Wolf: private life. Find out why wolves really howl at the moon. What are the real reasons for wolf howling
When people want to express a state of deep melancholy and sadness, they often say that they want to “howl at the moon.” The imagination immediately paints an eerie picture: a lone wolf standing somewhere in a dark forest, on a hill. He raised his head up and howled protractedly, looking at the moon.
The plot has long become traditional for the artist’s brush. Similar stories are usually shared by hunters and residents of settlements near the forest. And these stories gave rise to many myths about werewolves turning into wolves on a moonlit night. There are also many legends and fairy tales about the mysterious connection of this predator with the moon.
The Legend of the White and Red Wolves and the Moon
A long time ago, back in the days when the sky god Svarog was the father of all gods, he sent the god of moonlight, Hora, to descend to earth, into a dense forest, to convey his orders to the forest inhabitants. And he had to calm down the wolf pack, which was raging beyond measure in its aggression and gluttony.
Having turned into a huge white wolf, Hore went down and conveyed to the pack Svarog’s command to stop the outrages. But the wayward red-haired leader Chubars did not listen to the admonitions of the gods. He wanted to continue gnawing, tearing and biting all living things, so that everyone around him would be afraid of the ferocious wolves.
And then the god Khora decided to severely punish the red-haired Chubars: he sent him into eternal exile to the Moon itself, so that there he would constantly gnaw and tear only bare stones.
Since then, his descendants, the wolves, barely seeing the bright disk of the moon, remember their ancestor-leader and start a mournful song, at the same time melancholy and creepy. People call that song "howl." And they hear in her the bitterness of a predator who has lost part of his strength, and a hidden threat.
What are the real causes of wolf howling?
This is how the fairy tale explains the behavior of animals. Why do wolves actually howl at the moon? Zoological specialists have long been studying the causes of these terrifying sounds.
It turned out, for example, that wolf howl- just one of the types of communication of these predators, with its help they share information with each other:
- they “blow” the gathering for the flock to hunt;
- resolve territorial issues with rivals;
- call females or males to themselves;
- warn partners or flock about danger;
- give a sign to relatives about their location;
- protect freshly caught prey.
It is also curious that wolves in this way share not only practical, useful information, but also with his animal experiences:
- this may be the experience of losing a partner or a child;
- there may be joy from adding to the family;
- expression of pain from the injury;
- anxiety when a companion disappears or other emotions.
For example, the famous zoologist Jason Badridze suggested that wolves howl if their leader disappears. In this way they call the leader into the flock. Not all scientists agree with this idea. Many people believe that predators react this way to any stressful situation, and howling helps them relieve stress.
There are also interesting observations that howling is one of the ways of defense, a means of deceiving an opponent. Since the sounds are made in completely different tones, it is difficult for a potential enemy to correctly estimate the number of individuals in the flock. Often the song of 3-4 wolves is perceived as the howl of an entire pack.
The intonation and timbre of the song depend on the type transmitted information. Research scientists and some experienced hunters They even learned to recognize who the voice belongs to - a male or a female. They can sometimes themselves read information intended for animals. For example, a call to hunt is distinguished from a howl notifying the birth of offspring.
What does the moon have to do with it?
Why do animals need to communicate during the full moon? Moon phases really influence many processes occurring on earth. They influence the ebb and flow of the tides and determine the days of planting and harvesting.
The moon also affects the physical and emotional condition of people. But, according to most scientists, the luminary of the night has no effect at all on wolves. They may well howl both at night and in daytime, both alone and in groups, even in flocks.
Most likely, the answer is that in the dark these four-legged animals are more active; they are night hunters. In addition, when full moon Usually the weather is quiet and sounds carry quite far. Its bright light illuminates all surroundings much better than during the month or at cloudy weather. During this period, everything that happens in the forest becomes more audible and noticeable.
And the predator also looks at the moon for quite understandable reasons. The thing is anatomical structure larynx. When you raise your head, it is freed and the outgoing sound is cleaner and louder.
However, some researchers still insist that it is during the full moon that such phenomena are observed more often.
They offer several explanations:
- During this period, the lighting is brighter; hunting may be more successful than in complete darkness. Predators simply try not to miss a good chance to get prey.
