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Each edition carries grade-specific content written on grade level.


Pioneer, Grade 2


Hunting with the Pack When the pups are old enough, they hunt


with the pack. T e beta and other pack members have taught the pups everything they need to know.


To hunt large prey, the wolves work as a


team. T e alpha male smells elk nearby. He leads the pack to the elk. Together, the wolves look for one elk that seems weak, old, or sick. An elk like that might be easier to catch.


alpha


The alpha is the leader of the pack.


Trailblazer, Grade 3 Winter Weather


Time passes and the seasons change. It’s winter now, and the wolf pups are the same size as the adults in the pack. A fresh layer of snow has fallen. T e morning is cold, but the wolves are not. T eir thick, winter coats keep them warm. As the alpha male walks by one of


the pups, the pup bends down low to be respectful. T e pup’s brother rolls onto his back. T is is also a sign of respect. T e alpha male stands over the second pup and licks its face. T e pup whines soſt ly. T e beta has taught these pups well. T e pups must always respect the alpha male.


Defending the Pack


T e alpha male looks at the wolves in the pack. One member is missing. Something is wrong. Leaving the beta to care for the


pack, the alpha male heads out to search. It doesn’t take long for him to fi nd the missing wolf. It’s dead. A cougar has killed it. T e alpha male lets out a long howl


hunting The wolves search for prey. 6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER 7


to call the pack. T e wolves come running, then stop short at the sight of the dead wolf. T e pups bark in alarm. T ey’re frightened.


6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER Omega


The omega is the lowest ranking wolf. The other wolves often pick on the omega. However, the omega is very important to the pack.


Pups


The pups are the youngest wolves. The other wolves teach them the ways of the pack.


7 On Alert


T e cougar attack is a troubling sign. At times, wolves must share their territory with other predators. T ese predators, like bears and cougars, eat the same food as the wolves do. If prey becomes hard to fi nd, the wolves could be in danger. T e loss of a member of the pack


hits the wolves hard. In the weeks that follow, they keep to themselves. T ey mourn their lost friend.


A wolf is safer in a pack than on its own.


Wolf Pack


Wolves live together in small groups, like families. Being part of the pack helps wolves survive.


Alpha


The alpha male is the leader of the pack. He makes the decisions and is responsible for the other wolves. The alpha female is his mate.


Beta


The beta is the second in command. The beta can also be the peacekeeper and often watches over the pups.


Explorer VOL. 14 NO. 7 VOL. 9 NO. 4 DEVELOPMENT TEAM


Vice President and Publisher: Francis Downey Executive Editor: Richard Easby Creative Director: Karen Thompson Explorer Editor: Brenna Maloney Young Explorer Editor: Corinne Rucker Permissions Editor: Jean Cantu Production Specialist: Dreama Karnes-Bynane


DE VE LOP M E NT TE AM


Vice President and Publisher: Francis Downey


Manufacturing & Quality Management: Rachel Faulise


Director of Production: Nicole Elliott


PUBLISHED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LEARNING


Art Director and Designer: Karen Thompson Senior Editor: Macon Morehouse Young Explorer Editor: Corinne Rucker Explorer Editor: Brenna Maloney Media Editor: Shannon Hibberd Permissions Editor: Jean Cantu Production Specialist: Dreama Karnes-Bynane Director of Production: Nicole Elliott


PUB LISHE D B Y NATIONAL GEOGRAP HIC LE ARNING


Pathfinder, Grade 4 Adventurer, Grade 5 Winter Weather


Time passes and the seasons change. It’s winter now, and the wolf pups have grown. T ey’re now the same size as other members of the pack. A fresh layer of snow has fallen. It’s cold, but the wolves don’t feel cold. Two layers of fur make up their winter


coats. T e top layer gives their coat its color. Underneath lies a thicker layer of fur that traps heat. T is is why wolves are able to withstand freezing temperatures and survive.


Missing Member


On this cold morning, the alpha male looks at the pack and sees that one member is missing. His eyes scan the area, but there is no sign of the missing wolf. T e alpha male tilts his head, picks up his ears, and listens. A wolf ’s sense of hearing is very good. He hears many sounds now, but nothing from the missing wolf. T e alpha male uses his nose to sniff the air.


