf counterpart, growing to 5.5 feet in length and weighing up to 80 pounds when it matures. When hunting, red wolves either hunt alone or with their female mate and offspring. Some of the red wolf's primary dietary items include small rodents and rabbits. Prairies, marshes and riparian areas are the preferred habitats of red wolves.
As of May 2011 the gray wolf and red wolf are both extirpated from the wild in Kentucky. This means they still live in the wild, but not in Kentucky. Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge in Nicholasville, Kentucky -- less than 30 minutes from Lexington -- is home to captive red and gray wolves; the refuge provides tours for classroom field trips and youth groups. The Species Survival Plan, or SSP, has made efforts to breed and repopulated gray and red wolves into the wild. Although no wolves have been reintroduced into the Kentucky wild, the SSP's Red Wolf Recovery Plan has installed red wolf populations in East Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains, less than three hours from Kentucky.
The hierarchy of wolf families is similar between gray wolves and red wolves. Wolves run in packs of two to 12, which are a mixture of males and females; all members of a wolf pack take care of their young. Wolf packs usually live together in a den, which may be a cave or a large tree hollow. Wolves also mark their scent on their den to prevent other wolf packs from coming to their territory. Both gray and red alpha male wolves howl in order to rally their pack together; other wolves in the pack are capable of howling as well. A wolf's howl is also used to let their pack know the whereabouts of prey.