I know that many users are too lazy to use the search engine, so here I bring the solution!
Note: if you see any other topic about Q&A that has an answer, it is not posted here or at Blightwolf’s guide, please let me know here and I will add it to the list.
Blightwolf’s FAQ:
- What is the average weight, height and length of a wolf?
How many teeth wolves have?
How many scent glands wolves have and where are they located?
When do wolves breed, how long is their gestation period, when are their young ones born and how much do they weigh?
How fast can wolves run?
How far can wolves travel?
What do wolves eat?
What is the hunting technique of a wolf?
How much do wolves eat?
What is the lifespan of a wolf?
What is a wolf pack?
Do wolves accept rogue/lone/stranger wolves into their pack?
How many pups wolves can have?
How do wolves choose their mate?
How big is a wolf's track?
How strong are wolves' jaws?
In what habitats does wolves live in?
What are the natural "enemies" of a wolf?
How many species of wolf are there?
What are the eye colors of a wolf?
What are the coat colors of a wolf?
How far does a wolf leap?
How big is the territory of a wolf pack?
What is the shape of a wolf territory?
Do wolf territories border each other?
How to distinguish a wolf from a dog?
Behavior
Trainability
Is it possible to tame a wolf?
How far can a wolf howl be heard?
What is the body language of wolves and how they express it?
How far can a wolf hear, see and smell?
What is a wolfdog?
How good is the eye sight of a wolf? How is their vision range? Are wolves colorblind?
Are wolves dangerous to people?
What are the reasons behind wolf attacks?
Are wolves able to climb trees?
What is the global wolf population?
Can/do wolves disperse in groups?
How far will a dispersal go?
Can/do wolves associate themselves with multiple packs?
What is the fate of a "fractured pack"?
What countries are wolves found in, and approximately how many are there?
When do wolf pups' eyes start to change color?
When do wolf pup's furs start to change color?
What is the ancestor of the wolf?
Do wolves in a wolf pack take turns, or share, the nursing duties?
How long does a pack have to rest after a hunt?
What parts of the carcass are eaten first?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=465
Best Answer (WQ Project Coordinator):
After talking with Jackie, the wolf keeper at the Minnesota Zoo, I have a partial answer for you. She told me that wolves sometimes do kill and/or eat pups. If a pup dies, the mother might bring it out of the den to keep the den clean and it probably will be consumed by some animal, potentially a wolf. If a mother cannot defend her den against other animals, the pups may be killed and consumed. This includes wolves from other territories. Something to remember is that while a mother wolf has bonded with her pups, it is unlikely that she would die protecting them. She would abandon them after putting up a fight if her life was definitely in danger. This may sound cruel but many pups wouldn't survive without their mother so what would be the purpose of her dying. Pup survival is not easy. We don't know what the wolves are thinking, but there is always the next breeding season.
Here at the Minnesota Zoo a couple of years ago the Mexican Gray wolves had 8 pups. One by one, six of the pups died and the mother removed them from the den. The keepers never found a trace of the pups or digging to indicate that they had been cached (buried for a later time). They don't know exactly what happened to the deceased pups, but being consumed is an option.
Wolves can be very difficult to study due to their secretive nature. There are some things scientists just don't have solid answers for.
Do wolves mother move their den and pups if there’s danger?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14000
Best Answer (pawnee):
Yes they do. Wolves can have mutliple densites in case the mother should move the pups. Many books by david mech, john theberge, and other wolf researchers have documented this.
What diseases can wolves die from?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15094
Best Answer (pawnee):
I would say any disease a dog can get. so parvovirus, rabies, distemper, mange, not to mention all the parasites that dogs can get from eating dead things.
Side note: (Songdog:) Don't forget infections from wounds/broken bones, cancer, stomach viruses, etc. Then of course a whole slue of intestinal parasite.
If a wolf's jaw gets broken or becomes infected, it is more or less a death sentence.
(CLBaileyi:)As others have already said, any disease that affects the domestic dog will affect wolves.
