Kathy Spooner, age 10, of Lake Oswego, Ore., for her question:

WHY DO WOLVES HOWL AT THE MOON?

A wild wolf looks very much like a German shepherd dog. The male weighs about 100 pounds and may be black, brown, white or gray. You'll find him and members of his family in North America, Greenland, Asia and Europe.

Today you'll hear the wolves' howl in just a few wilderness areas in the United States and in the northern part of Canada. Civilization has pushed him back until today he is in danger of extinction.

Wolves have strong family ties. They often mate for life. The mother bears from four to six pups about two months after mating. Wolf families remain together for long periods of time. Most wolf packs are just family groups. When traveling, the howls to the moon are actually calls of individual wolves which help to keep the group together.