They are ferocious and dangerous. Probably, one who knows almost nothing about wolves will say so about wolves. In fact, wolves rarely attack people. Like all predators, they hunt to feed themselves and live their lives trying to stay away from humans.

Ancestors of dogs

Wolves have been on Earth for over a million years. They came from carnivorous predators that lived 100 million years ago, and about 20 million years ago, dogs originated from the wolf.

Wolf

The genus wolves (Lupus) unites wolves, coyotes, jackals, wild and domestic dogs - the largest representatives of the wolf family. In addition, all foxes, arctic foxes, raccoon dogs and maned wolves belong to this family. Like dogs, wolves are very docile and easy to train. In addition, each wolf has a special character: there are cautious, daring or self-confident, they are free and at ease in a wolf society, and others are not visible or heard.

Wolves live in the mountains, forests and plains of the Northern Hemisphere. Like all living things, they, as biologists say, occupy their ecological niche in the wild. In the territories of their habitat, wolves are the most numerous group of those predators that hunt large mammals.

Is the wolf big?

"Big" is not a very good definition for a wolf. Usually a male wolf weighs about 50 kilograms, a wolf - 5 kilograms less. Their height at the withers is about 75 centimeters, and the length from the nose to the tip of the tail reaches 1.5 - 2 meters.

Life in a flock

Wolves are social animals: they live in families. Every flock has its own "table of ranks", and in it each has its own place. Strong and aggressive wolves rule, and those who need a steady hand obey them. The wolf pack - a group of animals related by kinship and mutual sympathy - is led by a wolf and a she-wolf. The rest of its members are their offspring (from tiny puppies to 2-3 year old adolescents). Usually in a wolf family there are 6 - 7, and sometimes 15 animals. The strongest wolf in the pack becomes the leader. A friend - a she-wolf helps him to rule. For others to obey, leaders must have strong character. All decisions concerning the life of the pack are made by this pair. In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves usually do not fight among themselves. However, clashes often occur with strangers or lone wolves that have violated the border of possession. Each wolf pack hunts only on its own territory. The owners strictly guard and mark her, warning the neighbors to stay away. Any uninvited guest will be punished. In large packs, it often happens that a wolf is poisoned by all of its relatives. Sometimes the outcast becomes completely unbearable, and he is forced to leave the pack.

Why is an unsociable man called a lone wolf? Because it resembles a wolf that left the pack and lives on its own. Over time, changes occur in the flock. Applicants for the role of leader remain in the pack and wait in the wings. Other wolves, having matured, leave to wander alone. But they can also create their own flock, if they are lucky enough to meet with a lone wolf. If the wolf and the she-wolf want to rule the pack, they must subordinate all other members to their will and force them to obey their laws without question. The leader dominates the males of the pack, and his girlfriend maintains order among the wolves. The leaders constantly remind their "subordinates" who is the boss in the pack: they growl at them, bite, chase and even knock them down, preferring to do it in front of the whole pack. One stern, gaze of the leader or his girlfriend is enough to subdue those at whom he is aimed. Grinning ingratiatingly, the wolves fall to the ground, and then, if possible, sneak away. Sometimes they lie on their backs, as if to say: we know who is in charge here. The way the wolf holds its tail speaks of its position in the pack. In the case of the leaders it is raised high, in their "subjects" it is lowered, and those standing at the lowest degree in the wolf family set their tails between them. The pack members show love and respect to the leader in a welcoming ceremony. Crawling, with pinned ears and slicked hair, they approach the leader or his girlfriend, lick and carefully bite his face.

Wolves are one of the most loyal animals, they are strongly attached to their packmates. They express their feelings with facial expressions and body movements. "Wolf's tongue" rallies the flock and helps her to act at the same time. In a tide of tenderness, wolves lick each other and rub their muzzles. The wolf also needs a tail in order to express its feelings. If the tail is pulled up and its tip is slightly curved, this means that the wolf is quite confident in itself. A friendly wolf has a tail down, but its very tip looks up. A wolf with a tail between its legs is either afraid of something, or so it communicates its sympathy. The wolves' faces are very expressive. Frightened, the wolf presses its ears and pretends to smile. The furious wolf bares its teeth and turns its erect ears forward. Sensing danger, he pulls his ears back, bares his teeth and sticks out his tongue. Comrades understand how to behave in order to keep the peace in the pack.

Natural Born Hunters

Wolves were created for hunting by nature itself. In winter, the wolf leaves a neat chain of footprints in the snow - it puts its hind paw exactly behind the front. Thanks to this gait, he can run on any terrain and even in deep snow. The wolf's weapon is teeth. There are as many as 42 of them in its mouth. In front there are 4 sharp, curved 5-centimeter fangs - two at the top and two at the bottom. With them, the wolf can bite through the dense skin of the victim. And the carnivorous, or carnivorous, teeth - as the molars of all predators are called - an adult wolf gnaws even the thighbone of an elk. The hunter needs a keen ear, and in this respect, the wolves are lucky. When they hear a noise, they wiggle their ears and determine where the sound is coming from. The sound source may be several kilometers away. Wolves hunt almost silently, as they run at their very fingertips. Like horses and cats, the wolf does not touch the ground with his heel. He has strong muscular legs and a sweeping gait, and he can trot at a speed of 9 km / h for a long time, and accelerate to 60 km / h in pursuit of deer and elk. On a hunt, the nose, not ears or eyes, is the first to tell wolves where to look for prey. By the wind, they catch the smell of even the smallest animal located 1-2 kilometers from them, when it is not yet heard or seen. Thanks to their keen sense of smell, wolves can follow the footsteps of their prey. Thick fur up to 8 centimeters long protects the wolf from frost. The fur layer closest to the body is the undercoat, and the outer layer is formed by coarse, long guard hairs that are black at the ends. They repel water and the undercoat does not get wet. In such a cloak with fur lining, the wolf is not afraid of the weather.

A flock on the hunt

Wolves are carnivorous (or predatory) beasts. They hunt in groups. A hungry wolf sometimes needs a small animal - a beaver, a rabbit, a mouse or a bird - to feed itself. But this is not enough for the whole flock, they need large prey - deer, elk or ram. It is not for nothing that they are called orderlies - after all, as a rule, old, sick or inexperienced animals become their victims. With a sick animal, the focus of the disease disappears; if an old beast is killed, the young and strong get more food. This biological regulation of numbers contributes to the survival of strong, healthy animals, both among hunters and among their possible victims. Although wolves are considered merciless, only one in ten of their hunts ends in luck. It happens that, having spent three days tracking and chasing a herd of deer or elk, wolves manage to kill only a few animals. Why? Swift deer can run away, and moose can fight back: these 600-kilogram giants with sharp horns and heavy hooves cost nothing to break a wolf's skull. Wolves can go without food for two weeks, but if they are lucky on the hunt, they will eat up to the dump. An adult wolf can eat up to 10 kilograms of meat at a time! Sometimes wolves hide part of the half-eaten prey in reserve - they drag it into a hole and throw something from above. In case of an unsuccessful hunt, they will return to this cache and dig up the hidden lunch. The survival of the pack depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves protect them not for life, but for death. The boundaries of the territory (it can be 50-1500 sq. Km, depending on what animals the pack hunts) wolves mark with odorous marks - they spray urine on stumps and large stones - and notify neighbors about their rights by howling.