Going off of the limited information given, it is too broad to diagnosis the problem. A probable diagnosis could be done by doing a necropsy, if the deaths happened fairly recently and the animals are not too decomposed-virus and chemicals stay in the body for long periods of time-in many tissues.
Another thing-it is NOT uncommon for some people to poison animals that are behind fences, so there is always that as a possibility. Many chemicals can be disguised and easily eaten by an animal.
Do wolves bark?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14322
Best Answer (CLBaileyi):
Actually wolves may bark for a variety of reasons. However, the most common bark is often called the "alarm bark" by some, and is usually given when they are feeling defensive or protective-at a den site when a predator may arrive (such as a zookeeper entering the enclosure when pups are present, when a new person or strange animal is in the area, etc).
Do wolves sweat through their paws? Or their tongue?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16425
Best Answer (pawnee):
Wolves get rid of excess heat through panting and sweating. People and wolves pant with their tongue...but wolves sweat (like dogs) through their paws. Wolves don`t sweat through their tongue, but their still trying to get cool. Diffrent means, same motive.
Can Wolves get Cancer?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17331
Best Answer (CLBaileyi):
Wolves get pretty much the same diseases that dogs get. The one thing to say is that wolves are more resiliant to many injuries (bite wounds, fractures, etc) and often can survive without any assistance from humans-especially when in the wild. Also, we will vaccinate them in captivity with the same vaccines that we use on our own dogs.
Do wolves hunt different animals according to the season?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16524
Best Answer (pawnee):
Wolves hunt large animals in winter, when prey is weakest and hunt animals such as moose, elk, deer, bison.
In the spring, wolves can eatthe young of their prey as well as the animals that are awakening from hibernation.
In summer wolves can also hunt beaver, and to some degree eat some berries and grasses.
Wolves are oppertunistic, so if they see an chance for a meal they`ll take it but they also have to be wise in how they spend their energy. It also depends on the location of the wolf pack, as wolves in certain parts of yellowstone will consume more elk than in other parts.
Wolf Fur Patterns Portraying Rank?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15375
Best Answer (CLBaileyi):
There is no relationship between the color of a wolf's coat and their "rank" in the pack (also, see other threads re: rank in wild wolves). There is no biological basis for this theory.
Why people think wolves howl at the moon?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6085
Best Answer (pawnee):
Wolves and coyotes just get excited when they howl and throw back their heads, and because wolves are usually active at night it looks like their howling at the moon or stars. Wolves also howl sitting and lying down too. People also thought that solar eclipses meant that supernatraul wolves were chasing the sun away, this was more popular belief in northern european mythology, like in norway or russia...
Wolfs hearing and smelling
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14236
Best Answer (king1-7):
http://books.google.com/books?id=qGmTn2 ... 0&lpg=PA70 wrote:
Wolves have an amazing sense of smell. They can track a moose by scent up to a mile away. Scientists estimate that a wolf's sense of smell is 100 times better than a human's sense of smell. In some ways, wolves actually "see" the world through their noses.
They also have acute hearing. Scientists estimate that a wolf can hear another wolf howl up to six miles away on the open tundra and up to 4 miles away in a forest.
What do wolves have to go through to get territory?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14013
Best Answer (pawnee):
Depends, wolves are oppertunitstic. If they find a mate before they establish a turf of their own, then they`ll look for one or defend on together. But a lone wolf/dispersal might live on the fringes of a pack territory and if a wolf of the oppsoite gender also wants to disperse, they could set move out together.
really depends on the individual, some might stick around and wait to breed while others will go in search. The area must generally be free of other wolves, or not so close to rival packs.
How many times a wolf can breed a year?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15598
Best Answer (king1-7):
Female wolves only go into estrus once a year, so at maximum, a pair of wolves would be able to breed yearly, sometime from February to March. However, whether or not wolves decide to breed depends on the current environmental conditions. If food is scarce, the breeding pair may not mate during that year because there wouldn't be enough food to support a bigger pack. Likewise, if there's an abundance of food, the pack may produce more than one litter.
