Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post wolf-related questions and we'll try our best to find the answers.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by BladeTheWolf00 » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:33 pm

first welcome and my question is ive heard and seen foxes change their fur color acording to season (white in winter brown in summer) and im not sure if thats a fact for wolves or not

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by SolitaryHowl » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:34 pm

Hi Dan and welcome to the forums! I know you've heard this before, but thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

I have a question in relation to Zoology and wolves:

I'm going to apply for the University of Guelph (A university well known for animal studies in Ontario, Canada.) for Zoology. I've been thinking of specializing into animal behaviour, but I am unsure what exactly that entails. When I specialize, can I just work with one type of animal and study their behaviour? Or do I have to study a wide variety of animals on a certain behaviour? (ie: food aggression or mating rituals/habits)

And what courses would I have to take in university so I will have a solid background? I'm thinking of majoring in Zoology, but what would be your recommendation to minor in? Ecology?
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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by AWolfSpirit » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:41 pm

As many others have said, welcome to WolfQuest! I hope you're having fun answering our questions, I bet it's a job with so many. Thank you for coming to spend your time with us, Dr. McNulty!

I've got so many questions, but I'll only ask a few, as there is many before mine. Let me say first, even though I'm only 11, wolves have been my intrest for so long. I completely adore them, and have supported them as much as I can. I want to be a Wolf Bioligist, when I'm older. I've taken as many classes so far that I believe would help me with that goal. But, on to my questions.


How long does it take for a female/male wolf to form a bond with the oposite sex wolf, as in becoming mates? Seeing as most wolves that don't know each other would fight, is there just something about some wolves that refrain them from fighting?

What classes should I take in highschool/collage. I want to know pretty much everything I can about wolves. I know I should help out at conservation places/zoos, etc; which I am doing, but what should I focus on? Biology, math, and science? Is there a certain website you suggest that would give me some useful info about wolves? (I realise this simalar question has been asked, but the answer wasn't quite what I was looking for, I hope this was more specific.)

A quick one - I hate it when people dislike wolves because "they kill livestock, and people". I always tell people wolves are commonly mistaked for coyotes, because coyotes are more adapted to human scent then wolves are, therefor even though it is true wolves kill livestock, it is more commonly coyotes. Also, I tell people a healthy wolf VERY VERY VERY rarely attacks a human. My question is, am I giving out the right information?

Thank you for being here, it's such an honor for me to be able to talk to a wolf bioligist!

A future Wolf Bioligist,
AWolfSpirit
Last edited by AWolfSpirit on Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by canis007 » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:42 pm

Cama wrote: When are wolves most active? Or do they live a randomly schedualed (or however you spell it) day/night?
In Yellowstone National Park, where I've spent the most time watching, wolves tend to be most active early in the morning and again in the evening with a lull during mid-day when daytime temperatures are highest. Cana will post a graphic from my master thesis that illustrates this pattern.
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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by WQ Coordinator » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:44 pm

Please remember- do not post more than one question until 7:00 CDT (in 15 minutes or more), and if you do post more than one question, we can only guarantee we'll answer one of them.
Thanks for the avatar, Silverness!

I am no longer the acting administrator of these forums, so please read the WolfQuest FAQ and Tips, Hints, and Help forums for answers to any questions you may have.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by Rain_Swift-River » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:45 pm

Hey there, just a simple question.

Could they import wolves in places like Australia for zoos without affecting wolves too much?
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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by canis007 » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:47 pm

Adalae wrote: If you became a veterinarian in exotics, would it be possible to work with wolves, such as in a zoo of some sort? I know it would take a while but is it possible in that branch of veterinary medicine?
Yes, veterinarians do work with wolves in captive facilities such as zoos, and also wolves in the wild. Wildlife veterinarians often work alongside researchers to capture, measure, and mark a variety of wild animals, including wolves.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by Adalae » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:52 pm

canis007 wrote:
Adalae wrote: If you became a veterinarian in exotics, would it be possible to work with wolves, such as in a zoo of some sort? I know it would take a while but is it possible in that branch of veterinary medicine?
Yes, veterinarians do work with wolves in captive facilities such as zoos, and also wolves in the wild. Wildlife veterinarians often work alongside researchers to capture, measure, and mark a variety of wild animals, including wolves.
Thank you for answering my question, Dr.

Ever since I went to a program called Adventures in Veterinarian Medicine I've been looking into what career options would be available/branch off of that certain profession.
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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by AWolfSpirit » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:54 pm

WQ Coordinator wrote:Please remember- do not post more than one question until 7:00 CDT (in 15 minutes or more), and if you do post more than one question, we can only guarantee we'll answer one of them.
Oh! I sincerely appoligise. D= My clock must be fast, it says it's 7:04. I'm sorry D: I'll repost the other ones later on.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by canis007 » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:56 pm

Alpha Female wrote: If a dominant wolf decided to leave the pack, would it? Or would it just never leave it's pack, since it is a dominant and all?
No, a dominant wolf would generally not permanently leave its pack.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by WQ Coordinator » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:58 pm

Well, guys- we're experiencing a lot of timeouts and Dan can't stay after 7:30 to answer questions, so I think I'm going to have to say:
only one question per person.

(Sorry, AWolfSpirit! Maybe just edit your post so that it only has your preferred question to be answered tonight.)

If you have more questions that aren't answered tonight, you can either post them in the Wolf Q&A forum and see if they can be answered there, or you can potentially wait until our next Live Wolf Q&A. We are hoping to schedule another, but we may have a more specific topic than just general wolf questions, depending on who our wolf expert is. So keep your eyes out for that!
Thanks for the avatar, Silverness!

I am no longer the acting administrator of these forums, so please read the WolfQuest FAQ and Tips, Hints, and Help forums for answers to any questions you may have.

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by orangeonfire » Thu Oct 21, 2010 6:01 pm

Good evening, Dr. Dan McNulty. Could you give a brief description of what it's like to be a wolf biologist? Perhaps more specifically, how much of your work hours are put into fieldwork, teaching, document writing, and the such? Thanks in advance for answering, and thank you very much for spending your time with us. We highly appreciate it. :D

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by Wolf Runner1 » Thu Oct 21, 2010 6:02 pm

Hi! I know you said one question, but if you feel like answering these, just in case, I have a couple of other questions, so here they are! I hope you have time to answer them. =)

1. I was reading in Dr. Mech’s book; The arctic Wolf: Living with the Pack , about how ‘Mom’ was not the dominant female and yet she had pups.
Is this uncommon, or have there been other recordings of this type of behavior in a pack? Also, why would ‘Mom’ have pups while ‘Mid-Back,’ the dominant female did not have pups?
There are several thoughts mentioned in the book, but my book is old-ish, and I was wondering if there has been anymore research on this. :D

2. Why are some wolves white? I’ve read that wolves in North America are black, because thousands of years ago wolves crossed with dogs, and the tiny bit of dog in these wolves gives them their black coloration. Are some wolves white for a similar reason?


Thanks!

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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by Larkarl » Thu Oct 21, 2010 6:03 pm

Woah. I almost forgot this was going on tonight! First of all, thanks for taking the time to do this, Dr. McNulty. My question is as follows:

Are coyotes a real threat to wolf pups? And if so, what are the main reasons that the coyotes try to go after them?
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Re: Live Wolf Q&A with a wolf expert!

Post by jaguartail » Thu Oct 21, 2010 6:03 pm

I'm sorry I'm so late! To make a long story short...I've been in a car since 3:30. Before you murder me with hate pm's, I'd like to ask this question.

What sort of animals enjoy eating adult wolves?

I have other questions too, but I'll save them until 7:20 or so.

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