The Pack and Pups

Wolves

You’ve heard it time and time again, wolf pack, but what is it? A wolf pack is really just a family of wolves. The members usually consist of a mother and father wolf and their young, along with some close relatives. The average wolf pack has 7 or 8 wolves in it, but a pack can range from 2 to 20 wolves.

In a pack the leaders are called the alpha male and the alpha female. The alphas are usually the oldest and the only ones to bear young. The alpha male guides the pack and decides who eats first. The next in charge is the beta male (pictured right). This wolf might become the alpha female’s mate if anything would happen to the alpha male.

Next up, is the young subordinates (right). They help with the hunt and act as baby sitters for the pups. Eventually they may leave the pack to find mates and make their own packs. The lowest member of the pack is the omega wolf (pictured Left). This wolf eats last and maybe picked on by the other members of the pack, though, it is also the most playful.

Last but not least, are the pups. The newborn pups get away with a lot and the older wolves will put up with their playful bites and pounces. As the pups grow older, they will have to behave according to their rank in the pack.

Normally only the alpha male and the alpha female will mate. This is due to the fact that with more wolves, more food is needed. Toward the end of winter, the pair of wolves will temporarily leave the pack to have their pups. The female will then look for a place to have her pups, called a den. The den is usually a cave, crevice, a hollow trunk, or a burrow left by another animal.

The pups are then born between January and April, after a gestation period of 50 to 60 days. When the pups are born, their eyes are shut and they are completely defenseless. For the first few weeks, the pups will stay snuggled next to their mom, while the male will get food for her.

The pups can’t chew food yet, so they will drink their mom’s milk and later what is regurgitated by the adults. When the pups are old enough, they, with the alpha male and female, will rejoin the pack.

Next, for the pups, is the learning stage. At this time the pups will explore their surroundings and everything possible. They will chase, bite, and fight with each other as they play. They will do this and more as they imitate the behavior of the adults. Then, when they become older, they will accompany the adults on the hunt to learn how to hunt and the techniques needed to survive.

What’s for dinner you ask? How does sheep, moose, elk, beaver, or caribou sound? To us, probably gross, but to a wolf, that would be a yum. Wolves will also eat fish and berries on occasion as well. It really depends on what’s around.

How do wolves hunt? First, the wolves find their pray by following its sent. When the pack spots the pray, individual or a herd, the pack will fan out in a circle. Then one wolf will charge, gripping the unlucky animal, which normally is either a sick or younger member of a herd.

This lead wolf slows down the animal, so the others can attack. Under the pack’s weight and strength, the animal then collapses. In the case of a chase, the wolves will take turns in charging forward and biting the animal’s hind quarters or hanks.

We all know that wolves can’t talk, or can they? No, wolves can’t say hello, but they do talk to each other. Snarls, barks, sighs, yawns, yelps, cries, and growls are all ways of how wolves talk to each other. Each of these expresses a different emotion. For example, yelps mean dissatisfaction, barks are used during playful fighting, and cries are a call for attention. In addition, the other way wolves communicate with each other is by use of body language. The facial expressions (shown right) A and B mean menacing and the expressions C and D mean a moderate threat. Also E means concerned and F means anxiety.

Tails also play a role in expression. (As seen right) 1 and 2 means a dominant wolf is threatened by a lower ranking wolf, while 3 means a threat from a dominant wolf. Number 4 means a threat from a non-dominate wolf, number 5 means indifference, and 6 means a latent threat. Lastly, number 7 means anxiety, 8 means submission, and 9 means total submission.

There is a lot more to know about wolves, but I can’t write everything so go check out what some other sites have to offer, as well. Also, remember that there aren’t many wolves left, so try to do something about it! Ok, that’s it. Howl at you some other time!