Wolf Sounds:
Chuff -- A kind of muffled bark used to communicate, irc wolves chuff to greets and bid farewell, in play, to get another wolves attention.
Gruff- A growl-chuff, can be playful or expressing annoyance
Sigh- A happy sigh, or sad sigh, wolves sigh when they are tired as well
Bark/woof- Wolves bark to warn the Pack of danger. Wolves do not bark for the same reasons as domestic dogs. This is a sound of distress or warning.
Howl- Wolves howl for many reasons; to call hunts or gatherings, after hunt wolves howl for the spirit of the prey killed to feed the Pack, wolves howl to mourn a missing pack mate or simply to honor the Spirit of the Wolf
Whimper- Pups whimper, adults occasionally whimper to express joy or happiness to be with a loved one, whimpering can also show sadness
Whine- Whining is for distress or if a wolf is frightened, wolves also whine is they are sad Pant- Wolves pant when they are worn out after play or a hunt, they pant when they are hot in the summer to release heat. The tongue lolls out of a wolf's mouth.
Murr- sound of affection toward mates, pack mates and other wolf friends, murring can be compared to purring from a cat.
Growl- There are many meaning for growling. Growling expresses dominance to other wolf or a threat to keep there distance. If a wolf growls they may be expressing annoyance toward another wolf. Growling is a subtle warning to know your place. Growling can also be in play taunting a fellow playmate.
Snarl- Snarling is a more serious form of growling. When a wolf snarls at another, there teeth are bared in warning. This can be accompanied by a direct stare from a dominant wolf. It is a warning to step back or stop the wrong behavior of another.
"Play" in all three species is marked by the expression of any or all of these postures and gestures but without the sense of "formality" which accompanies non-play behavior -- during play, subdominant animals may chase and harass more dominant ones, but when play is over, the original rank order returns. The essence of play is a relaxed face and repeated, apparently purposeless movements such as poking with the muzzle, "dancing" with the forepaws, bouncing or brief, invitational runs. Play is seen most frequently in pups of all species, but in the social animals (wolves) play behavior may continue to a degree into adulthood. Adult wolves will invite play chases from one another with a "play face" -- lips drawn back horizontally, an open-mouthed grin, ears more or less erect, eyes partially closed and slanted -- or the play bow. Adult red foxes and coyotes exhibit playful behavior primarily only during courtship.
Playful Actions:
bowing- Wolves will lower their front and watches another wolf hoping to play, their tails are usually wagging
snorking- sticking your nose in another's wolf ear and...yuck!! You can also snork the tummy
frothing- drool, nosey, drool, drool, drool!
pouncing- wolves jump on each other in surprise and play
taunting- wolves will pounce the ground, rump in the air, usually giving off a playful growl then scamper backwards and pounce the ground again, enticing a lazy wolf to come play
chasing- usually after taunting a wolf will stand up and run after the playmate and try to bring them down with a playful pounce
nipping- of the scruff/ears/muzzle/tail
wrestling- wolves love rolling around the ground, pawing each others muzzle flopping over each other
Sounds of play- growling, chuffing, panting, yelping, yipping
hide-n-seek (game)- sometimes wolves will scamper away from a playmate, run around the clearing, and find a good hiding spot, the other playmate will sniff around the area trying to find the hiding wolf
mockplay/playfight (game)- wolves usually pounce the ground and growl to play challenge another wolf, usually they'll suddenly pounce another playmate, wrestling, scruffing them, growling, chuffing, and running around tail wagging
wolf hopping (game)- cubs hop over the other cubs or adults to encourage play
After play, wolves most often curl up with their playmate and nuzzle, lick and groom one another as a sign of friendship and affection, showing it was all in good fun.
