Sand Wolf - Species Reference

The Sand Wolf is a fictional desert wolf native to deserts and desert planets.  An adult male can reach the height of a large domestic stallion, females are slightly smaller.  A male can weigh up to 800 pounds, female 600 pounds.  At birth, a pup usually weighs about 2 ounces.  The Sand Wolf reaches maturity at about 3 years old.  The lifespan of a wild Sand wolf is 20 years.  A Sand Wolf in captivity can live up to 35 years, few reach to be 40 years old.  Sand Wolves in captivity are often bred as pets or herding animals.  They can also be ridden on the back by humans and other alien races.  As pets, they are loyal and gentle.  In the wild, they prey on animals smaller than them.  Some live in small packs, some live in mating pairs.  A male and female will mate for life.  The average litter size varies on which part of the desert or planet they live.  The largest litter recorded was 20 pups.  Young females usually give birth to one or two.  Mature females can give birth to up to 12 pups.  The father hunts food while the mother stays in the den with her pups.  Pups are weaned at 3 months old.  They can eat solid food at 1 month old.  Pups grow quickly up to adulthood.  The gestation period of the Sand Wolf is 4 months, the same as a lion.  Sand Wolf attacks are very rare.  Sand Wolves never feed on humans.  Sand Wolves are endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.  In most planets where Sand Wolves live, it is illegal to kill one.  However, many are hunted for their sandy colored fur that can sell for a fortune.  The Sand Wolf went extinct in the wild in two planets, completely extinct in one.  Now they can only be found in the wild on 2 planets.  One notable Sand Wolf is a 5 year old female named Nahhru.  As a pup, she was orphaned and rescued at 2 weeks old.  Now, she is 2 years old and living a happy life with fellow Sand Wolves in captivity.  Females are more common than males.  They act very much like Earth's gray wolves, coyotes and fennec foxes.  They have sand colored fur for camouflage against prey.  The design and idea is all by me.  The design is based on coyotes, fennec foxes, gray wolves and a character from Princess Mononoke.