The wolves in the high arctic endure several winter months of perpetual darkness. Other wolves are at home in the desert and the dampness of a humid Gulf Coast swamp. Wolves anywhere can have coats that grade from almost pure white to jet black, although all of the arctic wolves are usually all white. Their heads closely resemble that of a german shepard dog, although the skull is broader and more massive. Wolves also have ruffs of long hair framing the sides of their faces like sideburns.
Males are usually larger than females by as much as twenty-five percent.
Photograph from The searching wolf As large as wolves are, they usually appear to much larger because of their long hair. Starting at the base of the neck, the wolf has a teardrop-shaped mane of hair that elongates into just a crest down the spine toward the tail. Of that length, one quarter is tail length. Compared to dogs of the same size, wolves' chests are much narrower. Their legs are also longer in proportion to their body weight than are most dogs.