Wolf games and fun

Wolves do not always hunt, growl and are ferocious. The first thing a wolf will do after filling its stomach is to curl up into a ball and take a good nap. Waking up, frolic with pleasure. If he wants to play, he will invite his relatives to join him. Crouching low on the front paws to the ground, he will approach them and, wagging his tail, will say: "Please!" No answer? Then, in order to attract attention to himself, he will begin to jump from side to side, just like a dog.

Wolves and humans

Who is not afraid of the bad wolf? From childhood, when we read the fairy tales "Three Little Pigs", "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Wolf and the Seven Kids", we have confirmed that wolves are evil and terrible. In fact, they do not harm people. But despite this, people kill them.

Wolf, wolves, about wolves, the truth about wolves

For a long time, people revered and feared Wolf, he was called the elder brother, they frightened children with him, they composed legends and retellings about him. The wolf genus itself is quite extensive, including coyotes and jackals, but it is wolves became the direct and closest ancestors of the domestic dog.

Wolf Is a fairly large predator from the family of mammals, which earlier could be found almost everywhere in Russia and the CIS. But due to a number of problems caused by the pace of technological progress, the habitat of these animals has significantly narrowed in recent decades.

The very name " Wolf"Comes from the ancient Slavic language, has long-standing Indo-European roots and literally means" drag"Or" drag ".

It turns out that the Wolf family is quite extensive - there are about 32 different subspecies of wolves, but on the territory of Russia there are only six main ones - tundra, Central Russian forest, Mongolian, Caucasian, Siberian and steppe.

What do wolves eat

Basic Wolf diet are ungulates, depending on the habitat. It can be reindeer, horses, roe deer, pigs, moose, goats - both wild and domesticated.

In desert regions, wolves hunt antelope and sheep. In connection with the expansion of human activity and the introduction of humans into the natural habitat of wolves, attacks by predators on livestock farms occur.

But Wolf population is constantly decreasing due to lack of food and constant hunting for them. During difficult times, Wolves can feed on frogs, lizards and even large insects. They sometimes eat berries, mushrooms and fruits, and to quench their thirst they can plunder a watermelon or melon planting.

Where does the Wolf live

Wolves prefer wooded areas and choose flat or mountainous areas with sparse vegetation and a temperate climate for housing.

Pack of wolves usually occupies an area of ​​30 to 60 km and prefers a sedentary mode of existence. But in the spring-summer period, this area is divided into fragments in accordance with the hierarchy of the pack: the best goes to the strongest Wolves.

Wolves can also be found in the north in the taiga and tundra near human settlements.

Wolves are smart and they understand that where there is a person, you can always profit from something. And although they harm agriculture, on the other hand, they also regulate the balance of the ecosystem, controlling the number of animals and acting as orderlies of the forest.

Are wolves dangerous to humans?

Scientists have come to the conclusion that the Wolf will not attack a person just like that, since he has an instinct for self-preservation. But sometimes there are sad cases of attacks by animals suffering from rabies. Or when there is a severe lack of feed.

Breeding wolves

The mating season at Wolves lasts from January to April. Wolves are monogamous and lead a family lifestyle, the couple sticks together until one of the partners dies.

The she-wolf does not accept the male's sexual advances before the onset of heat. Fierce fights for the attention of females, often fatal, are absolutely normal in the wolves' environment.

She-wolves reach sexual maturity in the second year of life, and wolves - at 3 years.

Wolves have only 1 heat per year so that the cubs are born in the warm spring time, when there is enough food around.

Wolf couple to begin with, it takes care of a safe shelter for future offspring. It can be either various secluded places or other people's burrows of badgers or polar foxes, their own burrows rarely dig.

Only the she-wolf uses the den, she is also engaged in raising little wolf cubs, which at first resemble the puppies of an ordinary dog. Usually a she-wolf gives birth to 3 to 13 cubs, and the whole flock helps them feed.

But despite close care from parents and other Wolves, in the first year of life only 20-40% of cubs survive... This is due to disease, lack of food and competition within the family, when the stronger puppies receive more food, and the weaker ones gradually die.

Wolves have a rather interesting voice, which has much greater capabilities than other animals. Wolves don't just howl they are also said to be able to grumble, whimper, squeal, yelp, bark and growl. Moreover, they are fully aware of these sounds and understand the information voiced by their fellow tribesmen. This helps to find out where the prey is hiding, where to go hunting and even report the appearance of people. And the collective wolf howl is a hallmark of active social life.

By the way, Wolves can hear his fellow tribesman and transmit messages from a distance of about 8 kilometers.

The Wolf is very highly developed smell, he distinguishes smells 100 times better for a person, so the scent plays one of the main roles in the wolf family.

Wolves are strong and hardy animals that can cover the distance up to 80 km, and, if necessary, develop speed 60 km / h, which is one of the important conditions for survival.

In nature The wolves survive up to 15 years old, but already at 10-12 years old they show signs of old age.

The wolf also symbolizes loyalty and loyalty in the family, it is associated with many heroes of folk tales and epics of ancient cultures of the peoples of the North, where it personifies strength and courage. But sometimes he is perceived as an evil and negative character who is greedy and greedy, and sometimes serves the dark forces.

The wolf is a carnivorous mammal that belongs to the carnivorous order, the canine family (canine, wolf).

The Russian word "wolf" is consonant with some Slavic names of the beast: Bulgarians call the predator vylk, Serbs - vuk, Ukrainians - vovk. The origin of the name goes back to the Old Slavic word "vylk", which meant to drag, to drag.

Predators have a long and thick tail, which in some species grows up to 56 cm in length and is always down. The head of the wolf is massive, with pointed ears set high, and the muzzle is elongated and wide. The skull of red and maned wolves resembles a fox in shape.

The wolf's mouth is armed with 42 teeth: predatory teeth are designed to tear prey into pieces and grind bones, and with the help of fangs, the animal holds and drags its prey tightly.

Only in red wolves, the dental formula contains fewer molars.

The cubs are born with blue eyes, but by the third month the iris acquires an orange or golden-yellow color, although there are wolves that remain blue-eyed all their lives.

The fur of the wolf is thick and two-layer: the undercoat is formed by waterproof down, and the top layer is formed by the guard hair, which repels dirt and moisture. The low thermal conductivity of wool allows animals to survive in the harshest climatic conditions.