Shedding in wolves?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16394
Best Answer (CLBaileyi):
Anyway, wolves shed more in the spring, or when they move from colder climates to warmer ones (as what may happen with captive animals moving from one facility to another). They do not appear to all go through the shedding cycle at the same time (some shed out earlier than others) and some shed out in certain sequences (head, ruff around the head, body, hips, shoulders, tail). In Minnesota, some of the wolves at the zoo began to shed in late March and continued into late June. Others were still shedding in July.
The thing to remember, is that, it is generally the thick undercoat that is lost when people way "they shed". The guard hairs generally are not lost in large enough sections to be noticed by people, but they are lost as well throughout the year.
At what approximate age do wolves lose their puppy fuz?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9591
Best Answer (king1-7):
he pups’ eyes and ears open at around two weeks. They grow very fast and by three weeks they can crawl; by four they can walk. Pups as young as two weeks old have been known to howl! By six weeks they are exploring the area around the den; by eight weeks they are tasting pre-chewed meat regurgitated for them by adult pack members. They will be moved out of the den and stay at "rendezvous sites" out in the open, perhaps babysat by a low-ranking adult wolf, while they wait for the hunting adults to return. The layer of guard hairs which will give their coats their adult color begins to grow in around this time. By nine months old, the pups are eating meat, hunting small prey, and are almost as big as the adults, but they will not be completely adult until they are two years old.
http://www.wolfpark.org/wolffaq.html#puppies
Side Note: (CLBaileyi):
King 1-7 had it right in the reply re: when pups lose their "puppy fuzz" - basically by 6-8 months of age, it can be nearly impossible to tell them apart by their "look" based on coat and not physical size.
Do wolves frequently kill each others?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16367
Best Answer (pawnee):
Wolves try and avoid fighting...most animals do. Fighting can cause injury and loss of energy that could be better used in the hunt. Most animals try and avoid getting hurt by using behaviours to avoid fights. Usually animals fight to a point where one opponent submits or runs away, I would say its infrequent for pack memembers to kill other pack memebers. But rival wolf packs will and do kill lone wolves that tresspass into a territory.
Are Wolves And Coyotes Related?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17282
Best Answer (CLBaileyi):
Wolves and coyotes are both members of the Canine family, but they are not like wolves and dogs in the concept of (closely related). There are some good articles about canine evolution in the Canid specialist group's website: I suggest that you take a look at it to show you how all of them are related to one another.
As far as the hybridization issue re: red wolves, coyotes and wolves, also check out the International Wolf Center's website-or the wolf specialist's website (IUCN Wolf Specialist Group) should get you there.
How many pups in a litter?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19050
Best Answer (pawnee):
Usually 4-7 for a grey wolf but depending on the location wolf pups can expirence a 30-over 50% mortality rate in their first year of life. rarely do female wolves give birth to over seven (healthy) pups.
When do pups stop drinking milk?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19113
Best Answer (Songdog):
They begin to eat regurgitated meat at 2 weeks, but are not fully weened off milk until about five weeks.
For complete developmental process of pups, visit this link:
http://www.yellowstonepark.com/MoreToKn ... ?newsid=15
Neonatal Period
(from birth to 12 - 14 days, when eyes open) Birth: Born approximately one pound, blind, deaf, darkly furred, small ears, rounded heads, and little if any sense of smell. They are unable to control own body temperature. Their motor capacities are limited to a slow crawl and to sucking and licking. They possess a good sense of balance, taste and touch. Nursing pups feed four or five times a day for periods of three to five minutes. On average, females will gain 2.6 lbs. and males 3.3 lbs. per week for the next fourteen weeks. This time is known as the "period of maximal growth."
Transition Period
(eye opening until about 20 - 24 days) 2 weeks: Eyes open and are blue at 11-15 days, but vision is poor. They can start eating small pieces of meat regurgitated by adults. Pups begin to stand, walk, growl and chew.
