Wolf homesite attendance patterns
Adult gray wolves, Canis lupus L., 1758, frequent den and rendezvous sites (homesites) during summer to bring food to pups and to ensure security of the pups. We monitored homesite attendance of several adult wolves from a single pack in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, for 6 years. Pack size, n...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2004
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z04-121 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z04-121 |
| Summary: | Adult gray wolves, Canis lupus L., 1758, frequent den and rendezvous sites (homesites) during summer to bring food to pups and to ensure security of the pups. We monitored homesite attendance of several adult wolves from a single pack in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, for 6 years. Pack size, number of pups, and prey density varied during the period of monitoring. Given the effect of prey density on wolf behavior, we predicted that wolf homesite attendance patterns would vary with prey density. We also examined the effects of varying pack size, social status, and number of pups on homesite attendance. Contrary to our expectations, prey density did not appear to be a significant predictor of homesite attendance statistics such as hours per day at the homesite or length of absence from the homesite. Furthermore, when prey density and social status remained the same, homesite attendance (hours/day) of individual wolves monitored for multiple years varied substantially. Our results show homesite attendance to be highly variable and not well predicted by prey density. |
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