The color of wolves is distinguished by a rich spectrum of shades, including various variations of gray, white, black and brown, although often the fur is red, pure white or almost black. It is believed that the color of the coat allows predators to blend harmoniously with the surrounding landscape, and the mixture of different shades emphasizes the individuality of the animals.

Wolves are finger-walking animals: the support on the fingers allows them to balance their weight while moving. Strong limbs, narrow sternum and sloping back allow predators to travel considerable distances in search of food. The usual gait of a wolf is a light trot at a speed of about 10 km / h. The speed of a wolf chasing prey can reach 65 km / h.

The wolf has excellent hearing, eyesight is much weaker, but the sense of smell is excellently developed: the predator smells prey 3 km away, and the ability to distinguish several million different shades of smell is of great importance during the rut, during hunting and during communicative communication of animals. Urinary and faecal markers are used to mark the boundaries of an area.

The vocal range of wolves is rich and varied: predators howl, grumble, tweet, squeal, growl, whimper, and transmit complex messages to other members of the pack. At dawn one can hear the "choral singing" of wolves. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon, but in fact, howling animals inform the pack members of their whereabouts and drive off strangers. Solitary animals that live outside the pack rarely howl, so as not to incur trouble.

The facial expressions of wolves are also very strongly developed: thanks to the position of the mouth, lips, ears and tail, as well as the display of teeth, predators express their emotional state. Like a domestic dog, a raised wolf's tail and ears indicate alertness or aggression.

Life span of wolves

In nature, wolves live from 8 to 16 years; in captivity, life expectancy can reach 20 years.

Historically, the range of wolves ranked second in area after the range of humans in the Northern Hemisphere, but today it has significantly decreased. Wolves live in Europe (the Baltic States, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Poland, the Balkans and Scandinavian countries), Asia (in countries such as China, Korea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran , Iraq, north of the Arabian Peninsula), Africa (Ethiopia), North America (Canada, Mexico, USA, including Alaska), South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay). In Russia, wolves are distributed throughout the territory, except for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The following types of wolves live in Russia:

• red wolf (2 subspecies out of 10);
• grey Wolf;
• tundra wolf;
• steppe wolf;
• Eurasian wolf, also known as Tibetan or Carpathian;
• polar Wolf.

Predators have mastered and adapted to life in a wide variety of natural zones: wolves live in tundra, forests, deserts and semi-deserts, on plains, in mountain forests, sometimes settling near settlements.

Wolves are territorial and social animals, forming flocks of 3 to 40 individuals, which occupy a personal plot of 65-300 square kilometers, indicated by scent marks. At the head of the pack is a monogamous pair of leaders: an alpha male and an alpha female, the rest of the pack are their offspring, other relatives and lone wolves who have been killed, subject to a strict hierarchy. During the rutting period, the flock disintegrates, the territory is divided into small fragments, but the dominant pair always gets the best area. While driving through their territory, the leaders leave scent marks every 3 minutes. At the border of the territory, the density of marks can be even more frequent.

Being nocturnal animals, during the day wolves rest in various natural shelters, thickets and shallow caves, but they often use burrows of marmots, polar foxes or badgers, and they themselves rarely dig holes.

What does a wolf eat?

Wolves are one of the most agile, fast and hardy predators, tracking down and tirelessly pursuing their prey. The diet of a wolf depends on the availability of food and in most species consists mainly of animal food. Wolves are equally successful in hunting in packs and singly, but they can only drive and attack large prey, for example, a reindeer, bison or yak, only by close-knit hunting. In 60% of cases, wolves attack young, old, sick or wounded animals, while they perfectly sense whether the animal is strong and healthy or sick and weak.

In the wild, the wolf feeds on large animals (elks, deer, roe deer, saigas, antelopes, bison, wild boars), smaller mammals (hares, gophers, beavers, armadillos, mice, lemmings), as well as fish, birds incubating clutch, and their eggs. Large and small domestic animals and birds (geese, ducks, sheep, cows, horses), as well as foxes, wild dogs and corsacs often become prey for wolves.

In the absence of a main food source, wolves do not shun small amphibians (for example, frogs), lizards, insects (beetles, locusts) and carrion (for example, dead seals washed ashore). In the warm season, berries, mushrooms and ripe fruits appear in the diet of predators.

In the steppes, wolves quench their thirst in fields with melons and gourds - watermelons and melons. Hungry predators even attack bears in hibernation, they will not miss an opportunity to tear a weakened and sick animal, eating up to 10-14 kg of meat at a time. The starving polar wolf eats the white hare whole, with bones and skin. An interesting feature of wolves is their habit of returning to the corpses of an unfinished victim, as well as hiding surplus meat in reserve.

Types of wolves, photos and names

In the canine (wolf) family, several genera are distinguished, which include different types of wolves:

1. The genus of Wolves (lat. Canis)
   • Wolf, he is a gray wolf, or an ordinary wolf (lat. Canis lupus), which includes many subspecies, including domestic dogs and Dingo dogs (second feral):
     • Canis lupus albus(Kerr, 1792) - tundra wolf,
     • † Canis lupus alces(Goldman, 1941)
     • Canis lupus arabs(Pocock, 1934) - Arabian wolf,
     • Canis lupus arctos(Pocock, 1935) - Melville Island Wolf,
     • Canis lupus baileyi(Nelson and Goldman, 1929) - Mexican wolf,
     • † Canis lupus beothucus(G. M. Allen and Barbour, 1937) - Newfoundland wolf,
     • † Canis lupus bernardi(Anderson, 1943),
     • Canis lupus campestris(Dwigubski, 1804) - desert wolf, he is also a steppe wolf,
     • Canis lupus chanco(Gray, 1863),
     • Canis lupus columbianus(Goldman, 1941)
     • Canis lupus crassodon(Hall, 1932) - Vancouver Island Wolf,
     • † Canis lupus deitanus(Cabrera, 1907) (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus dingo(Meyer, 1793) - Dingo dog, or the second feral domestic dog,
     • Canis lupus familiaris(Linnaeus, 1758) - dog,
     • Canis lupus filchneri(Matschie, 1907),
     • Canis lupus floridanus(Miller, 1912),
     • † Canis lupus fuscus(Richardson, 1839),
     • Canis lupus gregoryi(Goldman, 1937),
     • † Canis lupus griseoalbus(Baird, 1858),
     • Canis lupus hallstromi(Troughton, 1958) - New Guinea Singing Dog (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus dingo),
     • † Canis lupus hattai(Kishida, 1931) - Japanese wolf, or shaman,
     • † Canis lupus hodophilax(Temminck, 1839),
     • Canis lupus hudsonicus(Goldman, 1941) - Hudson wolf,
     • † Canis lupus irremotus(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus labradorius(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus ligoni(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus lupus(Linnaeus, 1758) - European wolf, also known as Eurasian wolf, Chinese wolf, or common wolf,
     • Canis lupus lycaon(Schreber, 1775) - oriental wolf, or North American forest wolf,
     • Canis lupus mackenzii(Anderson, 1943),
     • Canis lupus manningi(Anderson, 1943),
     • † Canis lupus minor(M. Mojsisovics, 1887) (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris),
     • † Canis lupus mogollonensis(Goldman, 1937),
     • † Canis lupus monstrabilis(Goldman, 1937),
     • Canis lupus nubilus(Say, 1823) - buffalo wolf, or wolf of the Great Plains,
     • Canis lupus occidentalis(Richardson, 1829) - Mackenzian lowland wolf, aka Alaskan wolf, Canadian wolf or Rocky Mountain wolf,
     • Canis lupus orion(Pocock, 1935)
     • Canis lupus pallipes(Sykes, 1831) - Asian, he is Indian or Iranian wolf,
     • Canis lupus pambasileus(Elliot, 1905),
     • Canis lupus rufus(Audubon and Bachman, 1851) - red wolf,
     • Canis lupus signatus(Cabrera, 1907) - Iberian wolf (in some classifications it is synonymous with the subspecies Canis lupus lupus),
     • Canis lupus tundrarum(Miller, 1912) - polar wolf,
     • † Canis lupus youngi(Goldman, 1937) - The wolf of the southern Rockies.
2. The genus Maned wolves (lat. Chrysocyon)
   • Maned wolf, or guara, or aguarachay (lat. Chrysocyon brachyurus)
3. Rod Red Wolves
   • Red wolf, or mountain wolf, or Himalayan wolf, or buanzu (lat. Cuon alpinus)

