Wolfs diet

Like all land mammals that are pack hunters, the wolf feeds predominantly on wild herbivorous hoofed mammals that can be divided into large size 240–650 kg (530–1,430 lb) and medium size 23–130 kg (51–287 lb), and have a body mass similar to that of the combined mass of the pack members.[55][56] The wolf specializes in preying on the vulnerable individuals of large prey,[41] with a pack of 15 able to bring down an adult moose.[57] The variation in diet between wolves living on different continents is based on the variety of hoofed mammals and of available smaller and domesticated prey.[58]

In North America, the wolf’s diet is dominated by wild large hoofed mammals (ungulates) and medium-sized mammals. In Asia and Europe, their diet is dominated by wild medium-sized hoofed mammals and domestic species. The wolf depends on wild species, and if these are not readily available, as in Asia, the wolf is more reliant on domestic species.[58] Across Eurasia, wolves prey mostly on moose, red deer, roe deer and wild boar.[59] In North America, important range-wide prey are elk, moose, caribou, white-tailed deer and mule deer.[60] Wolves can digest their meal in a few hours and can feed several times in one day, making quick use of large quantities of meat.[61] A well-fed wolf stores fat under the skin, around the heart, intestines, kidneys, and bone marrow, particularly during the autumn and winter.[62]