Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior
Abstract Animals communicate in a variety of ways and calls are used for a number of important behaviors. Temperature, wind, time of day, and human activities can affect animals’ use of calls, particularly over long distances. Effects of group size on the use of calls can be particularly influential...
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crwiley:10.1111/eth.13041 2024-09-15T18:01:10+00:00 Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior Ausband, David E. Bassing, Sarah B. Mitchell, Michael S. Ebensperger, Luis Alberta Environment and Parks Alberta Conservation Association 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eth.13041 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Feth.13041 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/eth.13041 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/eth.13041 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Ethology volume 126, issue 9, page 890-899 ISSN 0179-1613 1439-0310 journal-article 2020 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13041 2024-07-25T04:21:47Z Abstract Animals communicate in a variety of ways and calls are used for a number of important behaviors. Temperature, wind, time of day, and human activities can affect animals’ use of calls, particularly over long distances. Effects of group size on the use of calls can be particularly influential in territorial social carnivores. Where gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) are hunted by humans, for example, howling may make it easier for hunters to locate individuals and ultimately increase mortality. We hypothesized that a suite of factors would affect wolves’ responses to simulated howling. Specifically, we predicted that howling behavior would increase with (a) group size, (b) pup age, and (c) during crepuscular time periods and howling behavior would decrease (a) where wolves were harvested and (b) when it was hot or windy. Contrary to our prediction, larger groups did not respond as quickly to simulated wolf howls as smaller groups did and minimum and maximum daily temperatures were not good predictors of wolf howling response rates. Individuals in small litters of pups may have responded more quickly to howls than those in large litters because they are eager to seek safety from and have socialization with adults returning from foraging bouts. Although harvest did not appear to affect vocal communication by wolves, group size, pup age, time of day, wind, and number of howls emitted greatly affected wolves’ behavior and responses during howling surveys. Howling responses did not change because of harvest; response rates from wolves were nearly identical with (2.2%) and without (2.3%) harvest. The year‐round benefits of long‐distance vocal communication may outweigh the costs of increased mortality arising from howling during harvest season. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Wiley Online Library Ethology 126 9 890 899 |
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English |
description |
Abstract Animals communicate in a variety of ways and calls are used for a number of important behaviors. Temperature, wind, time of day, and human activities can affect animals’ use of calls, particularly over long distances. Effects of group size on the use of calls can be particularly influential in territorial social carnivores. Where gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) are hunted by humans, for example, howling may make it easier for hunters to locate individuals and ultimately increase mortality. We hypothesized that a suite of factors would affect wolves’ responses to simulated howling. Specifically, we predicted that howling behavior would increase with (a) group size, (b) pup age, and (c) during crepuscular time periods and howling behavior would decrease (a) where wolves were harvested and (b) when it was hot or windy. Contrary to our prediction, larger groups did not respond as quickly to simulated wolf howls as smaller groups did and minimum and maximum daily temperatures were not good predictors of wolf howling response rates. Individuals in small litters of pups may have responded more quickly to howls than those in large litters because they are eager to seek safety from and have socialization with adults returning from foraging bouts. Although harvest did not appear to affect vocal communication by wolves, group size, pup age, time of day, wind, and number of howls emitted greatly affected wolves’ behavior and responses during howling surveys. Howling responses did not change because of harvest; response rates from wolves were nearly identical with (2.2%) and without (2.3%) harvest. The year‐round benefits of long‐distance vocal communication may outweigh the costs of increased mortality arising from howling during harvest season. |
author2 |
Ebensperger, Luis Alberta Environment and Parks Alberta Conservation Association |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ausband, David E. Bassing, Sarah B. Mitchell, Michael S. |
spellingShingle |
Ausband, David E. Bassing, Sarah B. Mitchell, Michael S. Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior |
author_facet |
Ausband, David E. Bassing, Sarah B. Mitchell, Michael S. |
author_sort |
Ausband, David E. |
title |
Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior |
title_short |
Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior |
title_full |
Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior |
title_fullStr |
Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( Canis lupus) howling behavior |
title_sort |
environmental and social factors influencing wolf ( canis lupus) howling behavior |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eth.13041 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Feth.13041 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/eth.13041 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/eth.13041 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Ethology volume 126, issue 9, page 890-899 ISSN 0179-1613 1439-0310 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13041 |
container_title |
Ethology |
container_volume |
126 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
890 |
op_container_end_page |
899 |
_version_ |
1810438351984001024 |