Below is a description of several varieties of wolves.

• Red Wolf he is mountain wolf, himalayan wolf or buanzu(Cuon alpinus)

A large predator, outwardly combining the features of a wolf, a fox and a jackal. Mature males grow from 76 to 110 cm in length. Moreover, the weight of the red wolf is 17-21 kg. The tail of animals is longer than that of other wolves, fluffy, like that of a fox, and grows to 45-50 cm in length. The red wolf has a short, pointed muzzle and large ears with a high set. The main color of animals is various shades of red, and the tip of the tail is always black. A distinctive feature of the subspecies is the smaller number of teeth and from 6 to 7 pairs of nipples. Differences in fur density, color and body size made it possible to divide the species into 10 subspecies.

The biotopes of predators are tied to mountains, rocks and gorges (up to 4 thousand m above sea level). The red wolf feeds on small animals - amphibians and rodents, as well as large animals: sambars, axis and antelopes. In the summer, wolves happily eat various vegetation.

A significant part of the range of animals extends across the territory of Central and South Asia, predators live from the Altai Mountains and the Tien Shan to Hindustan, Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The largest populations are found in the Himalayas, southern Iran, India and Pakistan's Indus Valley. In other habitats, the red wolf is extremely small in number or completely extinct, therefore the species is considered endangered and is under protection.

• Maned wolf he is guara or aguarachay (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

A unique representative of the family, its name is translated as "short-tailed golden dog". On the nape of predators, long wool grows up to 13 cm long, forming a thick mane. Outwardly, the maned wolf resembles a large long-legged fox, the body length of adults is 125-130 cm, due to the excessively elongated limbs, the height of the wolf at the withers reaches 74-87 cm, and the animals weigh from 20 to 23 kg. The obvious imbalances of the body are especially emphasized by the long muzzle, large, high set ears and a short tail from 28 to 45 cm long. The wolf's coat is distinguished by a reddish-yellow color, a strip of black wool runs along the spine, the legs are almost black, and the chin and the end of the tail are light.

Maned wolves live exclusively on the plains, and as they evolved, they acquired their surprisingly long limbs, allowing them to make their way through thickets of grass. The range of the species runs from the northeast of Brazil to the eastern regions of Bolivia, in the south it captures Paraguay and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande Do Sul. According to the IUCN, the state of the population is becoming vulnerable.

Predators feed on rodents, rabbits, armadillos, amphibians, insects, and also eat guava, bananas and nightshade, which rid animals of nematodes.

• Eastern wolf, he is North American Timber Wolf(Canis lupus lycaon)

Until now, it does not have a definite classification: a number of scientists consider it as an independent species ( Canis lycaon) or considered a hybrid of a gray wolf with a red wolf or coyote. The growth in the shoulders of mature males reaches 80 cm, females - 75 cm, with a body weight of 40 and 30 kg, respectively. The fur of an oriental wolf is yellowish-brown, shaggy, black hair grows on the back and sides, and the area behind the ears is distinguished by a reddish-brown tint.

Eastern wolves are predominantly carnivores; deer, moose and rodents become their prey.

These animals live in forests from the southeast of the Canadian province of Ontario to the province of Quebec.

• Common wolf or grey Wolf(Canis lupus)

One of the largest predators among the canines, with a body size reaching 1-1.6 m. The growth in the shoulders of hardened individuals is from 66 to 86 cm, in especially large specimens it can be up to 90 cm. The common wolf weighs from 32 to 62 kg, in the inhabitants of the northern regions of the range, body weight varies from 50 to 80 kg. The tail of predators grows up to 52 cm. The color of animal fur is quite changeable: the inhabitants of the forests are usually gray-brown, the inhabitants of the tundra are almost white, the predators of the desert are gray with reddish, only the undercoat is always gray.

The favorite food of wolves is various ungulate mammals: deer, elk, roe deer, antelopes, wild boars and small animals: mice, hares, ground squirrels. Wolves do not disdain representatives of their own family, for example, small foxes and raccoon dogs, often various domestic animals become their prey. During the ripening period of the crop, predators quench their thirst on melons by eating watermelons and melons, because they need a lot of moisture.

The range of the gray wolf passes through the territory of Eurasia and North America. In Europe, predators are common from Spain and Portugal to Ukraine, Scandinavia and the Balkans. In Russia, the gray wolf lives everywhere, except for Sakhalin and the Kuriles. In Asia, animals are widespread from Korea, China and Hindustan to Afghanistan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. In North America, animals are found from Alaska to Mexico.

• Red wolf(Canis lupus rufus)

At first it was considered as an independent species (lat. Canis rufus), but DNA tests led him to be considered a hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote.

These predators are smaller than their gray relatives, but larger than coyotes, their size ranges from 1 to 1.3 m excluding the tail, and the growth of animals ranges from 66 to 79 cm. Mature wolves weigh from 20 to 41 kg. Red wolves are slender and long-legged than their gray relatives, their ears are more elongated, and the fur, on the contrary, is shorter. The reddish color of the fur is characteristic of the inhabitants of Texas, in other animals in color, along with red, there are gray, brownish and black tones; the back is usually black.

The diet of predators consists mainly of rodents, raccoons and hares, hunting for large prey is rare. Insects and various berries are secondary food, carrion is eaten on occasion.

