Tips on what you’ll need: Good sharp pencil, clean pad of paper, and time!

Here’s another video that’s a little simpler that shows how to draw a wolf howling. The artist shows some basic techniques which will help you draw one pretty quickly!

And here’s a speed wolf drawing – this one is in pastels and doesn’t quite take you step by step, but let’s you see how it’s done in super fast speed! It’s a close-up of a wolf face instead of a full wolf’s body.

WOLF

• Larger in size than a coyote (typically 1 foot longer)
• Average weight is from 50 – 100 pounds
• Ears are typically rounded
• Snout is typically blocky
• Can run up to 35 mph
• Wolf paw print is typically 3.5 inches or more
• Wolf fur is typically darker colored than coyote fur.

COYOTE

• Smaller in size than a wolf (typically 1 foot longer)
• Average weight is from 25 – 50 pounds
• Ears are typically pointed
• Snout is typically pointed
• Can run up to 30mph
• Coyote paw print is typically 3 inches or less
• Coyote fur is typically lighter colored than wolf fur.

Wolf Movies List

A Cry In The Wild
A Man Among Wolves
Alpha and Omega
Arashi No Yoru Ni (One Stormy Night)
Balto
Balto 2: Wolf Quest
Call of the Wild
Dances with Wolves
Frozen
Kavik the Wolfdog
Ladyhawke
Mowgli’s Brothers
Never Cry Wolf
Night of the Wolf
Peter and the Wolf
Princess Mononoke
Silver Wolf
The Grey
The Journey of Natty Gann
The Legend of Lobo
The Maiden and the Wolves
The Secret of Kells
Three Little Pigs
Time of the Wolf
White Fang
White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf
White Wolves
White Wolves 2: Legend of the Wild
White Wolves 3: Cry of the White Wolf
Wolf Summer

1. Wolves live in packs of three to seven on average, however there is documentation of packs with as many as 36 members.
2. The scientific name for wolf is Canis lupus.
3. The wolf’s average life span is  7 – 10 years.
4. Wolves in captivity can live 16 years.
5. Wolves weigh on average 75 – 100 pounds.
6. The heaviest recorded wolf was 175 pounds (79 kg).
7. Most wolves mate during the period from January to April.
8. They usually mate only once a year.
9. Wolves like to hunt in packs.
10. Wolves are carnivores.
11. Young wolves leave the pack at around the age of 1 – 2 years old.
12. If a wolf cannot find meat, he has been known to eat insects, berries, and plants.
13. Wolves can grow to approximately 5 feet long.
14. Adult females are on average half an inch shorter than adult males.
15. The dominant male/female pair in a wolf pack is called the Alpha Pair.
16. The dominant individual in the pack is called the Alpha.
17. An average litter size is 6.
18. Wolves can be many different colors including white, grey, red, and black.
19. The only natural predator of the wolf is the human.
20. Wolves have 42 teeth.
21. Baby wolves can be called pups, cubs, or whelps.
22. Baby wolves are born deaf and blind.
23. Beta wolves are second in position in a pack.
24. The lowest position in the wolf pack is the omega wolf.
25. A wolf can exert 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch with it’s jaw.
26. Wolves can swim up to 8 miles.
27. They walk at a speed of approximately 4 miles per hour.
28. They run at a speed of approximately 10 imles per hour.
29. Some wolves can run as fast as 35 miles per hour if they need arises.
30. Wolves can hear as far as 10 miles.
31. They can roam as much as 50 miles per day.
32. Wolves tend to avoid human contact.
33. They can eat as much as 20 to 30 pounds of food at once.
34. They are part of the canine family.
35. The wolf coat has two layers – guard hairs and underfur.
36. A wolf’s sense of smell is at least 100 times better than that of a human.
37. They typically travel in single file.
38. Their paws can be as much as 6 inches long.
39. They are considered full grown at 18 months of age.
40. Gray wolves are active mostly at night.
41. A wolf howl can travel for miles.
42. They walk on the tips of their toes.
43. Wolves usually hunt at night.
44. There are 5 to 14 pups in a litter.
45. Wolves groom each other.
46. Howls are used to communicate.
47. All adults in a pack care for the pups.
48. They have rounded ears.
49. They shed their fur in the spring and summer.
50. They use their tails to help keep their face warm in cold weather.

Are these reincarnations werewolves?
A human soul that comes back to inhabit the body of a wolf, does not technically meet the definition of a werewolf. Traditionally, one of the key characteristics of a werewolf is that he or she transforms or shifts. In cases where the werewolf does not physically shift, they mentally shift.

Another key characteristic of a werewolf is that they are human at least at some point. In the case of the aforementioned reincarnated human – they are simply wolves – never human.  There is no manner of transformation, but rather their soul has permanently left the human form and is now wolf.  In many cases not only do they do not remember their human life at all, they do not think, act, or behave even remotely human…they are essentially the animal they are reincarnated as. This is not to say that it’s impossible for wolves to become humans (there is some lore to suggest it can occur), simply that it is rather unlikely.