Aggressive behavior
Aggressive behavior is shown almost exclusively to conspecifics: either as an attack against an intruder on the individual's or pack's territory or as a move to dominate another animal. Ears are held erect (or pushed to the side in "airplane ears"), lips puckered and closed or slightly open, eyes wide open, hackles and tail erect, tail held stiffly. The animal carries its body rigidly, with confidence and a stiff-legged walk, and stares at the object of aggression directly, keeping eye contact. Two animals coming together in a ritual (rather than an attack) dominance interaction often make a "T" formation, with the dominant animal pressing its chest into the other's flank. The aggressor may press its chest into the other animal's shoulder or stand up with stiff forelegs braced on the other's shoulder. Mounting is also occasionally seen as a dominance display.
Birth and pregnancy
Preparation for the birth of the pups is a group effort. While the mother begins to prepare one or more dens, the other pack members store food for her to eat, burying it in caches near the den site. The pregnant female may create a den in a cave, a hollow log, or an abandoned den usually of a fox or beaver. Often the female prepares more than one den as a backup site, in case environmental conditions or encroaching animals threaten the pups. A new den may be complete three weeks before the pups are due. Most often a day before the birth, the mother will enter the confinement of the den.
Often the litter size is five or six pups, but can be as little as one or as much as eleven. At birth, pups weigh one pound, cannot hear or see and cannot regulate their own body temperature, depending completely on their mother their first weeks of life. Their mother is the only member of the pack that has contact with them during this time.
All pups have soft, fuzzy brown or black fur at birth with small, droopy ears and blunt muzzles. Within two weeks pups open their eyes and most often begin to walk at this time as well. Between 3-4 weeks they begin to develop real vision. Their eyes are a baby blue, but usually change as they mature. Up to this time, they have fed off their mother's milk. At around three weeks, pups begin to eat semisolid food regurgitated by their mother. They leave the confinement of the den by around 1 month and begin traveling with the pack by 3-5 months. Since IRC wolves don't really travel and stay in the clearing, this would mean the pups would stay close to the den and meet the members for up to 3-5 months, then may start exploring the territory. Pups are independent at about 1 year.
The pack is overly excited when greeting the young pups as they are the pack's future. The pack members welcome the pups with licks and nuzzles, sniffing the new scents. Each wolf now takes the role of Caretaker. Each member provides food, play, and protection for the pups. Adults carry food back for the pups announcing their arrival with little squeaking noises. The pups in turn greet them squeaking, begging, tail wagging then nibble and lick the feeder's muzzle to stimulate regurgitation.
Cubs 3 to 5 months old will begin to learn how to hunt small prey with guidance from the leaders. At 6 to 8 months they may begin hunting medium prey with the Pack. At 9 to 11 months they may hunt big prey with the pack and 12 months to hunt Huge prey. The cubs must be accompanied during their first year. After their first year, they are treated as adult members.
Subordinates vs. Alpha;
A low ranking wolf will often greet an Alpha wolf by keeping its body low to the ground, with its fur and ears flat. It will then reach up and gently lick or nip the muzzle of the Alpha wolf. Sometimes, all pack members will greet an Alpha in this manner when they return from being absent. This behavior is called active submission; they know their place within the hierarchy and the Alpha does not need to assert they're dominance. Harmony is kept.
Asserting Dominance;
If a subordinate wolf tries to challenge the authority of an Alpha wolf, the Alpha will assert their dominance. This can be done in a variety of ways.
-Sometimes, the Alpha will only need to give a stern stare to the rebellious wolf. Wolves do not look at each other directly in the eyes unless they are trying to express their dominance or threaten another wolf. -The dominant wolf may have to growl and bare its teeth at the rebellious wolf. -The higher ranking wolf may crouch on the ground as if it were going to pounce on the offender. -A dominant wolf will also seize the muzzle of a subordinate wolf to assert its authority. -A dominant animal may also place its front paws across the shoulders of a subordinate animal to assert its authority.
When the subordinate wolf is ready to submit, it will lie on the ground and expose its side and belly to the Alpha. This act is called passive submission, and the alpha wolf will accept it as though it were an apology.
