Laws of the wolf pack. Internet lies: Lies about the wolf pack Comes first in the wolf pack
Wrote in September 30th, 2013
- The leader and the "sixes" in the wolf pack
- Wolves' masculinity and feminine behavior
- Love and devotion
- Children and teachers
- Territory of pack settlement and protection
- Transfer of power...
This amazing beast... For centuries pursued by people trying to destroy him by any means, enduring all the hardships of life in a harsh and indifferent wildlife, he demonstrates miracles of survival and resilience.
The whole life of a wolf in winter and summer, in the light of the polar stars or bright sun- this is an incessant movement: hunting - searching and pursuing prey or avoiding pursuit... As if punished by the gods for his sins, he, like an eternal wanderer, is doomed to hide and wander around the world in search of better life- rich loot, peace and quiet...
Unlike a bear or a tiger, the wolf (Canis lupus) is a social creature, and its entire life is spent mainly in a pack. Moreover, when hunting big catch It is the wolf community, as a kind of “superorganism”, that is able to act clearly, harmoniously and effectively. IN northern forests wolves sense the movement of a mouse under a meter-long layer of snow, and the presence of deer or elk half a kilometer away (on the plain, they see prey 2-3 kilometers away).
Like hyenas in Africa, wolves in the open spaces North America and Eurasia “serve” as orderlies, clearing the populations of ungulates and rodents from “ballast”. In those places where wolves have been eliminated forever, an overpopulation of herbivores and rodents begins, epidemics and pestilence arise in their ranks, and the landscape begins to resemble the lunar surface...
The wolf is a social creature, and its entire life is spent in a pack.
A wolf pack is a huge well-coordinated organism, consisting of 5-10 and even 20 animals, having one of the most complex social organizations in the animal world. Here everything is subject to strict discipline and hierarchy, which unites and unites all individuals into one whole.
At the head of the pack is a pair of wolves - He and She, who remain faithful to each other until the end of their lives! These are seasoned animals that have gone through “fire, water and copper pipes”, having been under bullets in many alterations. Being the Supreme Authority for everyone (essentially Gods), they determine the entire rhythm daily life packs and relationships between wolves.
The stronger and more experienced the Leader, the more actively he puts an end to all quarrels, the less discord and aggression in the pack, the friendlier the atmosphere and the more united the group! The leader leads the pack or entrusts this to his girlfriend, leads his fellow tribesmen out of raids, plans and begins the hunt, the first to rush at enemies and prey. He is the first to stand at the ready-to-eat meat, and while he eats, everyone will wait, taking out their impatience and excitement on each other and settling old scores.
The entire life and well-being of individual wolves in a pack is subject to an order determined by hierarchy. Changes and advances in this system are possible with the departure or death of someone. A holy place is never empty, and it is immediately occupied by the wolf, who was next in rank. The presence of each member of the pack in its own social “cell” provides balance and stability to the system as a whole.
When two wolves meet, the dominant’s body is tense, his fur and ears stand up, and he stands high on straight paws. The subordinate individual approaches with her tail between her legs, her ears flattened, and, crouching, humbly exposes her neck to her formidable teeth, and then licks the muzzle of her counterpart. The next stage of “humiliation” - the vassal lies on his back, spreads his legs and exposes his stomach. Many have noted the nobility of wolves, who will never allow themselves to attack a defenseless person, therefore the strength of the weak in the pack lies in his weakness and ability to “bow” in time.
Over time, the strongest males form a kind of “guard” around their Leader and serve as the main backbone of the pack in attack and defense. It happens that some males, having matured and become stronger, do not want to obey the Leader. Then they are forced to go away and think about starting their own family.
Each flock occupies a certain, often simply huge, territory in the forests or tundra (100-200-500 sq. km), in which it does not tolerate strangers, protects it and marks it with scent marks both along the borders and inside. But this is not enough. The flock reminds of its presence with a howl that spreads far throughout the area. Like a true music lover, each wolf has its own timbre of voice and its own song, which it happily plays for its fellow tribesmen! And they willingly join in the general cacophony, creating real symphonies and oratorios...
In addition to the howl, which can be heard over a distance of up to 10 (!) km, wolves also growl (alertness and denial), moan (disposition and submission), bark (anxiety), yelp (preference, location), grumble (dissatisfaction), howl, whine, squeal, squeal, etc. Such an impressive set of sounds during communication, complemented by a huge series of rituals, gestures, and facial expressions, speaks of rich in emotions and passions inner life these amazingly smart animals. Still would. With their face (muzzle) they are able to convey dozens of emotional moods - from a smile and joy - to rage and outright threat...