- It is believed that wolves only have black and white vision. This does not give them the opportunity to really distinguish sunlight from night light. A lot of excess light causes panic, irritation and aggressiveness in them.
In any case, the influence of the full moon on wolves cannot be called significant and, even more so, mysterious. But it affects people quite noticeably and during this period they are, of course, more inclined to mystify.
In many cultures, the wolf is considered one of the representatives dark forces, along with the black raven, bats and some other representatives of the fauna. The moon is also identified in many traditions with witchcraft and magic. Therefore, in the human mind, these two symbols are easily mixed, complement each other and become the subject of incredible fantasies.
Video: why does a wolf howl on a moonlit night?
Howls alternating with barking can be produced by both adult she-wolves and males. wolves, disturbed by a person near a den, den or near prey. This sound is rarely heard. More often, wolves publish it in places where they are rarely disturbed by people. The howl, alternating with barking, is very demonstrative and sometimes lasts tens of minutes. Sometimes it seems that with this sound wolves are leading a person away from their lair.
For wolves, as well as for dogs, whining is very characteristic. It is based on motivations that are exactly the opposite of the sounds of agonistic behavior. By whining, wolves express their desire to establish contact with a group partner, and in artificial conditions, also with people.
Whining is much less correlated with hierarchical structure than sounds accompanying agonistic behavior, indirectly confirming that aggression is a leading behavioral mechanism of dominance.
Unlike the motor displays that accompany a growl, bark or squeal, wolves never show a grin when whining. All their movements at this time express friendliness and a desire to establish contact with their group partners. It should be noted that such a demonstration of friendliness does not always find understanding. Often, in response to a greeting with a whine, animals are greeted with a threatening grin and growl. Usually from higher-ranking animals. In these cases, the mood of the wolves changes sharply and further contact develops as a sequence of agonistic demonstrations. Situations where a whine is followed by a growl are quite common.
Some experts interpret whining as a signal to gather strength. close range. Very often the whining turns into a howl. Moreover, while observing wolves in artificial conditions, we noticed that howls are often preceded by intermediate sounds, which we called “pre-howls.” To the ear, it is perceived as short snippets of howling, following in series. This sequence of sounds can be interrupted if the animals are distracted by something, or, after a few minutes, turn into a howl
Of course, the howl is the most expressive sound signal, widely known and at the same time the most mysterious. Most general function howling - to maintain the motivation of consolidation in the flock, the desire for unification. In the description of the behavior that accompanies a spontaneous group howl, when animals begin to howl, seemingly without apparent reason, everyone who observed wolves unanimously emphasizes the friendly nature of the interaction between the animals immediately before and during this acoustic demonstration.
Muri (1971), for example, describes the behavior of wolves gathered for a spontaneous howl: “... I saw two black and two gray males; they converged on the horizon, waving their tails and jumping. Immediately they all howled, and at the same time At the same time, a gray female separated from the hole and, having galloped 100 yards (about 100 m), joined them. She greeted them, energetically wagging her tail and clearly expressing her affection. Then the energetic actions ceased and five muzzles rose to the sky. Their howl was soft "spread across the tundra. The group broke up abruptly. The mother returned to the hole, and the four wolves went deeper into the twilight that had thickened in the east."
In the process of spontaneous group howling, centripetal tendencies in the behavior of wolves probably reach highest level. As if emphasizing solidarity, the entire group howls not only at the same frequency, but also repeats each other’s frequency modulation features.
Observing wolves in artificial conditions, we discovered that the arousal that arises in the group is under the control of the female. At the moment of the climax of the howl, all members of the group reach a state resembling a state of ecstasy, sharply increase the pitch of the howl and adjust it to the height of the female’s howl. The increase in excitement is accompanied by rapid movements of animals in a limited space. They often get close to each other, raising their muzzles in the rhythm of howling, and sometimes ~" and touching their muzzles to each other.
The active role of the female in the process of group howling naturally follows from the specifics social organization wolf pack, Most year, the female concentrates around herself the main participants in the group howl. Grown-up puppies stay close to her, always taking an active part in the group howl; during the period of increasing schooling, pereyarkas gravitate towards the same group - no less active participants in this collective demonstration. In addition, all members of the flock, at all times of the year, gravitate towards the part of the territory in which the den is located, periodically visiting it, as a result they constantly maintain contact with the female.
