General Information: Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) are really big dogs with a long snout and a tail that is bushier than most domestic dogs. Their color ranges from white to black, but most are shades of gray.

Taxonomy: Mammalia (mammals), Carnivora (flesh eaters), Canidae (dogs)

Technical Description: Head and body to 4-ft long, tail to 19 inches, height to 28 inches at the shoulder, weight to 120 pounds. Nose pad more than 1-inch wide. Runs with tail held upright. Eyeshine green-orange.

Breeding: Live and breed under a complex social system.

Diet: Wolves eat anything that doesn't run faster than they do, but their diet mainly consists of ground squirrels and other small rodents, rabbits, carrion (the meat of dead animals), deer, and plant matter.

Range: Most all of Canada and Alaska, and a few scattered locations in the lower 48 states.

Preferred Habitat: wilderness forests, open tundra.

Where to Find: Don't look for wild Gray Wolves around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them on trips to Yellowstone National Park and places farther north.

Comments: Coyotes are social creatures, usually living in packs. They hunt socially, with members of the pack spreading out to scare up prey items, and then individuals taking turns running it until it is exhausted and caught.