Wolf anatomy

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"Wolves are covered in a moderate length pelt across most of their body. The color of their fur may range from pure black to pure white, with any tint or shade of gray, tan, cream, ochre (yellow-gold), sienna (reddish brown), and brown between. On Wolves having light and dark patterned fur, the markings tend to be lighter on the ventral (belly) side of the body and graduate to darker/longer/thicker fur on the dorsal (back) side.

The ears, forehead, and top of the muzzle are usually of a short/course/lighter fur, mingled of dark and/or mid pelage tones with the underside of the muzzle and throat being of lighter pelage tones. The legs and paws also have short/course/ lighter fur. The tail is generally covered with a long/thick/bushy fur, the color scheme being similar to that of the rest of the Wolf; dark on top and lighter on the bottom. Light colored Wolves may even have a dark spot of fur covering the precaudal scent gland, also called the violet gland, at the top of their tail, about 10 cm (4 inches) from its base and on the tip.

In the wintertime a Wolf's pelt usually grows quite thick to keep the Wolf comfortable at cold temperatures. During this time the pelt fills in with a short, dense, under-growth of fine, or downy, light colored fur. This is sometimes called a "prime coat." In spring this fur is then shed, thinning the pelt dramatically to prevent the Wolf from over-heating as summer temperatures rise. Some call this thinning of the pelt "blowing" or "blowing-out" the coat.

Wolves are usually born with deep blue eyes which lighten and then gradually fade into the adult eye color over the next six to ten weeks. A mature Wolf's eyes are often amber/brown or gold, but also commonly come in hues of brown, gray, yellow, and green. It is interesting to note that puppies are born with blue eyes, while mature Wolves do not retain blue as an eye color. Huskies often have blue eyes, and because of this people think there must be blue eyed Wolves as well, but this isn't true. If you see a Wolf with blue eyes then he or she is likely a Wolf-hybrid and not a full-blooded Wolf.

A Wolf's eye sight is just about as good as that of a human being. However some experts believe that Wolves may be nearsighted because their eyes lack a foveal pit, an indentation in the retina which provides for focusing, especially on distant objects. Wolves have excellent peripheral vision and their eyes are optimized to detect motion. In addition, they have a very high ratio of rods (grayscale receptors) to cones (color receptors) in the retina; in fact, about 95% rods. This abundance of rods aids the Wolf in the ability to see at night. A Wolf's night vision is far superior to that of a human being.

Some Wolves, especially dark furred Wolves, have phases where their pelt lightens significantly during certain seasons or as they age. A black-phase Wolf starts life with a very dark or black pelt which may become lighter in the summer and then darken again in the winter. A dark or black-phase Wolf's fur also tends to lighten with age and may become light gray, or even white, as the Wolf reaches his or her senior years.

Wolves are generally born with dark or black fur which lightens as they mature. It is unlikely that Wolves are subject to albinism, as no living examples exist."

Wolf Howl Organization. (Unknown). "Wolf Anatomy". Available: http://www.runningwiththewolves.org/Anatomy.htm. Last accessed 26th Nov 2015.