Socialization Period
(20 - 24 days until about 77 days) 3 weeks: Begin appearing outside the den and romping and playing near the entrance; hearing begins (~27 days, ears begin to raise; ~31 days, ears erect but with tips still flopping); canines and premolar teeth present. 4 weeks: Weigh 5-6 lbs.; grow adult hair around nose and eyes; bodies begin to take on conformation of adults with disproportionately large feet and head; high-pitched howls are gaining strength; mother may go off for hours on end to hunt; dominance and play fighting begin. 5 weeks:Gradual process of weaning begins. Can follow adults up to one mile from den. 8 weeks: Disproportionately large feet and head. 8-10 weeks: Adults abandon den and move pups to rendezvous site; weaning complete, pups can feed on food provided by adults; adult hair becomes apparent on body. 8-16 weeks: Eyes gradually change from blue to yellow-gold.
Can wolves suffer from a condition known as heterochromia?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18931
Best Answer (Songdog):
"Heterochromia is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin (a pigment). It may be inherited, due to genetic mosaicism, or due to disease or injury"
Technically, it's possible. But it wouldn't be one blue eye and one yellow eye. They would have two yellow eyes, but of different pigment. This occurs in humans as well.
As said, blue eyes are a dog trait, not a wolf trait. Only pups have blue eyes, with rare cases of it occurring up until a year of age.
Lower Ranks Having Pups
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19265
Best Answer (Songdog):
The breeding pair usually stick together and fiercely guard their breeding rights. Only one pair breeds per year, unless there is a disruption in dominance or shift in power.
If the non dominant female were to have pups, their chance of survival would be drastically decreased. The mother would not be able to maintain the nutrition required for healthy milk production because the 'lead' female gets priority of the meat. The wolf may be driven out of the pack, the pups may be killed or even abandoned by the mother. The mother would not get choice of denning (dens are only used for pups for a certain age; wolves do not sleep in dens, only the pups) The pups may not have a den at all and would be exposed to the elements. They may not get the protection from predators such as cougars, bears, or large birds (eagles, hawks, etc) Because of poor nutrition, the pups would have a lower immunity, improper growth, etc.
It is rare for there to be more than one litter of pups.
Side Note (pawnee): In Yellowstone during the early years of reintroduction multiple females in sevral packs had pups, sometimes more than one female had a litter in the same pack. Biologists believe that because of the vast resources avalible to the wolves, related females (sisters, mother and daughter) would tolerate their related kin to have a litter. Whether these litters are from a single male is unknown but the majority of the time when this happens is that related females may be more tolerant of another litter.
In captivity, as Songdog said, a low ranking female cannot earn respect to protect her pups so curious wolves might go into the den and investigate. Female wolves in captivity also expirence higher levels of aggression because sub bordinate animals cannot leave the pack and must bear the brunt of the conflicts. Thus, female wolves in captive situations are probably less likely to tolerate an intrusion of their breeding rights by another female.
The only cases in the wild that I`ve read about where more than one wolf produces pups is when there is little compeition from other wolves with abundant resources
or
when wolf populations are pressured (eg from control programs) and thus the chances of pup survival are increased along with larger litter sizes.
What happens when the dominant wolf passes away or can’t lead?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19651
Best Answer (pawnee):
If a dominant animal passed away, another would take its place, or worse comes to worse, the pack would split up. In captive situations where wolves cannot move away, soemtimes social heirarchy breaks down, and sevral animals will produce young.
Do wolves inheritage Leadership?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20553
Best Answer (pawnee): No, wolves don't inherit their status. By around the four month to six month phase they begin to learn their place within pack heirarchy. Its not like Hyenas where your position and authority is based on your parent's role within a group.
Wolf Ranks?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20655
Best Answer (Songdog):
In a real pack there is a breeding male and a breeding female, sometimes referred to as 'alphas'. All wolves hunt, look after the pups, and so on. There is a 'hierarchy' in the pack, but it is a subtle hierarchy. Wolves will skirmish and flaunt their dominance over one another on a daily basis. 'Omega' is still often accepted as a wolf who is at the lowest rung of the pack; these are generally juvenile males that haven't left the pack yet.