The red wolf is the rarest subspecies, its range, originally covering the eastern United States, was reduced to small areas of Texas and Louisiana, and in the 70s of the 20th century, the red wolf was completely exterminated, with the exception of 14 specimens preserved in captivity. Thanks to population recovery activities, of the 300 hatched individuals, about a hundred predators now live within the state of North Carolina.

• Tundra wolf(Canis lupus albus)

One of the especially large and poorly studied subspecies, outwardly similar to its close relative, the polar wolf, but somewhat inferior to it in size: the average weight of predators is about 42-49 kg. Although there are pure white wolves in the population, most individuals are gray-white and dark gray with no brown at all.

The developed massive jaws of a wolf with strong teeth allow it to hunt for large prey, although rodents and white hares are present in the diet.

Tundra wolves inhabit the entire tundra and forest-tundra of Europe and Siberia up to Kamchatka and the Arctic coast.

• Steppenwolf, or desert wolf(Canis lupus campestris)

A poorly studied variety of small-sized predators, with a rather sparse and coarse fur of a grayish-buffy color.

Desert wolves inhabit the steppe and desert landscapes of Central Asia, including the Kazakh steppes and southern Russia: the Ciscaucasia, the Caspian lowland, the Urals region and the Lower Volga region.

• Eurasian wolf he is European, steppe, Carpathian, Tibetan or to itai Wolf, also called common wolf(Canis lupus lupus)

Outwardly, the predator resembles the North American subspecies, but its fur is denser and shorter. The growth of mature males in the shoulders is about 76 cm with a body weight of 70 to 73 kg.

The smallest individuals inhabit Eastern Europe, the most massive ones are found in the north of Russia. The color of wolves is solid or includes various combinations of gray, white, black, red and beige, and the most brightly colored specimens live in Central Europe.

The diet of European wolves depends on the range and consists mainly of medium to large prey such as saigas, chamois, mouflons, deer, roe deer, wild boars and even bison and yaks. Predators do not disdain smaller animals, catching hares and frogs, and in the complete absence of food, they feed on slaughterhouse waste in the garbage dumps.

The Carpathian wolf is considered a particularly common subspecies of the common wolf and is found in a significant range that runs across Eurasia through Western Europe, the Scandinavian countries, Russia, China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan and the Himalayas.

• polar Wolf(Canis lupus tundrarum)

The closest relative of the European wolf and the completely extinct Japanese wolf. Adult males grow in length from 1.3 to 1.5 m, excluding the tail, and weigh about 85 kg, their height at the shoulders reaches 80-93 cm.The light fur of the polar wolf is extremely dense, adapted to survive in extremely cold climates and warming the beast during long hunger strikes.

The most accessible prey for predators are lemmings and arctic white hares; with a successful hunt, the flock gets a musk ox or reindeer.

The range of the species runs throughout the Arctic and undergoes minor fluctuations caused by the migrations of animals - the main sources of food. The life span of the polar wolf is about 17 years.

Breeding wolves

Female wolves mature at 2 years of age, males become sexually mature at 3 years of age. The rut of wolves depends on the area and usually occurs from January to April. The marriage behavior of a couple consists in mutual courtship and flirting. When new pairs are formed, fierce fights are tied between the males, and the weaker rival often dies.

At the time of mating, partners leave the pack and retire. The lair settles down in a secluded place (dense bushes, thickets, crevices of rocks), and the pregnancy of a she-wolf lasts about 62-65 days. There is usually an odd number of puppies in the litter - from 3 to 13, wolf cubs are born blind, and open their eyes only after 12-13 days. Females discard weaker puppies so that stronger pups can get more milk.

Grown up cubs feed on the belching of their parents, which consists of half-digested meat, then they begin to feed on the prey brought, and all the members of the pack feed the cubs. By autumn, young (arrived) wolves are already beginning to participate in the hunt.

Enemies of the wolf in nature

Wolves have few natural enemies. Sometimes predators come into skirmishes over the division of prey with a lynx or a bear, they can suffer and even die from injuries sustained while hunting a large prey - an elk, deer, bison or horse. Red wolves in the United States have been attacked by alligators and cougars. Sometimes representatives of two different wolf packs arrange bloody fights with each other, dividing the habitat, which also leads to fatal injuries. However, man is considered the main enemy of the wolf: setting traps and unauthorized shooting of wolves by poachers sometimes lead to a soulless and barbaric reduction in the population of these predatory animals.

Wolf as a pet

It has recently become "fashionable" to keep a wolf as a pet. The wolf is easy to train, however, it fulfills the owner's commands only if it is interesting to him. True, puppies with a meek disposition become more aggressive with age and are not averse to competing with a person for leadership in the pack. A wolf at home is not always safe, so such a pet should be treated with special attention and great care.

• Through purposeful hybridization of wolves and dogs, several breeds were bred, among which the Czechoslovakian wolfdog (Czechoslovakian wolfdog) and the Wolfdog of Sarlos are considered recognized.
• In the Middle Ages, wolves were considered servants of the devil and were often used as mysterious characters in fairy tales and legends, the most famous of which is the werewolf (werewolf).
• Some European family coats of arms are decorated with the image of a wolf, meaning that the family owes its origin to a werewolf.
• Wolves rarely attack humans, and in most cases, animals infected with rabies show aggression.
• To raise their morale, the Vikings drank wolf blood and put on animal skins before the battle.
• In 17th century Ireland, there were so many packs of wolves that the country began to be called the Wolf Land.

The wolf is the only animal that can go into battle against a stronger opponent. If he lost the battle, then until his last breath he looks into the eyes of the enemy, after which he dies.

And some more interesting facts about wolves:

• Under certain weather conditions, wolves can hear sounds at a distance of 9 kilometers in the forest, and 16 kilometers. in an open area.


• The Vikings wore wolf skins and drank wolf blood before the battle, which they took with them, to raise their fighting spirit.


• The earliest depictions of wolves are found in caves in southern Europe, more than 20,000 years old.


• A wolf cannot be tamed and made a guard dog, he is afraid of strangers and will hide from them, and not bark.


• The autoimmune disease "lupus", or tuberculosis of the skin, literally means "red wolf," because in the eighteenth century, doctors believed that the disease developed after a wolf bite.


• Wolves distinguish about 200 million shades of smell, humans only 5 million. The wolf family is able to smell other animals at a distance of 1.5 kilometers.


• The eyes of wolf puppies are always blue at birth. They only turn yellow by eight months.


• The gestation period of a she-wolf is about 65 days. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, and weigh only half a kilogram.


• Wolves were once the most common terrestrial predators, the only places where they did not live are deserts and rainforests.


• The tremendous pressure is created by the teeth in the wolf's mouth, about 300 kilograms per square centimeter (compared to 150 kg / cm ^ 2 for a dog).


• The population of the North American gray wolf in 1600 was 2 million. Today, there are no more than 65,000 of them left in North America.


