C. l. pambasileus Skull Replica measures 11.2 inches. C. l. pambasileus Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Cast of California Academy of Science specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Known as Alaskan Wolf.
The C. l. pambasileus has a height of 33.5 in. and a male weight of 124 lb. and for females 85 lb.
The most common color for this subspecies is tawny grey or tan, but can also range from white to black. The lifespan ranges from 4 to 10 years, the oldest being 12 years.
Average pack size is 7 to 9 wolves, but can vary; like other wolves, the pack consists of a mated pair and their offspring. The pair is usually the only ones that breed.
A C. l. pambasileus that has left its pack may travel up to 310.7 miles to breed. The minimum breeding age is 1 year, and the average litter size is 4–6 pups.
The diet of the C. l. pambasileus varies by region – moose is the main prey in southern Yukon, followed by Boreal woodland caribou and Dall sheep. Barren-ground caribou is main prey in the North Slope.
When hunting moose, wolves mainly kill calves and old moose when fleeing. Usually the hunting success rate for moose is 10% in one hunt, and a pack usually kill a moose every 5 to 6 days to eat for 2 – 3 days.
Moose are more likely to stand their ground than Caribou, which tend to flee, decreasing their survival rate.
The C. l. pambasileus usually kill a Caribou every 3 days during winter and eat for a day. Dall sheep are common prey in Kluane Game Sanctuary and National Park when moose and caribou are not available.
In pre-colonial Canada, the local Aboriginal population hunted this wolf for its fur. This continued into the 1800s, with colonists selling wolf furs to Aboriginal tribes in the area, who used them to line their clothing.
The first true mapping of the Canis lupus pambasileus wolf population in the Yukon began in the 1950s and, subsequently, a program of wolf-poisoning began. This came about because of the public stigma regarding wolves during the time.
In early 2009, the US Board of Game passed through a plan by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game that allowed ” the state to hire private helicopters to kill C. l. pambasileus wolves.” The plan itself had been given to the Board of Game after the period of public comment has passed, which made it so that the public had no say in the plan or its workings.
The Alaska division of the Defenders of Wildlife was outraged over these actions, stating that “the Palin administration and the Board of Game are acting with complete disregard for C. l. pambasileus scientific wildlife management.”
A few days later, a government-sanctioned aerial C. l. pambasileus wolf hunt began in Alaska. It was initiated within only a few hours after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game told the National Park Service that such an effort was going to be undertaken in the area around Tanana.
With about 200 C. l. pambasileus wolves being the goal stated for the hunt, more than 30 were killed within the first day, including those that had been radio-collared for research purposes. The National Park Service was greatly displeased with the loss of collared wolves, as they had been part of a 20-year study.