Side Note (pawnee):
Alpha doesn`t apply to wild wolf packs because the term alpha was used in captive/artificial enviornments in which wolves were forced to make a pecking order. Usually in the wild there is a breeding pair and their pups. Sometimes a relative stays with the pack or similiar but more research needs to be done in what drives one wolf to be a leaderwolf and not too.
the term alpha visualizes that animals fight it out to decide who`s boss, like in chickens or something. but most wild wolves try and avoid fighting. you can see the new International Wolf magazine "what happened to the term Alpha?" by David Mech for specific info.
How old a wolves needs to be for disperse?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21122
Best Answer (CLBaileyi):
Per Dave Mech and Steve Fritts: Wolves can disperse as early as 5 months or as old as 5 years. However, most wolves disperse between 11-24 months of age. Also, most wolves disperse in aut5umn and early winter or around spring denning season, although they may disperse at any time of the year.
The above information and a GREAT resource for anyone interested in wolves is the book: Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation edited by L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani. It is worth every penny to have the latest information about wolves in one book.
Do wolves Hunt bison?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22195
Best Answer (Songdog):
As far as I know, yes. But not all wolves.
Wolves will hunt anything they can, including bison. But bison are not found everywhere, so only the wolves in an area with bison would be able to hunt them.
It would take an entire pack to bring down a bison; they are very heavy.
Here are some videos of wolves hunting bison:
Do adult female offspring (from the dominant pair) tend to stay longer in the pack than males?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22217
Best Answer (pawnee):
Actually Mech found that female wolves left their natal packs sooner than males.
Usually young wolves leave their natal pack and seek each other out to form a pack together. Wolves are also oppertunitsts and will take the chance to form their own pack should they choose to do so.
Do wolves mate for life?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14621
Best Answer (Songdog):
I'm not sure if there is a reliable answer for you. Depending on what you read, or what TV program you watch, it will tell you something different.
After Mating, pairs will continue to be affectionate. Although wolves often have long-lasting attachments to thier mates, if one wolf dies, the widowed mate may breed with another wolf. In addition, some males may bond to different females in different years, destroying the long-held "mate for life" myth.
I think as a general answer: Wolves are monogamous. They do not mate with multiple wolves; the breeding pair usually stick together and fiercely guard their breeding rights. Only one pair breeds per year, unless there is a disruption in dominance or shift in power. They more or less choose the same mate each year. If a mate dies, the wolf generally takes a new mate.
In contrast to say a male lion, which will mate with all females, or a squirrel which has a different mate each year.
Important Note (pawnee):
From what I`v read, wolves don`t mate for life though they do show prefrences to certain inviduals. one pair in a European zoo raised pups together for seven years. but say, if one breeding invidual dies or gets overthrown, then they the other breeding wolf just accepts the new mate. Of course, if an animal thinks another is flawed in some way, they might refuse to mate, for instance most female animals will refuse a sickly looking male to mate with them.
but in captivty there are cases of more than one female bearing a litter, whether the litter survives depends on the rank status of the lesser female. a wolf pack in a non fictional book ,Shadow Mountain expirenced such an instance and the yearling wolves brought out the lesser female`s pups from the den. the pups died from exposure to the elements...
but wolf packs do accept pups that aren`t from the leader pair...and with lots of food avalible or no competition from other predators/packs, the wolves might produce a second or third litter. though this needs more research....
Do wolves engage social grooming?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=23279
Best Answer (Blightwolf):
Wolves are known being extremely social, and their family unit would not work out without the emotional bonds and attachments between pack members. Wolves have at least three recognised ways of social communication, Audible, Somatic (body language) and Olfactory (scenting and territory marking). Their social behavior is in its highest level when taking a mate; upon greeting, both wolves stand tensely shoulder to shoulder, with fur bristled, tails out and wagging, and ears erect as they venture a sniff of each others nose and muzzle. As they get to know each other better, there may be some play posturing, and then tail, genital, and anal sniffing. This progresses into romping, running, licking, and nuzzling, by which time the greeting phase fades and courtship begins. Courtship is a bonding phase where the wolves get to know each other intimately and a mutual emotional attachment develops. This bond often becomes so strong that the pair will become lifetime mates. However, unlike the romanticism anthropomorphized by human beings, lifetime relationships are more a thing of opportunity than an absolute. Many things can happen in the wilderness to push even the most mutually dedicated lovers apart; such as rivalry between wolves, injury, illness, or death. As courting progresses there comes playful attempts to mounting from the front or side, mutual licking of muzzle, candle, and genitals, parallel running which incorporates nuzzling under the other wolf's jaw or ear, and puppy the ears sideways while together.
