Do Mexican Wolf pups retreat to den for protection in wild?

[Lee Lobo]

I read an article

"More pups! Recently a FWS wolf team biologist took this photo of Mexican wolf pups during a ‘pup count’ at the Prieto pack den. Here the pups are about 4.5 weeks old. At this age, vision is much more developed and the pups have the ability to recognize that our intrepid biologist is a potential threat. Upon approaching the den, the pups scurried inside to huddle together for safety at the back of the den. No worries, our biologist quickly counted the pups, visually assessed their health without handling, photo documented, and left the area."

My question.

Is this a trait only observed in captive Mexican Wolf pups, or ones in the wild too?

Also, are there certain situations where the male of the breeding pair would enter the den to protect a pup within it ? Like if it was a first generation litter and the breeding pair female was away (like if pup sitting)? Like if the pup was crying/whining in the den, something to get the adult male to enter?

Thank you.

[Obedear]

I would say yes, wild wolf pups do hide in the den if something they perceive as danger gets close. Pups stay near the den until about two months, but even then they do not travel far from the den site. Because the mother and other members of the pack may not always be around to protect them (and pups are pretty much defenseless) they'd have no choice but to hide to escape from a threat.

Wolves develop from pups at an incredible rate. Pups are born, in late April, after just a two-month pregnancy. They are born deaf, blind, and weigh no more than a can of soda pop. At this time, pups can do basically just one thing – suckle their mother’s milk.

Within a month, pups can hear and see, weigh ten pounds, and explore and play around the den site. The parents and sometimes one- or two- year old siblings bring food back to the den site. The food is regurgitated for the pups to eat. By about two months of age (late June), pups are fully weaned and eat only meat. By three months of age (late July), pups travel as much as a few miles to rendezvous sites, where pups wait for adults to return from hunts.

Source: http://www.isleroyalewolf.org/overview/ ... olves.html

In regards to your other question, it may be possible, but I see it as unlikely. Wolves are not typically aggressive creatures, and they tend to shy away from humans. I hope that whoever is visiting the pups would choose a time when the mother is away from the den as well, in order to prevent conflict.

Just finding the den was a challenge. It had taken five of us, walking abreast at intervals through the woods, nearly an hour to locate the den. Working from mapped GPS-tracking movements of a radio-collared adult wolf in this pack — though not the pups’ mother — Schrage had led us to this patch of woods. We were looking for a hole in the ground with freshly excavated dirt all around.

“Found it!” Sampson called out finally.

He and Humpal assumed the female wolf that had given birth to these pups was somewhere not far away, observing our visit and waiting for us to leave.

The pups’ mother is part of a pack estimated at five wolves in all, Schrage said. The den site is in an area near homes, small farms and and paved roads. Yet the wolves go mostly unnoticed.

“They’ve probably been there for years,” Schrage said, “and yet mostly they stay out of sight and conflict with people.”

Source: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/outdoo ... population

[Lee Lobo]

Hi and thank you for your reply. I figured as much for the pups using the den for safety. As you said, that's the only safety they know at that age, they have yet to move to the rendezvous site.

I'm definitely am interested in the bit I asked second though.

In those cases where the breeding pair male would enter the den with the pup.

I know once in the den if a threat, say a person were to approach the adult male would have no choice but stay. Perhaps try and defend it's self since it was trapped in an enclosed space.

Some websites say the male would not enter. However I do wonder if a crying pup in the den would bring the breeding male to go into the den to check it out, especially if "pup sitting" and was the only adult wolf around (first generation, so just the breeding pair), the breeding female wasn't present at the time. I could see the breeding male or female sticking around to protect the pups if it was an animal threat. But I'm not sure if the breeding pair would stick around if humans came to the site? As you said, most wolves are fearful of humans, however I've seen cases were they aren't afraid of humans, but curious. Those in very remote areas were few if any humans occupy.

[Koa]

Opheya is correct; wolf pups retreating into the den is a natural behavior and is not unique to any specific wolf. (see 1)

Hi and thank you for your reply. I figured as much for the pups using the den for safety. As you said, that's the only safety they know at that age, they have yet to move to the rendezvous site.

I'm definitely am interested in the bit I asked second though.

In those cases where the breeding pair male would enter the den with the pup.

I know once in the den if a threat, say a person were to approach the adult male would have no choice but stay. Perhaps try and defend it's self since it was trapped in an enclosed space.

Some websites say the male would not enter. However I do wonder if a crying pup in the den would bring the breeding male to go into the den to check it out, especially if "pup sitting" and was the only adult wolf around (first generation, so just the breeding pair), the breeding female wasn't present at the time. I could see the breeding male or female sticking around to protect the pups if it was an animal threat. But I'm not sure if the breeding pair would stick around if humans came to the site? As you said, most wolves are fearful of humans, however I've seen cases were they aren't afraid of humans, but curious. Those in very remote areas were few if any humans occupy.

1) The male wolf occasionally enters the den (and so too do non-breeding males, see 2). 2) In regards to protection, males already assist in the defense of the pups by taking care of intruders (otherwise contributing to "indirect care") and assist in other areas. 3) For your last question, it appears that aggression does increase among the pack when there are pups present. However, if the threat was perceived as too great, I would still think it would be possible for the pups to be abandoned; the threat of humans might not be that great (given both the wolf reaction you shared and by the Ellesmere mother's reaction 3) but of course I am sure it all depends on circumstance and context.

At homesites, pack members provide indirect care to pups in at least two ways: through general defense (Mech 2000a), and by provisioning lactating females (Mech et al. 1999). Aggressiveness towards intruders increases in both reproductive and nonreproductive males during denning (Mech 1970; Zimen 1981) . . . Indirect care is provided by all non-pup pack members, although not all participate equally

Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation, page 46

I recall a typical scene at this [socialization] stage [20-24 days after the pups are born] from around the Ellesmere pack's den in 1988. Left Shoulder [the breeding male] was lying like a sentinel near the den entrance when we first approached.3 As the 5-week old pups milled around the head of their reclining mother, she arose and escorted them out of sight into the cave den, followed by the yearling female. Later, when the pups saw us, they disappeared into the den on their own, a highly effective response to intruders.1 When the yearling male, Gray Back, entered the den briefly, a pup followed him out, then waddled back in to rejoin its siblings.2 The pups appear rather indiscriminate of which family members they approach during this sensitive period of socialization.

page 48

During the first month after birth, mothers generally contribute directly to pup care in the form of milk and body warmth, as well as choosing and maintaining a dry, clean environment. Fathers contribute indirectly in the form of defense of homesites, hunting, and provisioning the lactating female. For newborns, pup care by a lactating female is quite different from care by her mate, who only occasionally enters the natal den (Fentress and Ryon 1982; L. D. Mech, unpublished data) . . [T]he male spends most of his active time hunting while the female attends the pups during their first 3-4 weeks (Harrington and Mech 1982c; Ballard, Ayres, Gardner, and Foster 1991) . . . In their second month, when the pups can ingest solid food, biparental care may be more symmetric; that is the difference between the sexes in homesite attendance and provisioning is less, but still apparent (Ballard et al. 1981; Harrington and Mech 1982c; Mech et al. 1999).

page 50

[Lee Lobo]

Thank you both so much for your replies. You have no idea how much this information means to me.

I am looking into purchasing a copy of that book to learn more. So many websites vary in their details and sometimes accuracy lacks.

[Koa]

You're welcome.
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