Under natural conditions, wolves usually howl in the late evening hours, less often at night and early in the morning. However, under artificial conditions, their sound activity can greatly shift, which depends on general regime activity of animals, due to the specifics of the daily dynamics of stimuli that stimulate consolidation motivation. In artificial conditions, the behavior of wolves is largely focused on humans. Contacts with him usually have a certain rhythm. For example, in the vivarium where we observed wolves, they howled most often around lunchtime, when people serving the animals usually passed by the enclosure. The wolves knew them well and reacted positively to them, as they regularly received random food from them. The expectation of people, their appearance and disappearance aroused the motivation of consolidation in the wolves. They began to whine and often the whining turned into a howl, and then into a howl.
During the year, wolves howl most often in winter, when packing is at its maximum. In winter, wolves stay in the most cohesive and numerous groups, facilitating collective hunts for large ungulates. It is in winter that such hunts are especially typical for wolves.
The howling activity of wolves also increases at the end of summer and at the beginning of autumn, during the period when puppies develop the territory, when they begin to move especially widely around the family area. But if in winter, during the period of packing, spontaneous group howls are more typical for wolves, then in early autumn - single and caused group howls. This is due to the fact that in the fall all members of the flock, although they move widely around the territory, at the same time begin to gather in constantly large groups and usually use common places for daytime rest, day resting places. Solitary animals returning after long absence for the day and when approaching it, they usually howl. From the day camp, which in most cases is located hundreds of meters away from the howling animal, everyone who is there responds. The infectiousness of the howl at this time of year is especially high, which hunters have been using for a long time when looking for a flock. Even a not very skillful imitation of a howl evokes a response howl from a flock that is spending the day. Thus, animals, seemingly very secretive and highly intelligent, easily reveal their presence.
Humanity has long been drawn to secrets. Everything mystical and unusual has always interested us. People not only tried to find a solution to unusual phenomena, but also came up with their own stories. Sometimes such legends become such a strong part of our lives that many people believe in them unconditionally.
One of these myths, for example, “explains” why wolves howl at the moon. Most often they say that these animals have some kind of connection with the mysterious night luminary. Some people claim (and even truly believe) that wolves howl at the moon when they are about to turn into werewolves! Of course, finding yourself in a dark forest on a moonlit night and hearing heartbreaking sounds, a person will think about various nightmarish events taking place in the thicket. However, unfortunately or fortunately, there is actually nothing mysterious about howling. What do zoologists say about this?
Why do wolves howl at the moon?
To begin with, it should be noted that in fact these animals do not howl at the sun at all. It’s just their posture during this action and their head raised to the sky that misleads people. Unreliable information is further confirmed by various kinds of pictures of similar topics and photographs, which in fact, as a rule, are the result of work in Photoshop.
The fact is that it is in this position that the sound of the howl is the loudest, and this has nothing to do with the moon. More precisely, almost nothing. Thanks to observations that are intended to answer the question of why wolves howl at the moon, it was found that animals behave this way in any state of nature, including when the sky is overcast. And why at night? It's simple. Wolves are nocturnal animals, their activity is most pronounced in dark time days. Making mournful sounds, they seem to be talking at a distance, this is their way of communication.
A wolf howl can be a signal that the animal is about to go hunting. Quite often, a couple of animals inform their neighbors that they have given birth to small wolf cubs. In addition, predators can howl so that their relatives know that this territory is already occupied, and it is better not for uninvited guests to come here.
However, there is still some truth in the fact that wolves howl at the moon. After all, moonlit nights are brighter, and therefore to hunt and lead active image It is much more comfortable for animals to live in such a natural environment.
Many people have noticed more than once that their dogs begin to behave like wolves, that is, they begin to howl. The reasons for this behavior can be very different. Many, answering the question of why dogs howl, begin to come up with various signs. And everything would be fine, but they are always bad. Therefore, of course, you should not believe in them. It's better to find out what howling dogs really mean.