A particularly rich palette of manifestations vitality and reaches emotions towards the end of winter - the beginning of spring, when the season of love begins for wolves. Only wolves who own their own territory and can create a home - a den where the she-wolf will bring wolf cubs - have the right to it and to reproduce. And in a large flock only He and She, all other males and females remain single. Courtship begins early and amazes with its tenderness and expressiveness. These are mutual smiles, acrobatic jumps, frisky mutual “catching up”, biting lips, kissing the neck, licking the neck, cheeks and ears.
During two months of pregnancy, the she-wolf finds and prepares several lairs in various places- caves, roots of fallen trees, badger burrows, etc. From three to five blind babies are born, capable only of suckling their mother. After three weeks, their eyes open, they try to walk, and the she-wolf has more trouble because of their excessive curiosity. And at the age of one and a half months, babies refuse milk and switch to meat. The entire pack, led by the Leader, takes care of the she-wolf and her offspring, bringing her food.
...Night falls over the vast expanses of the forests of the Palaearctic... The January frost makes age-old pines creak and groan, light drifting snow “gets through” to the bones, all living things die out or hide somewhere behind the fences. And the melancholy and melancholy howl of a pack of wolves rushes to the distant stars through the black night, making us think about the fate of Nature, about loved ones who have left us and about Eternity...
(VASILIEV, magazine "Hunting Yard" (December/January 2009)
A good hunter knows that the success of his hunt depends not only on his hunting equipment, which he took with him into the forest to hunt, not only on his dexterity and accuracy during the shot, but also on how well he knows the habits of the hunter. wild beast, which he is going to hunt, and how well he can “read” its tracks (more about). And today we want to tell you about laws wolf pack and about how and why wolves behave in their Everyday life . This information will definitely be useful for both beginners and experienced hunters...
Hierarchy in a wolf pack
It is incredibly difficult to observe the life of wolves within a pack in their natural environment a habitat. Because of this most of The information we have regarding wolves comes from observations in captivity. It is believed that E. Tsimen made the most reliable observations, since he kept a pack of wolves on an area of 6 hectares. As it turned out, the pack includes an Alpha male, an Alpha female, and a Betta male, as well as low-ranking wolves and puppies that are not included in the hierarchy. It is noteworthy that
since, according to the laws of the wolf pack, puppies are outside the hierarchy, adults do not attack them.
Behavior of she-wolves
Before the beginning mating season, and also, during it, the Alpha female is very aggressive towards all females who have reached puberty. And, although she prefers the Alpha male, she sometimes mates with other males who have reached puberty, and even with males of lower rank. Although larger number contacts still belongs to the Alpha male.
After the mating season, the female's aggressiveness quickly decreases and she can raise puppies normally.
Alpha Male Behavior
The undisputed leader, according to the law of the wolf pack, is the Alpha male. His attitude towards all members of the pack is very friendly, but regarding strangers, the leader is extremely aggressive. All activity of the pack is tied to the leader and he has primacy in marking behavior.
Male Betta Behavior
The Betta Male is the most likely successor to the Alpha Male. Most likely this successor is the son or brother of the Alpha male or Alpha female, or it is possible that their common puppy. It turns out that the receiver is closely related by blood to the puppies of the Alpha male, thereby becoming their uncle or brother. A male betta behaves extremely aggressively towards other low-ranking individuals, although sometimes aggression is directed towards high-ranking members of the pack.
The aggressive behavior of the Betta male is also due to the fact that he constantly checks the status of the leader of the Alpha male. After all, the Betta male is the successor of the Alpha male and in the wolf hierarchy wants to take the place of his predecessor.
Behavior of other wolf pack members
The main role of low-ranking individuals is to provide a significant advantage during the hunt. The chances that low-ranking wolves will leave offspring are very small. Their position forces them to spend a very long time in the hierarchical queue. But it is low-ranking individuals who have a huge chance of entering the elite, upon entry to a new wolf pack.
Low-ranking individuals, unlike the Alpha male, are quite friendly towards strangers and easily come into contact with them. The position of low-ranking females is similar to that of low-ranking males, but they are more dependent, less likely to leave the pack and experience strong pressure from the Alpha female. The only time of year when they manage to escape from the press of the Alpha female is summer - the time of raising and raising puppies.
