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by Harshgrind on January 7th, 2005

Harshgrind

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Why do wolves howl?

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  • by katscratcedme on January 9th, 2005

    katscratcedme

    I guess nobody's actually asked a wolf and got a straight answer, but of all the sounds wolves make the howl is the one that carries the most distance. Its pitch and duration are well suited for transmission in forests and across tundras, and unique features of each individual's howl allow wolves to identify each other.

    Howling is a long distance contact and reunion call; separate a wolf from its pack, and very soon it will begin howling. On a calm day, howling can be heard 120 feet away in any direction. Geographical features like hills or basins can amplify this even further.

    Wolves howl alone and in packs, and while they sometimes howl to rejoin with the pack (wolves go for long solitary patrols as well as hang together), they also howl in groups to assert their pack's ownership of its territory to nearby packs competing for territory and prey.

    Often group howling is a celebration or a bonding session between members of a pack, and this can also lead to a bit of scrapping when younger wolves with lower social status try to join in the chorus without the approval of their more senior packmates, who display their status by holding their tails higher.

    Pups, especially those under four months of age, love to howl and will usually reply to any howling they hear, even that of total strangers.

    Comments

    • Great answer...thank U

      Harshgrind

      by Harshgrind on January 10th, 2005

    • Interesting stuff.

      mister_c

      by mister_c on January 10th, 2005

    • What a comedian you are! Nobody has asked and got a straight answer? Eliminate the stupidity and say what you know; Excluding your intro, good remarks.

      sblewis2

      by sblewis2 on January 22nd, 2011

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