Wolves Are Not Howling at the Moon, So Why Are They Howling?

Item

Title
Wolves Are Not Howling at the Moon, So Why Are They Howling?
Source
ZOOL 567, Fall 2021
Contributor
adholmes
ラルフ - Ralf RKLFoto
USFWS Headquarters
Canva
Creator
Lovett, Annie
Description
It is a common misconception that wolves howl at the moon. The aim of this infographic is to inform why wolves howl and the differences in interpack and intrapack howling. Furthermore, social factors that influence interpack and intrapack howling are described.
References
Ausband, D. E., Bassing, S. B., & Mitchell, M. S. (2020). Environmental and social factors influencing wolf (Canis lupus) howling behavior. Ethology, 126(9), 890–899. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13041

Harrington, F. H. (1987). Aggressive howling in wolves. Animal Behaviour, 35(1), 7-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(87)80204-X

Harrington, F. H., & Asa, C. S. (2003). Wolf communication. In L. D. Mech and L. Boitani (Eds.), Wolves: Behaviour, ecology, and conservation (pp.66-103). University of Chicago Press.

Harrington, F. H., & Mech, L. D. (1979). Wolf howling and its role in territory maintenance. Behaviour, 68(3–4), 207–249. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853979X00322

Harrington, F. H., & Mech, L. D. (1983). Wolf pack spacing: Howling as a territory-independent spacing mechanism in a territorial population. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 12(2), 161–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00343208

Mazzini, F., Townsend, S. W., Virányi, Z., & Range, F. (2013). Wolf howling is mediated by relationship quality rather than underlying emotional stress. Current Biology, 23(17), 1677–1680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.066

Palacios, V., Font, E., Márquez, R., & Carazo, P. (2015). Recognition of familiarity on the basis of howls: A playback experiment in a captive group of wolves. Behaviour, 152(5), 593-614. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-00003244

Theberge, J. B., & Falls, J. B. (1967). Howling as a means of communication in timber wolves. American Zoologist, 7(2), 331–338. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/7.2.331

Watson, S. K., Townsend, S. W., & Range, F. (2018). Wolf howls encode both sender- and context-specific information. Animal Behaviour, 145, 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.09.005

Zaccaroni, M., Passilongo, D., Buccianti, A., Dessì-Fulgheri, F., Facchini, C., Gazzola, A., Maggini, I., & Apollonio, M. (2012). Group specific vocal signature in free-ranging wolf packs. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 24(4), 322–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2012.664569
Date
11/30/2021
Category
Communication