One-year-old individuals try to stay in a close group, and in case of conflicts within the flock, they try to avoid participating in them. Those puppies that are particularly obedient to older members of the pack are treated with greater care than the rest.
The main principles of the wolf pack
Aggression in the life of wolves
Lone wolves are very rare
Aggression is very important point in the life of wolves, since it is a regulator of hierarchical relationships within the pack, and also builds its structure and ensures the existence of the pack itself. But they play an even greater role intra-pack tendencies of wolf behavior.
For example): The three weakest and sickest go ahead. If there is an ambush, they will kill those in front. These weak wolves must also trample the snow and save strength for the next ones. Behind them are five seasoned wolves - a mobile vanguard detachment. In the middle there are 11 she-wolves. Behind them are also five seasoned wolves - the rearguard
And behind everyone, the leader himself walks a little in the distance. He needs to see the entire flock as a whole and control, regulate, coordinate and give commands.
The photograph illustrates this whole scheme. Is this really what happens?
Let's find out for sure...
It would seem that everything is correct. Look what Vasily Ivanovich said:
By the way, the photo shows Canadian wolves hunting bison. In general, there are often comments to this information such as:
Are they supposed to run into a machine gun? Should we push the sick forward? :-)))) And sick people won’t take the path. It is difficult for the healthiest people ahead, much less for the sick.
What do we know about wolves? Often our knowledge turns out to be established misconceptions.
Here's what they write on the Internet: The three weakest and sickest go ahead. If there is an ambush, they will kill those in front. These weak wolves must also trample the snow and save strength for the next ones. Behind them are five seasoned wolves - a mobile vanguard detachment. In the middle there are 11 she-wolves. Behind them are also five seasoned wolves - the rearguard
And behind everyone, the leader himself walks a little in the distance. He needs to see the entire flock as a whole and control, regulate, coordinate and give commands.
The photograph illustrates this whole scheme. Is this really what happens?
Let's find out for sure...
It would seem that everything is correct. Vasily Ivanovich agrees:
By the way, the photo shows Canadian wolves hunting bison. In general, there are often comments to this information such as:
Are they supposed to run into a machine gun? Should we push the sick forward? :-)))) And sick people won’t take the path. It is difficult for the healthiest people ahead, much less for the sick.
Do you agree?
A huge pack of 25 wolves hunting bison in the Arctic Circle of northern Canada. In the middle of winter National Park(preserve) Wood Buffalo temperatures reach -40C. The wolf pack, led by the leader alpha wolf, walks through the deep snow in a column one at a time to conserve energy. The size of the pack indicates the richness of their hunting territory during winter, when the number of bison is limited due to scarce food and deep snow. The wolf packs in this National Park are the only wolves in the world that specialize in hunting bison, which are ten times their own size. They became the largest and most powerful wolves on earth.
The nature of relationships in a pack is altruistic. That is, each animal subordinates its personal interests to the interests of the entire “collective”. With other relationships, the flock cannot exist as a single organism. The rank of an animal depends on the level of mental development, and not just on physical data.
After all, as you know, it is not so much the strongest that survives, but the smartest. And the leader has to organize the hunt (wolves have a group driven type of hunt, which requires good organization), and make decisions about the division of the prey. Therefore, peace and quiet reign in the flock. The younger ones obey the elders and feel absolutely protected, while the elders bear the burden of responsibility for everyone.
The wolf pack has seven ranks, that's great organized society where everyone understands their rights and responsibilities. Management occurs without power techniques, everything is clearly organized, roles are distributed, no one is holding anyone back, but for some reason everyone chooses to live together. The allocation of social ranks in a pack is weakly related to gender and seniority in age. These factors, like physical strength, only ensure the fulfillment useful functions, no more.
Having killed a deer, the wolves stop hunting until all the meat is gone and hunger forces them to get down to business again.
Leader is the highest social rank. Assumes responsibility for the entire flock. The leader decides issues of habitat, hunting, protection, organizes everyone, establishes ranks in the pack.
The leader uses his priority right to food at his own discretion. For example, he gives his share to puppies if there is not enough food. His job is to take care of everyone, and the puppies are the future of the pack.
If a starving leader is unable to lead the pack, everyone will be in danger, so his priority right to food is not disputed. I would give it myself last piece, just to feel protected!
