Urine-marking and Ground-scratching by Free-ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis lupus arctos, in Summer

Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and sc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Canadian Field-Naturalist
Main Author: Mech, L. David
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 2006
Subjects:
Arctic Wolf
Canis lupus arctos
ground-scratching
odor
scent-marking
territoriality
urine-marking
Ellesmere Island
Nunavut
Canada
Arctic
Canis lupus
Online Access:https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/356
https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v120i4.356
Description
Summary:Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and scratching was greatest when non-pack wolves were present. Observations of urine-marking of food remains supported the conclusion from a captive Wolf study that such marking signals lack of edible food.

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