Temporal and phenomenological aspects of social behavior in captive wolves (Canis lupus L.)

• Main Author: Paquet, Paul C.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: PDXScholar 1982
• Subjects: Wolves > Behavior; Mammals > Behavior; Animal Sciences; Biology; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3222; https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4230&context=open_access_etds

Although cooperative behavior is generally acknowledged to occur among wolves, there is a lack of systematically collected data confirming the extent of development. The objectives of this study were to collect long-term, detailed observations documenting the role of social structure, seasonal influences, and individual participation in wolf pack cooperative activities. Individual cooperative strategies were associated with age, sex, and social positions and critically compared with results of similar studies. Emphasis was placed on quantifying group and dyadic relationships, focusing on reproductive strategies and dominance structure. Additional data were collected on denning behavior, maternal care behavior, scent marking, and spontaneous individual and group howling.