Subtle Dominance and Submission;
A dominant wolf will sit up from laying down or stand up from sitting to express their dominance to an approaching wolf in a mild manner. A dominant wolf will also tilt its muzzle up to offer their chin to a submissive wolf. In response, a submissive wolf would lick or nip the higher ranked wolf's chin gently as a show of respect. Dominant wolves hold their tail higher than others when asserting dominance without being overly aggressive..
A submissive wolf will sit or lay down in front of a more dominant wolf to express their submission. Submissive wolves hold their tail lower than other wolves. Example; visitors should be more submissive then all others. Newer members should be more submissive to Older Pack Members. Members should be submissive to Alpha and Beta, Gamma, Warrior, Guardian, Hunter, ect. You get the idea...
Emotions through Body Language
Happy/content Facial expression: open mouth, tongue hanging loosely with lips drawn back, ears forward. Body posture: relaxed, loose tail wagging Vocalization: happy panting, chuffing
Anger/threatening Facial expression: wrinkled nose, snarling with lips pulled forward, bared teeth, ears upright Body posture: standing tall with arched neck, hackles raised, tail lifted stiffly or horizontal to back Vocalization: snarling and growling. A low rumbling growl is subtle threat, whereas more high-pitched growling shows high aggressiveness.
Sadness/Mourning Facial expression: ears droopy, eyes lowered Body posture: head and body lowered, tail drooping, fur smoothed Vocalization: whining. Wolves often howl when mourning a lost pack member.
Curious/Investigating Facial expression: eyes widened/alert, ears perked forward Body posture: head lifted, tail loose with tip curled upwards
Playfulness Facial expression: open mouth, tongue hanging loosely with lips drawn back, ears forward See: Wolf Play
Fear Facial expression: mouth opened, ears flattened back, eyes widened Body posture: crouched ready to spring, rounded back with tail close to body curled between or around legs Vocalization: defensive growling and/or a high pitched whine
Humiliation Facial expression: lips drawn back and downward, ears drawn back and flattened Body posture: rounded back, tail half curled under
Submission
Facial expression: keeps mouth closed with lips drawn back, ears laid back and lowers eyes avoiding eye contact. Body posture: lowered body with fur flattened, tail tucked under Gesture: Wolves roll onto their back to present their vulnerable undersides as a sign of complete submission. They often paw at the other wolf's muzzle and face, encouraging play to ease the tension. To show mild and respectful submission a lower rank will lick under the dominant wolf’s muzzle and neck. Vocalization: whimpering/whining
Warning/annoyance Facial expression: staring directly at offending wolf, ears lifted and pointing forward, or flattened when showing annoyance Body posture: fur ruffled, tail raised or flicking quickly Gesture: The direct stare is a serious and stern way for a high-ranking wolf to warn another to obey or to back off. Often all a dominant wolf has to do to keep authority and peace is stare at a lower rank and it will immediately cringe, turn and slink away. Vocalization: A soft growl may accompany the stare as a warning.
Suspicion Facial expression: ears flattened, narrowed eyes Body posture: Lifted head, tail slightly raised
Dominance Facial expression: ears upright and forward, eyes keen/alert Body posture: head lifted, standing tall and confident with tail raised high, sometimes curling backwards Gesture: In a display of friendly dominance, a dominant wolf stands over another, closing its jaws gently over the wolf’s muzzle. This is a re-enforcement of status without bloodshed. In a simpler version of this, the dominant wolf arches its neck and nips the other on top of the muzzle. Wolf Scent On a hunt, wolves can pick up amazing detail about their prey:
When hunting down an animal, wolves will pick out the weakest - lame animals, injured or the young.
When on the chase, the animal leaves scent marks on the surrounding foliage and the wolves know this - for example, saliva left on a plant by an animal can tell a lot about it. If the smell is more fowl, it tells the animal's teeth may be rotten, and this could indicate it is old, a good sign for wolves hunting it.
Waiting and watching a herd can be a great advantage to a hunting pack - this gives the wolves a chance to decide which animal to go for. On chasing a herd, they can pick up, for example, the way in which each animal moves - one that is lame or born with a deformed leg.
Keep these points in mind when hunting.
