Trauma to Skulls in the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus, Canidae, Carnivora) of Central European Russia

A total of 297 wolf skulls from the collection of the Central Forest State Biosphere Reserve were studied for the presence of trauma. Of these, 129 (43.4 ± 2.9%) skulls had trauma of various origins or a deformed sagittal crest. Aside from the sagittal crest, the level of trauma was 32.3 ± 2.7%. Based on the causes of origin, the types of trauma were divided into three groups: those received when preying on moose, those sustained during aggressive intraspecific contacts, and accidental. Complicated fractures of dental crowns predominate among accidental trauma. Moose preying trauma and intraspecific aggression are more common in subadult wolves than in adults, which can be attributed to the elimination of injured animals. The frequency of occurrence of accidental trauma, on the contrary, increases with age. The level of trauma serves as a population characteristic, indicating tension in the predator–prey system and the degree of intraspecific aggression.