The most basic and likely explanation is your dog’s desire to communicate with one of his relatives. Therefore, during walks, it is necessary to promote the development of friendly relations between your pet and your neighbor’s pet, for example. In addition, dogs often howl with pleasure. Music or the fact that the owner has returned from work gives them particular joy.
Now that you know why wolves howl at the moon, and for what reason dogs do this, you don’t have to be afraid of these heartbreaking sounds, because there is a rational explanation for everything.
We often say the saying: “To live with wolves is to howl like a wolf,” but we never think about why wolves need to howl at all. Moreover, for a long time and zoologists did not know this. And only recently, scientists from Austria were able to solve the ancient and intriguing mystery of the chilling, but still, without a doubt, beautiful wolf howl…
Bloody lunch of the wolf pack
As we know, wolves sometimes tend to howl, which they do from time to time with pleasure. Moreover, many of those who live in rural areas or goes on expeditions, they periodically hear this howl, which, in my opinion, is simply beautiful. However, scientists still don’t really know why wolves sometimes need to give away their location to such in an original way. Although zoologists, of course, have some guesses on this matter.
I want to say right away that we are talking about individual vocal exercises each individual of the wolf pack and about the collective howl - when the whole “world” of wolves sing intricate melodies in unison. However, often both of these phenomena are superimposed on one another - as soon as some wolf starts a sad song, the whole pack immediately picks it up. But sometimes this does not happen - the “singer” can perform his roulades for half an hour in splendid isolation, and none of his comrades joins him. Why do wolves sing in chorus in some cases, but not in others?
Back in the middle of the last century, scientists suggested that wolves react to the absence of a dominant individual with a collective howl - in this way they try to call the leader. This version was confirmed by the observations of the Georgian zoologist-naturalist Jason Badridze, who lived for many years in wolf pack. In one of his articles, Yason Konstantinovich mentioned that after the death of the leader from old age, the entire flock howled harmoniously and piercingly for a long time (the leader went to die in a secluded corner, and, therefore, his comrades did not see the death itself). However, some zoologists disputed this statement, arguing that such a reaction could not have been to the disappearance of the leader itself, but to any stressful situation - that is, wolves howl simply to relieve stress.
And recently, scientists from the Center for the Study of Wolves (Austria) decided to put an end to the question of why wolves howl. Over the course of several years, researchers observed nine individuals Canis lupus, and the work began when these animals were only six weeks old. When the wolf cubs grew up, zoologists divided them into two groups, one of which had five wolves, and the other four. Gradually, the wolf cubs grew, and friendly and hierarchical connections began to form between them, that is, someone obeyed someone, someone preferred to play with someone, and someone led all their comrades. In other words, after some time two full-fledged wolf packs formed.
Next, the scientists began to give their charges very long walks, during which one of them was taken away from the pack. Moreover, such a “sampling” was carried out completely randomly - this was done so that such smart animals as wolves could not predict who exactly would leave them during a walk. And here’s what’s interesting: after 20-25 minutes, the flock, realizing that someone was missing, began to howl in unison. It is interesting that if the dominant disappeared, then it was quite difficult to understand who first started the howl; it seemed that the wolves began their song at the same time. Well, if one of the ordinary wolves disappeared, then his comrade would always act as the “ringleader,” and after some time the rest would pick up the calling song. Or they didn’t pick it up if the missing one didn’t get along with all the other members of the pack.
Thus, scientists realized that for wolves, howling serves as an expression of some kind of personal experience associated with social relationships. However, they still decided to test the so-called stress hypothesis. Zoologists measured the level of the stress hormone cortisol in wolves during the “disappearance” of the leader and ordinary members of the pack. As a result, it turned out that when the pack noticed the absence of a dominant, the level of cortisol in their saliva increased all the time. And in the absence of an ordinary relative, this did not happen, but the wolves still howled, sometimes with the whole pack. It turns out that howling is not at all a standard reaction to any stressful situation - it is directly related to the disappearance of a comrade, regardless of what rank in the pack the missing person occupied.
Thus, we can say that wolves really howl in order to re-establish contact with someone who is very important to them - either a leader or a close friend. And, what’s most interesting, they often do this without regard to their pack mates and are not at all under stress. Well, if this is so, then the wolf howl cannot be considered an unconditioned reflex - it is, to some extent, a completely conscious behavior.