Having Many Similarities, It Turns Out Dogs and Wolves Have These 5 Differences
Dogs and wolves are two different animal species, but they have many similarities. This is because they are evolutionary cousins, sharing a number of physical, biological and behavioral traits. In some cases, they even look similar.
Reporting from Petmd, dogs and wolves belong to the species Canis lupus. They share over 99% of their DNA and although it doesn’t happen often, they can technically interbreed. However, once again, wolves are not dogs, and vice versa. Here are 5 differences between the two
Physical Differences
Physically, dogs and wolves are almost different because of racial differences and so on. However, some dog breeds have retained wolf-like characteristics. Call it the Malamute or Husku race, whose appearance is very similar to a wolf.
The average dog weighs 14 – 23 kg, while wolves are usually larger at around 23 – 34 kg. Wolves also have very large feet compared to dogs and their two front feet have longer toes that are longer than the rest, so they can jump higher with their toes.
Domestication
Tens of thousands of years ago, humans tamed wolves and these tamed wolves then evolved into dogs. This evolution made changes in his body and temperament. Their skulls, teeth and claws shrank. Their ears dropped. In fact they became less scary and less wary. However, they learn to read the complex expressions on human faces, making them friendly and able to understand the humans who care for them.
While wolves are natural hunters. Even though many people now keep wolves, this does not eliminate their desire to pounce on anyone who becomes their prey.
Reproductive Differences
This is another difference between dogs and wolves. Reporting from, female wolves come to mating season only once a year. This gives the cubs enough time to grow and develop before the harsh winter comes. Dogs, meanwhile, typically come into heat twice a year, indicating that domestication has given them more opportunities to raise their young.
Additionally, wolves typically bear as many as two to four cubs in one pregnancy. Meanwhile, dogs can carry more potential babies, namely up to twelve in one pregnancy.
Character Differences
Despite their ferocious appearance, wolves are actually shy and will avoid humans. While dogs are not always shy, because they are quite familiar with humans. Dogs are also very friendly and depend on the humans who care for them.
Meanwhile, wolves are social and live in groups with their flock. Because they live wild, wolves have managed to establish greater independence than dogs. This means that wolves can always face the challenges they face themselves and find solutions.
Nutritional Differences
Dogs are considered omnivorous animals with a carnivorous bias. While a wolf’s GI system can process raw meat, go longer without eating, and absorb nutrients in a different way than a domestic dog. Wolves also eat more than dogs due to their different activity levels. A dog fed wolf kibble may get sick and have diarrhea because of the high protein content. Meanwhile, wolves that are fed dog food will experience nutritional deficiencies and don’t forget to visit our site to get other interesting information by the page here