For these reasons..primarily the lack of humanity which is generally inherent at some point for the werewolf…it does not appear correct to call a reincarnated human a werewolf.  Although it is easy to see why some get confused and do call them werewolves.

The great masquerade.
As it turns out, when demons (evil spirits) take physical form, they often do so in specific animals. Some animals they never appear as, but others are favored by them – possibly for fear-inducing qualities or other traits that the animal/insect may naturally contain.  They also look for creatures that are “nighttime” creatures, or “mysterious” creatures.  Some of the animals that are most often chosen by demons when they take physical form include:

• cockroaches
• flies
• bats
• beetle
• rats
• ravens
• serpents
• worms
• toads
• spiders
• wolves

Yes wolves.

Human subconscious beliefs can influence how they feel about werewolves
There are some folklore and legends that cite that demons sometimes choose wolves as one of their animals of choice.  The legends depict these demon-possessed wolves as vicious, evil manipulative creatures  with no soul and little hope of redemption.  This folklore has seeped into the human culture and has become an integral part of  modern-day novels and movies.  As an result of this,  many human’s  preconceived subconscious feeling of wolves effect how and what they think about werewolves. And thusly, this depiction comes out in movies and novels.

Quick facts about Canis Lupus:

• Their average lifespan is 6 – 8 years.
• They live in “packs” which are comprised of 2 – 12 wolves.
• They are considered carnivores – aka meat eaters!
• They are the ancestor of the domestic dog.
• They are part of the “dog” family.
• There are 5 subspecies of Canis Lupus, they include:
  • Canis lupus occidentalis (aka Alaskan Wolves)
  • Canis lupus nubilus (aka Great Plains Wolves)
  • Canis lupus baileyi (aka Mexican Wolves)
  • Canis lupus arctos (aka Arctic Wolves)
  • Canis lupus lycaon (aka Eastern Wolves)
• A large portion of the wolf population in the United States lives in the state of Alaska.
• One of the largest populations in the world is in Romania.  Other large populations can be found in Poland, and other areas of Eastern Europe.
• The U.S. states of Minnesota, Michigan, Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Wisconsin, Montana, and Arizona have populations of wolves.
• They are alpha-predators, meaning they have few creatures that are predators upon them.  The only creatures that they might consider predators are tigers and humans!

Interesting fact:
The domestic dog is otherwise known by its scientific name as Canis lupus familiaris!

Albanian – ujk / vjuk

Algonquin – mahigan

Apache – ba’cho, ba’uchaahi, ma’cho

Arabic – the’eb

Armenian – gayl

Asturiano – llobu, lloba

Athabascan – teekon

Bulgarian – walk

Cherokee – wahy’a

Cheyenne – ho’nene; maiyun

Chinese – yitiao lang

Chinook – lelou, leloo

Chipewyan – segolia , nuniye

Choctaw – neshoba

Cree – Mahigan

Croation – vuk

Czech – vlk

Danish – ulv

Dutch – Wolf

Estonian – Hunt

Farsi – gorg

Finnish – susi

French – loup

German – der wolf

Georgian – mgeli

Greek – liekos/ lyk

Greenland-Inuit – amarog

Hebrew – Ze’ev

Hindi – hundar bheriya

Hopi – kweeuu

Hungarian – farkas

Icelandic – úlfur

Indonesian – serigala

Iranian – Gorg

Irish – Faolchu

Italian – lupo

Japanese – Ookami

Kiowa – kooy

Korean – Nuk-dae

Latin – lupus

Latvian – vilks

Lenape – mohegan, te-me

Lithuanian – vilkas

Mongolian – tchono

Navajo – ma’iitsoh

Nepali – Bvaso

Nootka – lokwa’

Norwegian – ulv

Nahuatl – cuetlachtli / nexcoyotl

Ojibwe – Maengun

Otomí – gamiñ’o

Pawnee – skiri’ ki

Polish – wilk

Portuguese – lobo

Romanian – lup

Russian – volka

Scots – Warwulf

Seminole – o-ba-ho-she

Seneka – kyiyu

Serb – vuk

Shawnee – m-weowa

Shoshone – beya ish

Sioux – tala

Slovak – vlk

Slovenian – volk

Swedish – varg

Spanish – Lobo

Tibetan – bhangi

Turkish – kurt

Urdu – bheria

Ute – sinapu

Vietnamese – Chó Sói

Why did the wolf cross the road?
He was chasing the chicken!

What did one wolf say to the other wolf?
Howl’s it goin’!

What do wolves have that no other animal has?
Wolf cubs!

What did one hungry wolf say to the other?
Let’s go catch some fast food.

What does a wolf say on halloween?
Happy Hoooowloween!

How do wolves eat their food?
They wolf it down!

What do you get if you cross a wolf with a monkey?
A howler monkey!

What is a wolf’s favorite car?
A Volkswagon rabbit!

What do dogs say when they see a wolf?
Woolf! Woolf!

What is a wolf’s favorite food?
You!