Sometimes, situations can work against wolves too - for example, A pack of wolves is desperate and on the move, following and chasing a herd of deer. The deer will do anything to shake the pack off, ascending up large hills to slow them down etc. In heavy snow-covered lands, wolves tire quickly as moving through thick snow drains their energy. A chase can sometimes lead a pack into enemy pack territory, if they ignore the marked boundaries to catch their prey.
In this case, the pack will have 2 options - leave, and give up their meal to the pack territory owners, or fight for it. If they fight for it, they risk being killed by the pack, as not all their own pack members are with them!
Whatever happens in these lands, it is up to you to decide what you will do. http://www.naturalworlds.org/wolf/galleries/wolf_galleries.htm Wolf Language -Originally written by FlameMagick and -Wolfsoul- COLORS tints, shades, hues
BLACK ash, charcoal, charred, clouded, coal, dark, dingy, dusky, ebon, ebony, ink like, jet, livid, melanin, midnight, murky, night, nigrescent, nigrous, obsidian, onyx, piceous, pitch, pitch-dark, raven, sable, shadowy, slate, somber, sombre, sooty, starless, swart, swarthy, tourmaline,
WHITE alabaster, ashen, blanched, bleached, bloodless, bone, Caucasian, chalky, clear, fair, frosted, ghastly, hoary, immaculate, ivory, light, marble, milky, moon, moonstone, neutral, pallid, pasty, pearly, polar, pure, snow, snowy, spotless, stainless, transparent, unblemished, unsullied, wan, waxen,
GREY bleary, blurred, caliginous, cloudy, dark, dingy, dreary, dull, dusk, dusky, faded, faint, flat, flint, fuzzy, gloomy, gray, grey, indistinct, lackluster, lightless, mat, monotone, monotonous, murky, muted, obscured, opaque, overcast, pale, poorly lit, silver, silvery, shadowy, sullied, tarnished, tenebrous, unclear, unilluminated, vague, weak,
BROWN amber, auburn, bay, beige, bister, brick, bronze, buff, burnt sienna, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, copper, drab, dust, ecru, fawn, ginger, hazel, henna, khaki, mahogany, nut, ochre, puce, russet, rust, sepia, snuff-colored, sorrel, tan, tawny, terra-cotta, toast, umber
GREEN blooming, bosky, budding, burgeoning, callow, developing, emerald, flourishing, foliate, forest, fresh, grassy, growing, half-formed, immature, infant, juvenile, leaf, leafy, lush, maturing, moss, pliable, puerile, pullulating, raw, recent, sprouting, supple, tender, undecayed, undried, unfledged, ungrown, unripe, unseasoned, verdant, verdurous, visculent, young, youthful
RED bittersweet, blood, bloodshot, blooming, blush, brick, burgundy, cardinal, carmine, cerise, cherry, chestnut, claret, copper, coral, crimson, dahlia, damask, flaming, florid, flushed, fuchsia, garnet, geranium, glowing, healthy, inflamed, infrared, magenta, maroon, pink, puce, redness, rose, roseate, rosy, rubicund, ruby, ruddy, russet, rust, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, terra cotta, titian, vermeil, vermilion, wine
GOLDEN/YELLOW aureate, auric, auriferous, aurous, aurulent, blond, blonde, caramel, dusty, flaxen, gold, golden, honeyed, mellow yellow, ochroid, straw, tan, tawny, wheat, wheaten
BLUE aquamarine, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, glacier, ice, indigo, lapis, navy, royal, sapphire, sea, sky, teal, turquoise, ultramarine
PURPLE amethyst, bluish red, heliotrope, lavender, lilac, magenta, mauve, mulberry, orchid, perse, plum, pomegranate, violaceous, violet BODY build, carcass, chassis, constitution, embodiment, figure, form, frame, make-up, shaft, shape, tenement, torso, trunk