Another form of highly-developed social behavior is a wolf taking care of their puppies. The den is a sacred place and the alpha female won't even allow her mate enter, although she may select an assistant from among the pack's other females to help her rear the pack puppies. Wolves love puppies and the entire pack eventually participates in their care. When the pups are born, they are tongue-groomed clean by the mother. The mom wolf will remain in the den for several days straight, licking and feeding the brood. Wolf pups are born quite strong and immediately begin competition with each other to reach mother's nipples. This struggle to suckle also establishes early social ranking. Puppies that die during or after birth are usually buried by the mother. Sometimes the mother will carry a dead puppy around in her mouth, showing the little corpse to the members of the pack. It has even been observed where pack members will take turns doing this until someone finally buries the dead puppy. In captivity dead puppies might be eaten, this behavior has never been observed in the wild.
When the pups are born the entire pack is filled with excitement. It is well documented how much adult wolves love puppies and how every pack member contributes to their care and education. The alpha female will not allow any other wolves to come around when she whelps, not even the alpha male. At a couple months of age mothers will move their puppies away from the den site to what some call a "rendezvous site." This area is usually less than an acre in size, is near water, and is a place for the pups to play, romp, harass lazy adults, and learn their initial skills.
Where can I find general, reliable info about wolves?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=23697
http://www.wolf.org/
http://www.wolfhaven.org/
http://www.runningwiththewolves.org/
http://www.wolfsource.org/
http://www.naturalworlds.org/wolf/
http://www.wolfsongalaska.org/
http://www.northernlightswildlife.com/wolf_info.html
http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/wolves/
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/veca ... geron.html
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/veca ... orter.html
Do wolves accept strangers in their pack if they show submissive behavior the 'alpha'?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24253
Best Answer (pawnee):
From all the books I've flipped through; more wolves die from other wolves than by (almost) any other means...thus wolves will attack and kill any wolf caught tresspassing on their territory.
Exceptions are very rare indeed. It could be an individual of the opposite gender in a pack made up of the other gender...as in what happened in Yellowstone with the Druid Peak Pack. the dominant male was killed and thus, when a lone male came he (very carefully) investigated the situation and joined the pack of all females.
The only other exception to this would be when a related wolf comes back to its natal or birth pack. Some wolves in Algonquin have done this when they failed to produce their own pack, while others were killed.
Other than that I would say a submissive wolf is still a dead one when tresspassing in another wolf's turf.
Side Note: (Sintact)
For what I have read and I will infer some of the information (meaning that this might not be 100% correct), wolves rarely accept strangers in their pack. Why? Because packs are comformed by family members, not by other wolves. The meaning loner in a pack is the same as the Omega, the wolf that is alone is called Dispersal, and being in this state means that they are searching for another Dispersal that would like to start a pack. Same as the WolfQuest Singleplayer game.
If they find a weak wolf or a hurted one, they will leave it there. It's survival. Indeed, they might as well kill the weak wolf when there's is need (starvation, scarcity, etc).
I saw some years ago a Dispersal wolf joining a pack, meaning that it might be possible for the family members to accept a new comer.
What do wolves do during a storm?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25140
Best Answer: (Azalea)
People often forget that wolves are not dogs. Humans bred dogs for desirable traits, but in doing so, dogs lost a number of features. Many domesticated dogs have lost their ability to thrive in the wild. Wolves have not. Wolves are wild animals and as such are well suited to live outside.
Wolf coats have two layers with two different types of fur. The fur closest to the skin is fine and soft and made for insulation against cold. The outer hairs, or guard hairs, are long and coarse and made for waterproofing. Droplets of water will often roll off the outer hair, keeping the inner hair dry and warm. Because of this, they do not usually need to take shelter in rain or snow. Perhaps if there was a particularity violent storm wolves would take shelter like Sheeba said. The pups and probably the mother would have to take shelter, because pups don't get full adult hair coats until they are near maturity and need the mother to keep them warm, but the rest of a pack are equipped with the features they need to stay alive and well in foul weather. Though they would likely seek shelter in particularly powerful storm, in most weather they can continue with their daily activities.