• A hungry wolf can eat 10 kilograms of meat in one sitting, as if a person ate a hundred hamburgers in one sitting.


• A wolf pack can consist of two or three individuals, and maybe ten times more


• Wolves evolved from ancient animals called "Mesocyon", which lived about 35 million years ago. It was a small dog-like animal with short legs and a long body. Perhaps they, like wolves, lived in packs.


• Wolves can swim up to 13 kilometers, helping themselves when moving in the water with small membranes between their toes.


• Between 1883 and 1918, more than 80,000 wolves were killed in the US state of Montana alone.


• Adolf Hitler (whose name means "leading wolf") was fascinated by wolves and sometimes demanded to call himself "Mister Wolf" or "conductor Wolf" as a pseudonym. Wolf's Gorge (Wolfsschlucht), Wolf's Lair (Wolfschanze) and Werewolf ( Wehrwolf) were Hitler's codenames for various military headquarters.


• In the 1600s, Ireland was called "Wolfland" because there were so many wolves there at that time. Wolf hunting was the most popular sport among the nobility, who used wolfhounds to locate the wolf and kill it.


• Biologists have found that wolves will react to people who mimic wolf howls. It's strange if it were different ...


• In 1927, a French police officer was convicted of shooting a boy whom he believed to be a werewolf. In the same year, the last wild wolf was killed in France.


• When Europeans sailed to North America, the wolf became the most popular game of hunting animals in American history. These animals were on the verge of extinction at the beginning of the 20th century. The US federal government even enacted a program to eradicate wolves in the western states in 1915.


• Dire wolves ("canis dirus") - one of the representatives of prehistoric wolves that lived in North America about two million years ago. They hunted mainly for prey of such sizes as mammoths.


• Wolves can run at a speed of 32 km / h for a minute or two, and in moments of danger or pursuit - up to 56 km / h. It is noticed that during the day they run "trot" (about 8 km / h) and can travel at this speed throughout the day.


• The smallest representatives of wolves live in the Middle East, where they reach a mass of no more than 30 kilograms. The largest wolf individuals live in Canada, Alaska, and Russia, where they gain weight up to 80 kilograms.


• Wolves howl to communicate with disunited members of their group to rally before the hunt, or to warn rivals of other packs to stay away from them. Lone wolves howl to attract partners or simply because they are alone. In fact, the wolf howl lasts no more than 5 seconds, just because of the echo, it seems that the sound is longer.


• The reflective layer in the wolf's eyes is called "tapetum lucidum" (Latin for "bright tapestry"), it glows in the dark, and also contributes to night vision in the animal.


• Where wolves live, crows (sometimes called "wolf birds") are often found. The crows partly follow the packs of wolves to gnaw at the remains of the hunt, and also use the wolves as protection.


• According to Pliny the Elder, a first-century Greek scientist, a she-wolf rubs the gums of puppies with her tongue to relieve pain when they appear. He also believed that wolf manure could be used to treat stomach cramps and cataracts.


• The Aztecs used wolf liver in the treatment of melancholy as an ingredient in medicines. They also stabbed the dying man's chest with a sharpened wolf bone in an attempt to delay the date of death.


• During the Middle Ages, Europeans used wolf liver powders to relieve pain during childbirth.


• The Greeks believed that if someone ate the meat of a wolf that kills lambs, then they were at high risk of becoming a vampire.


• The Cherokee Indians did not hunt wolves, because they believed that the brothers of the slain would take revenge on them. In addition, the weapon that killed the wolf was considered "tainted".


• The British King Edgard imposed a special annual tax of 300 skins for Wales, as a result of which the Welsh wolf population was quickly destroyed.


• In 1500, the last wild wolf was killed in England, in 1700 in Ireland, and in 1772 on Danish soil.


• Germany became the first country to place the wolf population under conservation laws in 1934. Under the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche (born 1844-d.1900) and Oswald Spengler (born 1880-d.1936), society became convinced that natural predators matter much more than their value after being killed. By the way, in Germany all wild wolves were exterminated by the middle of the nineteenth century.


• Unlike other animals, wolves have a range of distinctive facial movements that they use to communicate and maintain relationships within a pack.


• In Japanese, the word wolf is characterized as "great god."


• Between 6,000 and 7,000 wolf skins are still sold annually around the world. They are supplied mainly from Russia, Mongolia and China, and are most often used for sewing coats.


• In India, simple wolf traps are still used. These traps are holes camouflaged with branches and leaves. Wolves fall into the hole on sharp stakes, and people finish them off with stones from above.


• Wolves were the first animals to be listed under the Endangered Act in 1973.


• The famous poem "Lycidas" by John Milton gets its name from the Greek "wolf cub" lykideus.


• In the world of Harry Potter, there was a werewolf Remus Lupine, whose name is directly related to the Latin word "lupus", but the surname most likely comes from Remus, the founder of Rome, who was fed by wolves.


• The last wolf in Yellowstone Park was killed in 1926. In 1995, people managed to resume the wolf population, and after ten years, approximately 136 wolves roam the park, huddled in 13 packs.


• There are currently about 50,000 wolves in Canada and Alaska, 6,500 in the United States. On the European continent, in Italy - less than 300, in Spain about 2000, in Norway and Sweden - less than 80. There are about 700 wolves in Poland, and 70 thousand in Russia.

08/18/2010 | What the wolves talk about

But this song excites, amuses the souls of people who closely communicate with tame wolves. “Waking up, Chris, as usual, began to yawn luxuriously ... The wolves, in turn, yawning and stretching, appeared from under the bed. Man and animals exchanged quiet intimate sounds that created the appropriate mood, and suddenly the wolves howled at the top of their voices ... Amazed and delighted, we looked at each other and formed a quartet for them. I was hanging from the head of the bed, looking into the red open mouth of the Lady. The trigger was wailing right in Chris's face ... From now on, when we woke up, we always raised a howl ... "This is what L. Chrysler writes in his book" By the paths of the caribou ".
More than once we had to lie down and get up under the howling of wolves. Dozens of times we hastened to spy on how they behave at this moment. Usually, the wolves walked briskly at the same time, stretching their tails, raising their heads, and sang melodiously discordantly, with obvious pleasure. But maybe wolves howl so carelessly only in captivity, when they are full and in complete safety? And what does a wolf howl actually mean? Why is it so diverse, so different from one another?

Since wolves hunt large animals, a flock requires complete orderliness, coordination of the individual capabilities of all animals. The basis for the understanding of signals by animals and the response to them is illustrated by the experiments of the zoologist B. Ginzburg. A group of young wolves were isolated from the old animals. When the young grew up, their flock formed the same organization as in ordinary wolf packs: all the signals used by wolves in life were present and correctly perceived by animals. Since this experiment retained the possibility of mutual learning of young wolves, another experiment was set up: the newborn puppy was completely isolated from other wolves. After 10 months, the young wolf had formed the entire sound repertoire typical for intraspecific communication of wolves.

