Seasonal cycles in hematology and body mass in free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus) from northeastern Minnesota, USA

Studies of captive gray wolves (Canis lupus) showed seasonal cycles in hematologic values and female body mass. We used a remotely controlled recapture collar to determine whether nine female and five male free-ranging wolves handled four to 17 times in NE Minnesota, US showed similar cycles. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and body mass increased from summer toward a winter peak and then decreased again toward summer. Several hematologic values differed considerably from those of captive wolves, and the ranges in free-ranging wolves were much greater than those of captives.