Are there wolf packs consisting only of females?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25193
Best Answer (Canidae):
It's improbable but not impossible.
Most packs are formed when a dispersal male meets up with a dispersal female. I suppose if she were to give birth to only female pups or if all of the males in her litter died for some reason, then the father died somehow, this scenario could take place. This is a highly unlikely sequence of events, though.
If all of the females in the female-only pack were adults, I can't imagine the pack would stay in that state for very long. When the breeding season would come around and throw all the females into the annual hormonal hurricane, I imagine the tension and stress would prove too much for some of the younger members and the pack would split (especially considering there would be no reason to stay; no males in the pack means no chance of breeding, which is what all of the harsh female dominance is about).
But like I said, you probably won't ever see a female-only pack exist in the wild for more than a few weeks, unless it was comprised of a mother and her daughters and they were all closely bonded.
Are wolves able to swim?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27635
Best Answer: (Songdog)
Wolves can swim, as most mammals can.
However, information about them being able to fish or not is spotty. More research is currently needed to completely confirm this.
Do Wolves usually sleep outside, or in Dens?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=26550
Best Answer (SolitaryHowl):
Wolves sleep anywhere, really. They do not use dens even when there are pups in the pack; usually the den is reserved for the puppies. I do not know if the mother goes in the den, maybe if they are really young and are still suckling.
Why dont wolves attack humans?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24974
Best Answer (Songdog):
Wolves do attack humans, there are plenty of recorded attacks from healthy wolves, diseased wolves, provoked wolves, etc. There are also recorded fatal attacks, where wolves have killed humans. The old myth of "There's never been a recorded wolf killing a human in North America" is false, there have already been a few.
Many people want to romanticize the wolf into this perfect creature who would never harm a person, so they often say "If the human was attacked, it must have been their fault". This isn't true, wolves have attacked people for no obvious reason. Sometimes, completely healthy wolves begin attacking people. There are several notable wolves in history that took a liking to human flesh, and killed many people. For example, the Wolf of Soissons killed four people over two days, and the Wolf of Gysinge killed 12 people over 3 months.
They can attack for a number of reasons; sometimes they are hungry, sometimes threatened pr provoked, sometimes diseased, and so forth. I believe a loner is more likely to attack than a wolf from a pack, although there are notable wolf packs who began killing humans. In Russia, wolves have been known to eat humans.
The reason why there are less attacks in North America is partially because the only people who lived there for most of history were Native Americans, and so their attacks went unrecorded. It is believed that North American wolves may be more docile than European and Asian wolves.
Why wolves howl?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35246
Best Answer (Canidae):
The howl of the wolf is one of nature's most evocative and powerful sounds. The haunting chorus of wolves howling is beautiful - or frightening depending on one's point of view. Wolves howl to communicate with one another. They locate members of their own pack by howling, and they often engage in a group howl before setting off to hunt. The howl is a clear warning to neighboring wolves to stay away.
Would a Dispersal Wolf ever return to their pack?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35018
Best Answer (Alycia J):
The nature and extent of dispersal in wolves appears related to wolf density and prey availability (Schullery, 1996). The natural competition between individual wolves, often over breeding status or resources, may result in one wolf leaving the pack. If there is a shortage of food in the pack's territory, low prey density, a wolf may decide to leave the pack and travel to other territories in search of food. A subordinate wolf may choose to leave the pack in search of another pack in which it would have better breeding status. If a wandering wolf does not join a new pack, it may return to its natal pack and assist in raising the pups.
http://biology.kenyon.edu/stures/compsb ... ersal.html
Can Wolves Smell in Rain?
http://wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36541
Best Answer (Blightwolf):
Yes, rain can obscure and weaken scent trails of prey items and other wolves/animals, but it does not effect a wolf's ability to smell.