However, when the wolf was hooked up with his brothers, it turned out that he did not understand the meaning of their sounds. It took a beginner five days to learn how to correctly understand species signals. Thus, it was found that wolves for normal communication, in addition to innate, firmly fixed ideas about signals, require a process of live learning, albeit a short one, but nevertheless. Wolves distinguish between general communication and individual communication. In general communication, the main signals are used that are accepted for all representatives of the species, and in the communication between animals living together, additional signals are used, which individuals who are little familiar with each other must learn. As a result of such individual communication within the family, a closer group communication is formed.

In wolves, ten main types of sounds are distinguished: howling, barking, dull cracking, squealing, whining, whining, growling, hissing, snorting and yapping. In addition, L. Chrysler writes about two rare signals she observes when communicating with wolves: “talking”, when the wolf wants to say something, issuing short emotional “messages”, and a long, ardent, passionate “storytelling”. Usually for wolves and jaw-clicking.
Transitional and mixed sounds are observed between all these sounds. For communication at short distances, wolves do not use their entire sound repertoire; the signals become more diverse as the distance between animals increases. And a specially conducted analysis of the howling of the same wolf made it possible to identify eleven variants of this sound, each of which corresponded to a certain situation. The manner of howling depended on the weather, the emotional state of the animal, and also on the environment. L. Chrysler singles out a joyfully sociable, mourning, hunting, conscription howl. A firmly defined standard exists only for the funeral howl; other types vary widely without changing the meaning.

Howling is the primary means of communication between wolves. Through howling, wolves transmit all information important to them. A person is not able to convey with his voice various nuances of a wolf howl, however, the famous scientist Jason Konstantinovich Badridze, who has been dealing with wolves all his life, taught his wolves six sound-symbols. For example, signals "food", "north", "south", etc. Wolves released into the wild transmitted signals invented by man by inheritance, and their descendants subsequently used these signals. A curious story about the "wolf telegraph" was told to us in his book by the Canadian naturalist Farley Mowat: “My real education in the field of wolf linguistics began with the appearance of the Eskimo Utek. Once the two of us watched the wolf's den, but to no avail.
Suddenly Utek put his hands to his ears and listened carefully. I didn’t hear anything and could not understand in any way what attracted his attention until he whispered: "Listen, the wolves are talking." I strained my ears, but if the wolf was broadcasting, it was not working on my wavelength. It seemed that there was nothing on the air except the ominous groan of mosquitoes, but Georg (the leader of the wolf pack), who was sleeping on the ridge, suddenly sat down, pricked up his ears and, turning his long muzzle to the north, began to sing. It was a vibrating howl. Low at the beginning, it ended on the highest note the human ear could hear. Utek grabbed my hand and broke into a satisfied smile: "The wolves say - the caribou (deer) are gone." It turns out that a wolf from a neighboring site, lying to the north, not only reported that the long-awaited caribou moved south, but also indicated where they are now. Moreover, and it was absolutely incredible, it turned out that the wolf-neighbor himself did not see the deer, but simply transmitted the information he received from the wolf living even further. "

