How Fast Are Wolves? Discover Top Speeds and Agility

The wolf’s body composition largely contributes to its endurance. They have a deep, narrow chest and splayed front legs. This allows their rear feet to follow the same path as their front feet. This way, they cover ground more efficiently. Their deep chest houses massive lungs that allow air to pass in and out more easily and keep the body well-oxygenated. Muscles need oxygenated blood to function properly.

Wolves also have powerful back and leg muscles along with a strong and stable bone structure. These features essentially allow wolves to push off from the ground with explosive strength. In fact, they’ve been known to jump over 6-foot-tall fences! Now, they can’t jump clear over. They take a running leap and grab the top of the fence with their front legs to pull themselves over. A wolf is strong enough to clear at least a 3-foot-tall fence with ease, even with medium-sized prey in their mouth.

Wolves also have large, wide feet with thick padding which allow them to spread their weight out over soft ground like mud, sand, and snow. This feature makes traveling in the conditions much easier for the wolves because they don’t sink when they run. The padding also gives them a good grip on uneven surfaces like rocks and fallen trees.

An unarmed human certainly loses in a fight with a wolf.

Are Wolves Faster Than Humans?

Absolutely. The fastest human ever in the world ran 27.5 mph in a dead sprint. The average human barely runs up to 10 mph. Wolves easily run up to 45 mph, reaching that top speed in just a few seconds. An unarmed human vs. wolf fight would surely see the wolf win without much contest.

Wolves are dangerous to humans if they choose to attack. Wolf attacks on humans are incredibly rare since they tend to flee rather than fight. However, they will fight if threatened, teased, or cornered.

Not only are they fast runners, but wolves have long, sharp teeth designed for grabbing onto prey and killing it. They easily rip and tear flesh and crunch through bones. A wolf’s bite force is about 400-1500 psi (pounds per square inch), which is 2–5 times that of a typical German shepherd dog. Sources vary regarding their bite strength, but even at the low end, they can crush bones. Actually, these strong canines produce enough force to bite through a moose femur! Chewing into bones provides wolves access to the fat-rich marrow inside. They also contain essential nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium. This is especially useful during long winters when food is hard to come by. Eating bones also helps clean their teeth.