Last Updated on April 10, 2023 by Amin Tawar
Arctic Wolf Height & Length
Arctic wolves, a subspecies of gray wolves and inhabitants of the far north, are also referred to as the white wolf or the polar wolf.
Arctic wolves, also known as “polar wolves” or “white wolves,” live in Greenland and the Arctic regions of North America.
The ability of Arctic wolves to endure in icy regions with average temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius is quite astounding and surprising.
They are able to do this because of a number of natural adaptations, including the distinct layers of extensive fur on their bodies.
In terms of their size, we would expect them to be bigger than most other wolves, but it is not really. Although Arctic wolves have a large amount of fur around their body, they are medium-sized wolves.
The arctic wolf’s shoulder height ranges from 25 to 31 inches, but on average, it stands about 3 feet tall from head to toe and has a body length of between 3 – 6 feet (nose to tail).
| Arctic Wolf Size | Length |
| Male and female | Shoulder height: 25 to 31 inches (63 to 79 centimeters) Body length: 40-70 in (1-1.8m) |
Arctic Wolf Weight
Different types of wolves have distinct characteristics and overall size, which is majorly affected by their lifestyle, diet, and habitat.
Being an Arctic animal, the wolf has to adapt to very cold temperatures. Therefore, they have a large and heavy coating of fur around the body for insulation purposes.
This adaptation greatly affects the weight of the wolves. For instance, Arctic wolves are quite heavy and they are capable of surviving for as long as 4 to 5 months without having to eat anything.
For instance, some Arctic wolves can weigh over 100 pounds (45 kilograms). And while the female Arctic wolves weigh about 36 – 38 kg (79-83 lbs), the males are slightly heavier and weigh about 34 – 46 kg (74-101 lbs).
| Arctic Wolf Size | Weight |
| Male and female | Male: 34 – 46 kg (74-101 lbs) Female: 36 – 38 kg (79-83 lbs) |
Arctic Wolf Pack Size
As wolf species are quite large and strong, you might be thinking that they usually roam around freely and alone all around the forest.
However, you should be aware that as a single entity, wolves are quite susceptible to being preyed on by other animals such as tigers and lions.
Therefore, wolves like the Arctic and others usually hunt in groups known as packs. Different wolf types have varying pack sizes, and in one pack there is a highly complex social structure, that is each pack has a dominant male and female who form an enduring bond.
Arctic wolves are highly social animals that frequently live in packs of five to seven, or even 20. 1
Arctic Wolf Population Size
If you could count each member of the Arctic wolves in each pack all across their habitat, what do you think how many Arctic wolves will be there?
It is not very surprising that the population of Arctic wolves has been decreasing over time. This is mostly a result of climate change and global warming leading to the melting of Arctic’s glaciers.
However, as of now the total population of Arctic wolves in the world is only about 200,000 to 250,000. These wolf species have been considered threatened species of the Arctic.
How Big Do Arctic Wolves Get?
Arctic wolves are generally smaller or medium-sized, however, there are quite high chances that some Arctic wolves are bigger than the average. Just like the height variation in humans, there is the length and weight variation in wolves.
Above we discussed the average height and weight of the Arctic wolves as 2.5 – 3 feet (nose to tail) and 34 – 46 kg (74-101 lbs) respectively. However, some Arctic wolves are larger than the average, for example, the largest Arctic wolves ever recorded had a weight of about 175 pounds.
We have Explained All Wolf Species Sizes & How Big Are They: Do Check It Out
Arctic Wolf Size Compared To Human
If you really want to understand the size of the Arctic wolves, it would be quite a bad idea to just look at their height and weight in terms of numbers.
Like we would say that they are small and medium-sized, but how can you actually know how large or how much small?
So, to solve this problem, you can always start by comparing the size of the wolf with a species whose size we know.
To begin with, let’s compare the Arctic wolf with an average adult human. We know that an average adult human has an overall height of 5.5 to 5.9 feet and weighs between 60 to 80 kg (132-176 lbs).
On the other hand, the Arctic wolf has an average length of 3 – 6 feet and weighs 34 – 46 kg (74-101 lbs).
| Animal type | Length | Weight |
| Arctic wolf | Shoulder height: 25 to 31 inches (63 to 79 centimeters) Body length: 40-70 in (1-1.8m) | Male: 34 – 46 kg Female: 36 – 38 kg |
| Average adult human | 5.5 to 5.9 feet | 60 to 80 kgs (132 pounds to 176 pounds |
Arctic Wolf Vs Gray Wolf Size Comparison
To get another perspective on the size of the Arctic wolves, we can also look at it with respect to other types of wolves such as the Grey/Timberwolves.
One of the very common wolves found in forest areas is a type of gray wolf commonly referred to as the timber wolf.
In comparison to the Arctic wolf, the Gray Timber wolf is quite a large animal. In fact, the Gray wolves are one of the largest wolves found in the Northern Hemisphere.
On average, the height of Gray wolves can reach lengths of 4 to 6.56 feet (120 to 200 centimeters) and weights of 40 to 175 lbs as adults (18 to 79 kilograms).
In contrast, the Arctic wolf has an average length of 3 – 6 feet and weighs 34 – 46 kg (74-101 lbs).
| Animal type | Length | Weight |
| Arctic wolf | Shoulder height: 25 to 31 inches (63 to 79 centimeters) Body length: 40-70 in (1-1.8m) | Male: 34 – 46 kg Female: 36 – 38 kg |
| Gray Timber wolf | Length: 5 to 6.5 feet, Shoulder Height: 80–85 cm (31–33 in) | 70 to 110 pounds |
Arctic Wolf Vs Snow Leopard Size Comparison
It is quite obvious that between the same species, the variation in size is quite small or that is what we would expect, and when seen from a different perspective, like comparing one animal type with a completely different species, the variation would be larger.
So, what do you think is larger, an Arctic fox or a Snow leopard? Although both creatures are swift when moving, wolves are frequently smaller and may be quicker than mature leopards.
While a snow leopard has an average length of 2.1 meters (7 feet), it weighs about 23–41 kg (50–90 pounds). Quite clearly, the snow leopard is much larger and heavier than the Arctic wolf.
| Animal type | Length | Weight |
| Arctic wolf | Shoulder height: 25 to 31 inches (63 to 79 centimeters) Body length: 40-70 in (1-1.8m) | Male: 34 – 46 kg Female: 36 – 38 kg |
| Snow leopard | Length: 3.2-4.2 feet Height: 22-24 inches | 23–41 kg (50–90 pounds) |
Arctic Wolf Vs Husky Size Comparison
One of the other reasons for comparing two species is not only to see the size difference but also to separate one from another.
That is, if you do not really know how the Arctic wolf looks, you can get confused about whether it’s a wolf or a husky.
So, if you look at the overall average size of the Siberian husky, their average length is around 21 – 23.5 inches (53–60 cm), and weigh around 45–60 pounds (20–27 kg). However, the Arctic wolf is slightly larger in terms of body length but is about the same weight as a Siberian husky.
| Animal type | Length | Weight |
| Arctic wolf | Shoulder height: 25 to 31 inches (63 to 79 centimeters) Body length: 40-70 in (1-1.8m) | Male: 34 – 46 kg Female: 36 – 38 kg |
| Siberian husky | Body Length: 21 – 23.5 inches (53–60 cm) | 45–60 pounds (20–27 kg) |
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the size of the Arctic wolf. I hope this article was helpful and your queries were answered.
Thank You For Reading!
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