Vulf

Vulf 	
Avg. Height 	2'6"-2'8" (Average)
Avg. Weight 	80 pounds (female)120 pounds (male)175 pounds (heaviest)
Lifespan 	???
Familiar Name	Wolf
Vulves are wolves in the Iron Lyons universe.
==Information==
===Reality===
The wolf is perhaps one of the most well known animals among humanity, having a significant presence almost every early human society. The gray wolf, in particular, lives in North America and is the largest extant member of it's family. Along with it's size, it is distinguishes from other canid by it's rounded features.
Predominantly molted grays, reds, blacks, whites and browns do occur. It fur gets thicker and longer in the winter. Wolves are closely related to coyotes and jackals as well as the European wolf, with which it shares the dire wolf as an ancestor, a megafaunal wolf. It's among the apex predators in it's habitat, with tigers being the main cause for concern. Wolves hunt in packs, nuclear families that consist of a mated pair called "Alphas" and their adult offspring, subordinate to them. Wolves rarely adopt a lone wolf, and when they do that wolf is usually a juvenile. Otherwise, it's more likely to be killed.
Wolf packs are highly territorial and the territories they stake out are often larger than what's required for survival. Despite being territorial, ungulate calving and migration seasons may be a cause for two or more different wolf families to join together. Wolves are typically monogamous, pairing for life, unless one of the pair dies. Another pair is quickly re-established, unpaired females being a rarity.
Male wolves that leave a pack to start their own are called Dispersal Wolves and they typically look for females dispersals. If they cannot find such a wolf -- which is likely, as male wolves generally outnumber females in any wolf population -- he mates with the daughters of established packs. These males are called "Casanova Wolves" and do not form pair bonds with any of their mates. Wolves, like most social animals, also exhibit homosexual behavior. Males will mount each other when the alpha female goes into heat. Wolves do not go through menopause and breeding age is largely dependent on environmental factors such as food availability and the current population.
Pups gestate for about 2 and half months, averaging 6 to 7 a litter, born usually in the summer. However, litters exceeding 10 do exist in 1% of wolves. Pups are born blind and deaf, unable to see for about two weeks. The first leave the den after three weeks. Prior to doing so, they stay with their mother, who doesn't leave the den at all and relies on her mate to bring her food. At about 8 weeks, pups begin fighting for hierarchical standing and by autumn are old enough to hunt with the adults.
Wolves are alloparental and will adopt an orphaned wolf pup as their own.
===In Iron Lyons===
Vulves live in The Hidden Lands and their land, composed of many vulf packs, serves as a buffer of sorts between the Giants and the Fanged Ones. True to the real life animal, packs are often unfriendly towards each other and families are very territorial.
Category:Species
Category:Canids