It's interesting that the leader deprived of rights for protection, because in moments of danger only he makes responsible decisions, the rest of the pack carries out his orders.
Warrior - this rank can be held by individuals of any gender. If this is a she-wolf, then she should not be busy raising offspring.
Warriors are the leader's team, ensuring the safety and food of the pack. In the event of an attack, only the warriors come to the defense; the rest of the pack have other tasks.
Senior warrior - organizes hunting and protection, a contender for the role of leader in the event of his death or inability to lead the pack.
The mother is an adult she-wolf who has experience raising wolf cubs. She can perform the duties of a mother both in relation to her cubs and in relation to the children of less experienced mothers. The birth of “children” does not automatically elevate the she-wolf to the rank of mother. As with any other rank, it requires a certain psychophysical development, the ability to make decisions necessary for life.
The mother's tasks include raising and raising offspring. In the event of an attack on the flock, it is the mothers who take all the weak ones to safety, while the warriors hold the defense.
Senior mother - if necessary, can take the rank of leader. Never competes with an older warrior. The vacated rank is occupied by the most worthy, capable of leading the pack. There are no fights to determine who is stronger.
During the period of feeding and raising children, all mothers of the pack are under special protection and care.
Reproduction is among wolves and this side of life is organized very beautifully. Once a year, the flock splits into families to give birth and raise offspring. Not everyone is allowed to reproduce. The main condition is to understand your place and role in a large pack family. Therefore, those who do not have a mate live third in a small wolf family, helping to hunt and raise wolf cubs.
Pairs of wolves are for life. If one of the partners dies, new couple not created...
Guardian - is responsible for raising the wolf cubs. There are two sub-ranks: pestun and uncle.
Pestun - young she-wolves or wolves that do not claim the rank of warrior, grown-up young animals of the previous litter. They are subordinate to their mothers and carry out their orders, gaining skills in raising and training growing wolf cubs. These are their first duties in the pack.
Uncle is an adult male who does not have his own family and helps raise wolf cubs.
Signalman - warning the flock about dangers. The decisions are made by the more responsible members of the pack.
A puppy is the sixth rank, no responsibility other than obedience to elders, but gives priority to food and protection.
Hello, dear readers of Puhly’s blog of irony, sarcasm and humor - site. What does the average person know about the common wolf? Never mind. Mostly, knowledge is gleaned from cartoons in which the wolf is given a low-profile role. Although there is an exception. Ukrainian cartoon in which the wolf (in Ukrainian “vovk”) is voiced by A. Dzhigarkhanyan. “If anything happens, come in.” Well, the proverb is about how the Tambov wolf is your comrade, and about the horse that they eat in a ravine. The song is about "there is a wolf hunt". And that's it... Oh, no, all kinds of werewolves, werewolves...
But, for example, almost no one knows that the size of wolves depends on the latitude of the area in which they live. The further from the equator, the larger the wolves. Northern wolves weigh a hundredweight. Killing machine. Evolution has also determined such vitally important for a predator physiological characteristics, like smell and hearing. Everyone knows about the sense of smell (a wolf distinguishes 200 million odors, a person 5 million), but few people know anything about hearing either. And wolves have very acute hearing. In open areas, they hear sounds that are normal in volume for humans from a distance of sixteen kilometers.
Wolves are excellent swimmers. The membranes on their paws help them with this. Close relatives of wolves, dogs, also have membranes. Thanks to these membranes, Newfoundlands can even dive to a depth of several meters.
Dogs and wolves are perceived as prey, by the way... So much for your relatives. However, at the crown of nature, this also happens all the time. But, by the way, some misalliance is still present. Adultery, that is. In America, wolves do not attack people, and this has nothing to do with democracy. They're just half dogs.
They live in packs. There may be several dozen individuals in a flock. And this is where the fun begins. There is a strict hierarchy in the pack. Let's see how the flock moves. Do you think the first three wolves are dominant males? No, these are the oldest or sickest wolves. They are not thrown, mind you, the step is equal to them. The flock moves at their speed. They ask it. Here are the next five wolves, these are the strongest individuals. Then comes the main “gray” mass. At the end of the chain there are five more powerful wolves. It turns out that the strongest guard the column, moving in the rearguard and vanguard. Well, the very last one is the leader. Comes last, controls everything and everyone. The movement is very highly organized.