Knock, knock
Who’s there?
A Fred!
A Fred who?
Who’s a Fred of the Big Bad Wolf

So what does the wolf mean in your dream?

Here are some possibilities…

• If you dream about a wolf, it is said that it could represent a need for solitude.
• It could also represent loneliness.
• Some claim that the wolf in dreams can represent inner mystery.
• Wolves can also represent hidden anger or jealousy.
  
• Others say the wolf could represent feeling of hostility or aggression that you may have.
• And still others say it could mean you have feeling of “power” and “leadership”.
• Some people say that if you dream about a whole pack of wolves, it could mean that you feel that you are someone’s prey or that someone is stalking you or attacking you.

One of the easiest methods in learning the technique on how to howl is by listening to howls.  A werewolf’s howl often sounds similar to a wolf’s howl, so you can get many tips on how to howl by listening to the sounds of wolves howling in the wild.

Can you howl?  Here are a few tips so you can learn!

1. When you listen to howls, you’ll notice that the tones of the howl are not monotone, but rather change octaves throughout the course of the howl….your howl should be similar.
2. Also, the howls often have different volumes throughout the course of the howl – often starting soft, getting louder, and then finishing soft again.
3. Finally, the pitch of the howl is not always necessarily the pitch of your voice – it can be higher or lower than your speaking voice – do what comes naturally, don’t force it too low or too high, and you will see where your howl’s pitch naturally ends up.

Don’t be afraid if your howl sounds different from other howls that you’ve heard. No two howls ever sound exactly the same.  Like a voice, everyone’s will sound unique to themselves.

If you’re not sure where to start with your howl, here’s a good video that demonstrates how to howl…and as a bonus, there is a demonstration at the end on how to bark as well!

If you’re ready to try something a little more complicated, this video shows you how to make a pretty awesome looking wolf.

Use your origami during halloween!!

The thing I like about origami is all it requires is a square of paper and time (as well as instructions).  And if you save your creations they can be used as decorations – one idea is getting squares of black and orange paper to make easy cheap halloween decorations!

Another idea is to create part of your “costume” with origami – for example, you can make werewolf claws from origami!

Gmork the werewolf from The Never Ending Story

For those of you who never watched or read the Neverending Story, let me give you a brief synopsis.

The story is about a boy named Bastian who steals a book  called the Neverending Story.  Bastian starts reading the book in the attic of the school and is soon deep in the world of Fantasia.  Fantasia is about to be destroyed by a creature called “The Nothing”.  One person stands in its way however – a boy warrior named Atreyu who is Bastian’s age.  Atreyu has a magic medallion that guides him.

never ending story

If you have never seen the Neverending Story, go and watch it!  It was filmed in the 1980s and is really good – regardless of whether or not the “werewolf” creature is portrayed as evil. 

Watch all the scenes that have the Wolf Gmork!

But if you’re wanting to refine your howling technique, there are a few things that biologists have studies as common among howls.  Field biologist Gudrun Pflueger goes over some simple steps employed by wolves on how to howl.  Practicing these techniques will result in a good, strong howl similar to that of a wolf.

Step 1: Breath deeply.
A howl comes from within, so take a few deep breaths to fill your air with lungs so the howl can last long and strong.

Step 2: Make a funnel with your hands to direct the sound.
Just cup your hands around your mouth, this will help the sound travel in the direction you want it to.

Step 3: Start slow and low
With your head facing forward, start your howl a little bit, you’re finding where you tone is and getting comfortable with it. Don’t aim for something high pitched and loud right away. Keep it low and strong. Feel the howl as it starts to build, and decide where you want to go with it.

Step 4: Slowly build your howl, making it louder and louder.
You’ve established the base tone of your howl, now really grab it and feel it. Build it. Make it stronger and louder so that everyone can hear.

Step 5: During the howl, switch an octave.
Now that you have a good strong howl going, switch octaves so that you can get that high pitched “awooooo” sound….this is the peak, and where your howl has been building to.

Step 6: Go down low again.
After you’ve switched octaves, let your tone go as long as you feel comfortable, and then slowly as you feel the howl releasing and dying off, let your tone go back down lower and softer.

You can find example of how to howl by looking at wolves, the experts at the craft. Here is an example of a Real Wolf Howling…when the humans howl, the wolf howls back!

In the wild, howling starts with babies. Here’s a video of how the howl is taught to baby wolves…

And sometimes it’s good to howl just for fun. Here’s a fun howl!

What’s in a Name?

A name is how you identify yourself, and how others identify you. It can have a very strong impact on how you are perceived and how you act. In fact, humans are not the only creatures to identify each other by “names” – animals such as dolphins also use unique names to identify each other. Choosing a name can be incredibly difficult – whether or not it’s for a real person, a fictional person in a book, a pen name, or simply an alias. Perhaps one of the reasons it is so difficult is because it will be something that someone will carry with them their whole life.  People look for names that have meanings special to themselves or their loved ones.  Finding that perfect name means alot of research, and looking at the meanings of the name can help in this research.

So, here we go…

Wolf Names and their Meanings