Arctic wolves, like all wolves, hunt in packs. They mostly prey on Caribou and musk oxen, however, they will also kill a number of Arctic Hares, seals, ptarmigan and lemmings, as well as other smaller animals. Moose are also common prey, their long legs may render them slow and at times, stuck, in thick snow, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by wolf packs.
As grazing plants are scarce, they roam large areas to find prey up to and beyond 2600 kilometres squared (1000 square miles) and they will follow migrating caribou during the winter.
Normally, only the alpha male and female breed, however, in large packs others may mate as well. Due to the Arctics permafrost soil and the difficulty it poses for digging dens, Arctic Wolves often use rock outcroppings, caves or even shallow depressions as dens instead. The mother gives birth to 2 or 3 pups in late May to early June, about a month later than Grey Wolves. It is generally thought that the lower number of pups compared to the average of 4 to 5 among Grey Wolves is due to the lack of prey in the Arctic.