Moving through the forest, wolves check the road in front of them with periodic howls. After all, packs-neighbors keep away from each other. Slightly agreed - a fierce fight in which one or two wolves are seriously injured. Therefore, an endless dialogue is going on in the forest: "Get out of our way!" - "More than that, you yourself run faster." If the flock is strong and confident in its strength, it ignores the threatening howl and moves forward. And then the neighbors have to decide whether to engage in battle or retreat. Most of the menacing vocal rebuke is empty bravado, followed by a secret flight. It happens that the flock is brave until it sees the enemy, and noticing enemies from afar, it rushes away, tails between its legs. If the pack is discreetly silent, it cedes territory without a fight. But sometimes the wolves wait: suddenly the strangers themselves will understand that they have wandered around to the neighbors without an invitation. After all, a flock invades someone else's territory more often inadvertently - they chase the game, kill it, eat it in a hurry, as much as they can, and go home. While the howl helps to avoid unnecessary meetings, it is useful, but if conscious aggressors appear who do not pay attention to the marks of their legitimate owners, give a voice - betray themselves.
Since howling in vain is fraught with trouble, there must be important motives for casting a voice in response. Everything is taken into account: where the pack is - in the center of its possessions or on the periphery, near the den or at the meeting place, whether there are cubs in the pack and how many adults are near them.
Wolves are never too lazy to turn off the original route, so as not to risk an unnecessary meeting with neighbors. But if they are very hungry, and the prey is tempting or there are cubs nearby, then there is no time for compliance. The flock menacingly announces: "Go your own way, we won't let you pass, we will tear you to shreds."
After killing large prey, the wolves zealously guard the place where the slaughter is hidden. To the howl of strangers, they answer: "Well, get out of here, this is ours!" But as the meat decreases, the wolves are cautious, weighing, but is it worth it to respond - suddenly a reckless flock is in a hurry to meet, looking for a fight?
But at the end of February - away from discretion! On the eve of spring and rutting blood plays in the veins. Don't be a stranger here! The bloodiest flock clashes occur during the mating season. The size of the pack in any season is reflected in its courage: 4-6 wolves use their vocal abilities much more modestly than 7-10 wolves. But here comes April, and the unbridled aggressiveness is gone, again they went to be careful.
In May-June, cubs appear in the family. The she-wolf is the hostess in the den, the wolf often does not even approach him with the prey, but calls the female with a voice and gives her the meat brought at some distance from the hole. The challenge consists of just one full bass note from the male and a squeaky high note from the female, which says that everything is fine at the den. The reason for howling in a den should be sought in the need for animals to live together year-round, as a family, in the need to constantly communicate with its members.
In July-August, when the cubs leave the den, a howl hangs over the forest: some wolves hunt hard and probe the way in front of them with a howl, while others, not wanting to abandon the young and give way, drive away the intruders with their voices. While the cubs are not able to run fast, at the sound of someone else's howling, one part of the pack replies: "The place is taken!", And the other urgently evacuates the children to a safe place. In a fight, flocks of young animals are not good. In good weather, a powerful mournful wolf howl can be heard from several kilometers away, recalling the hum of many wires on a frosty day, the howling of the wind in a chimney, or even a distant discordant song of a cheerful village company.
But now the wolf cubs have grown up, they easily follow the adults, heroism is no longer required, you can return to the tactics of avoiding meetings. The flock cautiously responds to other people's signals and shows aggressiveness only near the prey.
In July, the demand for feed delivered to the den increases sharply. In search of food, parents often find themselves in different directions from each other. By giving a voice, the hardened ones determine by ear who is where, and by the intonation of the howl they guess about the prey they have found. When the she-wolf is already constantly walking after prey, the cubs, left to themselves, begin to move further and further from the den. In the morning and evening dawns, the old ones, having brought prey, call the young. In most cases, when a person enters the area of ​​the den, both old wolves begin to howl.
But not only hardened wolf cubs communicate with howling during this period. Older children, although they leave their parents, stay nearby. Having overtaken or found prey, they send a signal to their parents, they howl, tell them where the food is. Experienced people hear, remember where the sound comes from, sometimes they answer. Having chosen the moment, the seasoned ones go to the specified place for provisions. As a result, pereyarki "procured" meat for the family, as it were, and thus help the parents in raising the profits. The profits, no matter how hungry they are, themselves, on their own initiative, do not vote in the den. But as soon as the kids hear the voice of the wolf, they begin to whine and bark in support of it or in response. Often they run in a crowd to the place where the wolf howled. This behavior of the wolf cubs indicates that a certain tone of the howling of a wolf within the lair is perceived by them as a signal that prey has been delivered.
In August, wolves of three generations unite together and begin to howl at night. They are now increasingly seen in groups, and sometimes with the whole family. The most common function of the howl is to maintain consolidation in the flock, to strive for unification. In describing the behavior that accompanies a spontaneous group howl, when animals begin to howl for seemingly no apparent reason, all observers of the wolves unanimously emphasize the friendly nature of the interaction between animals immediately before and during this acoustic demonstration. A. Muri, for example, describes the behavior of wolves gathered for a spontaneous howl: “... I saw two black and two gray males, they converged on the horizon, waving their tails and clearly expressing their location. Then the energetic action ceased and five muzzles rose to the sky. Their howls spread softly across the tundra. The group broke up abruptly - the mother returned to the hole, and the four wolves plunged into the twilight, thickening in the east. "
“Some wolves love to sing more than others and resort to“ singing ”from any distance, and you have to see how often they breathe at the same time, how their eyes burn and how passionately, as they approach, they begin to howl, mouths wide open, not able to restrain himself. " As the Chryslers noted, the howling of wolves is not a "bustling bazaar" but a pleasant social event.
The consolidating howl is under the control of the female, which naturally follows from the specifics of the social organization of the wolf pack. Grown-up puppies keep near her, always taking part in the group howl, and peyarki gravitate to the same group during the period of increasing flock. In addition, all members of the pack throughout the year are tied to the area where the den is located and, therefore, constantly keep in touch with the female. Under natural conditions, wolves usually howl in the evening hours, less often at night and early in the morning. But a frequent howl, especially repeated during the day, may indicate a complication in the life of a family or individual. Experienced hunters say the August night's howl is a sign of next year's lair.
During the year, wolves howl most often in winter, when the flock reaches its maximum. Howling activity also increases in late summer, early autumn, when the flock begins to move especially widely within the family area. At this time, solitary and evoked group howls are more typical for wolves. In autumn, moving widely around the site, wolves usually gather together for daytime rest. Solitary animals, returning after a long absence for a day, usually howl when approaching it. From the day, located hundreds of meters from the howling animal, everyone who is on it answers him. The contagiousness of howls during this period is especially high, and hunters use this when looking for a flock. Even a not very skillful imitation of howling causes a response howl of the flock on the day.
Usually a person hears a howl from one and a half to two kilometers. By the howl, you can distinguish the sex and age of the animal. The hardened howls bassist and long. Its single howl lasts 20-25 seconds. When imitating a hardened howl, a person experiences difficulty due to a lack of exhaled air, a mother howls higher and shorter, her howl is more complex and mournful, sometimes it seems that two wolves are howling. The voices of the pereyarks are distinguished by their monotony and sonority. Often they howl in tenor, sometimes they end up with whimpering and barking.
The wolf distinguishes well the howl of his fellows from the tape recording, no matter how accurate it is. He is even more likely to respond to a not very accurate imitation of his voice by a person than to a real howl recorded on tape.
Howling, alternating with barking, can be issued by both adult females and males disturbed by a person near the den, daytime and prey. This sound is rarely heard by a person. The howl alternating with barking is very demonstrative and sometimes lasts tens of minutes.
Wolves use sounds for communication both at close and far distances. At close range, when animals see each other, the antagonistic behavior of wolves is accompanied by growls, barks and squeals. It is more characteristic of adult animals and is typical for close contacts between them, when the individual distance is disturbed and the likelihood of conflict increases. Higher-ranking animals are more likely to growl and bark at subordinate animals or those of lower rank in the pack. Females growl and bark less often than males. In the mating season, growling and, to a lesser extent, barking are aimed at maintaining individual distance between partners. Growling usually prevents direct collisions between males, and in some cases, it entails submission of the partner. The dominant animal with all its kind expresses the intention to stop the activity of the opponent. Low-ranking animals express submission by squealing, which blocks the aggressive intentions of the partner. The dominant wolf never squeals, and the closer the ranks between partners, the less often you can hear their squeals.
Growling and dull barking on one side and squealing on the other are antipodes, although all three sounds express a negative attitude towards a partner. However, if by growling or dull barking wolves demonstrate equality between partners, then screeching means submission of one to the other. It also means agreeing to interrupt any activity that preceded the screeching.
Wolves, especially males, also bark when guarding large portions of meat or when another male approaches. Barking often stops the approach of the beast. In similar situations, wolves growl. However, barking is accompanied by lunges towards the enemy, but growling is not. This suggests that growling is a milder threat than barking.
She-wolves raising young, at the moment of concern for them, give signals to call the wolf cubs, as well as signals warning of the proximity of a person. It is a series of short, soft snort-like sounds that follow at intervals of about a second. Hearing a snort, the cubs scatter and hide. Especially often wolves warn puppies with these sounds near the den or near the family day. Moreover, she-wolves react not only to the detection of a person, but also to his tracks. Introducing the wolf cubs to the footprints of a person, the she-wolf makes snorting sounds, establishing in young people a connection with the footprints of a person as a source of danger.
The sound reactions of wolves to humans are not limited to snorting. The literature describes a sonorous barking, very similar to the barking of a dog. There is an assumption that in this way the she-wolf forbids the wolf cubs to howl.
Like dogs, wolves can whine. With this sound, they express the desire to establish contact with a partner in a group, and when kept in captivity, with a person. Whining is based on motivation, which is the exact opposite of antagonistic behavior sounds. During whining, wolves never show their teeth. All their movements during this time express friendliness and a desire to establish contact with a group partner. However, such a demonstration of friendliness is not always understood. Often, in response to the welcoming whine, the beast meets a threatening grin and growl, especially from higher-ranking animals.
Wolves also have other sound signals, such as grumbling conversations. One observation of a pack of wild wolves describes how one of them, acting as a beater when hunting for deer, for five minutes expressed his displeasure with two other wolves after an unsuccessful hunt for five minutes.
Of all the sound signals typical of wolves, of course, howl is the most expressive, widely known and at the same time the most mysterious. The only pity is that more and more rarely an ordinary person can hear it in natural conditions.

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