Wolf Courtship

[Siaka]

Hi there! Just for the purpose of my story (Hear My Call), do wolves first court before mating? Or is courting the same thing as mating? If wolves do court before mating, how long do they court for? (Sorry if it's a stupid question.)

[Koa]

Hi there! Just for the purpose of my story (Hear My Call), do wolves first court before mating? Or is courting the same thing as mating? If wolves do court before mating, how long do they court for? (Sorry if it's a stupid question.)

Wolves will form what are called "pair bonds," and no, courting is not the same thing as mating. Pair bonds are indicative of or a result of courting. Think of courting as starting (and some might argue, "maintaining") a relationship to win over another's attention. This leads to mating. To answer your last question--

From The Wolves of Minnesota:

"Most wolf pairs form when dispersed members of different packs meet up, get along, and pair bond. They may remain together for a year or so before producing pups, or they may produce them during their first breeding season. This timing probably depends on their ages."

page 74

According to Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation, "new pairs form at all times of the year (L.D. Mech, unpublished data), and existing pairs remain together year-round" (42).

So that you have a better understanding of courting, I'll provide a general description of wolf courting behavior from the same book on page 43:

"Each courting pair engages in reciprocal nuzzling, prancing, genital investigation, and scent marking (Schenkel 1947; Rabb et al. 1967)."

[Siaka]

Ahh, thanks, Koa! This clears things up ^^

[Koa]

You're welcome; I'm glad I could help.
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