He’s trying to pick up the missing wolf ’s scent, or smell. His eyes narrow. Something is wrong. Leaving the pack in the care of the beta, the


alpha male heads out to search for the missing wolf. T e search doesn’t take long. Soon, the alpha male fi nds the missing wolf ’s body. A cougar has killed it. T e alpha male lets out a long howl to call


the pack. Howling is a key way for the wolves to communicate with one another. Wolves howl to call their pack. T ey also howl to tell each other where they are. A wolf ’s howl can carry almost 10 km. At the sound of the alpha’s cry, the other wolves come running, then stop short at the sight of the dead wolf. T e pups bark in alarm. A cougar is one of the few animals that can kill a wolf. T e alpha knows that the pack must now watch out for the cougar.


6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER On Alert


T e wolf ’s death is a troubling sign. At times, other top predators move into the wolves’ territory. T ese predators, like bears and cougars, hunt the same prey as the wolves hunt. If prey becomes scarce, the wolves could be in danger. T e loss of a member of the pack hits


the wolves hard. T e wolves don’t play or interact much for several weeks. T ey keep to themselves, silently mourning their lost friend. From time to time, they howl, but they howl alone. It’s a sad sound. T e pups act oddly. T e pack is unbalanced now.


A wolf can move its ears back, forward, and from side-to-side.


A Wolf’s Senses Wolves use their senses to track and hunt prey.


HEARING A wolf’s ears can pick up sounds nearly 10 km away.


Finding Food


Wolves play a vital role in their food web. A food web shows how energy flows through an ecosystem. Every organism needs energy in order to live. Plants get energy from the sun, for example. T en some animals, like elk, eat the plants. T en some animals, like wolves, eat the elk. A food web is a sign of how healthy an


ecosystem is. If one part of the web changes, everything in that ecosystem changes, too. Without wolves, the number of elk would increase. T e elk would eat more plants. T en, eventually, the elk wouldn’t have enough food.


Searching for Energy


SIGHT A wolf has excellent side and night vision.


TASTE Wolves can taste whether food is sweet, salty, bitter, or acidic.


SMELL A wolf’s sense of smell is 100 times greater than a human’s. A wolf can even sniff out where an animal was three days after it’s gone.


Time passes, and the seasons change. It’s winter now, and the wolf pups are the same size as other members of the pack. A fresh layer of snow has fallen. T e bitter morning is cold, but the wolves are not. T ey’re kept warm by their thick, winter coats. T e wolves are shaking snow off of their


backs and stretching. As the alpha male walks by one of the pups, the pup crouches down low to be respectful. T e pup’s brother rolls onto his back, showing his stomach. T is is also a sign of respect. T e alpha male stands over the second pup and lick’s the pup’s face. T e pup whines soſt ly. T e beta has taught these pups well. T e role each wolf plays is constantly reinforced by interactions like these. T e alpha male looks at the pack and sees


that one member is missing. He sniff s the air. His eyes narrow. Something’s wrong. Leaving the pack in the care of the beta, the


alpha male heads out to search for the missing wolf. It doesn’t take long for him to find the missing wolf. A cougar has attacked and killed it. T is is a troubling sign. At times, wolves must share their territory


with other top predators. T ese predators, like bears and cougars, rely on the same prey as the wolves for food. If prey becomes scarce, these predators could threaten the whole pack.


7 6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER Berries 7 Mourning a Member


Seeing the missing wolf, the alpha male lets out a long howl, calling the rest of the pack. T e wolves come running, then stop short at the sight of the dead wolf. T e pups bark in alarm. T ere aren’t many


animals that can kill a wolf. A cougar is one of them. Now the pack has to watch out for it. T e loss of a member hits the pack hard.


In the following weeks, the wolves don’t play or interact much. T ey keep to themselves, mourning their lost friend. From time to time, they howl, but they howl alone. It’s a sad sound. T e pups seem unsettled. T e pack feels unbalanced now.


A wolf’s thick, winter coat protects it from the cold.


Wolf A Wolf’s Food Web


Wolves are apex predators. They have very few competitors for food.


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