FUR covering, crust, ectoderm, epidermis, fell, fleece, coat, hide, husk, integument, leather, membrane, pelage, pellicle, pelt, peltry, rind, scale, scarfskin, shell, silk, skin, velvet, wool
EARS Lobes, pinnae, solae, auds, auditories, listeners, acoustics, zeniths, auddettes
HEAD crania, dial, apex, crown, cerebrum, skull, caput
EYES headlights, lamps, oculars, oculuses, optics, orbs, lanterns, pools, visors, Chasms globes, spheres,
MUZZLE Mug, plush, maw, nares, kisser, velveteen, snouth, trap, jowls, jaws, probiscis
LIPS Rims, labrums, labria, rimming, leathers, chaps, kissers
TEETH Incisors, enamels, fangs, pearls, ivories, canines, razors
NECK Serpentine, boa, scruff, spine, nape, curvature
BACK aft, hindpart, hindquarters, posterior, rear, reverse, stern, haunches, rump, saddle, bench
TAIL Plume, tassel, banner, appendage, ribbon, pendulum, flag, whipcord tendril, streamer, wisp, brush, whip
LEGS Pillars, pistons, beams, limbs, shanks, stilts, appendai
PAWS mitts, pads, hands, phalanges
CLAWS Talons, grippers, spurs, extensions, grapplers, daggers
THIN Slender, svelte, lithe, sleek, slender, lean, willowy, delicate, lissom, serpentine, wiry, trim, MALE Mascu, bronc, brujo, stag, drake, brute, beast, stud, hessian, virile, titan, gladiator, hellion, demon, charger, protector, he-wolf, buck, lupe, vulp, wulf, stallion
FEMALE Femme, fae, fatale, vix, vixen, femora, lady, dove, maiden, dame, naiad, bruja, mistress, damsel, doe, huntress, demoness, damsel, minx, she-wolf, filly, lupess, vulpess, wolvena, mare, fyxe
KID Pup, cub, youth, offspring, progeny, whelp, ageless, youngling, wolfling, younglet, wolflet, kit, child
AGE Youthful, young, juvenile, primed, seasons, aged, decrepit, ancient, legend, elderly, veteran, winters, summers, old, years, getting on (in your years)
ACTIONS
WALK Pad, stroll, tread, amble, saunter, slink, slide, shuffle, strut, navigate, stalk, prowl, snake, stride, glide, weave (in and out of), prance, slip (past), entwine (around), march, pace, hike, toddle, totter, stagger, waddle, trundle, plonk (yes, this can be used. I read it in "Lord of the Flies"), wafted/breezed (past), trudge, tramp, traipse, slog, plod, trek, lumber, trailed (after something), stomp, meander, mosey, wander, drift (past), swagger, parade, gambol, romp, caper, scamper, scurry, swept (by), brush (past), scoot, travel, flit, stump, clump, traverse, trundle
JOG Trot, bounce, hustle, walk briskly,
RUN Lope, sprint, hunt, dash, dances, stumble, dart, rush, bound, race, bolt
WATCH Regard, look, study, observe, surbey, gaze, glare, stare, glance, glimpse, examine, peer, peep NOD Confirm, bob, dip, drop, concur, affirm, tilt/incline (of the head) FROWN knotted, creased, furrowed (for example, "Her brow creased in sorrow") DESCRIPTIVE TERMS STRONG Brawny, massy, buff, burly, well-built, stalwart, robust, sturdy, tough. WEAK Tender, frail, scrawny, puny, fragile, delicate, helpless EVIL Malevolent, sinful, malicious, immoral, foul, tainted, wicked, vile, nefarious, heinous, bad, dark GOOD Pure, kind-hearted, of the light, moral, upright, virtous, noble, worthy, blameless NEUTRAL Unbiased, nonaligned, middle of the roads, indifferent, on the fence FAST Quick, speedy, rapid, swift, express, high-speed, fleeting, brisk, prompt, like a flash SLOW Ponderous, slothful, lumbering, leisurely (pace) SMALL Minute, little, diminutive, short of stature, tiny, minture, petit, undersized, miniscule
BIG brawny, muscular, mammoth, colossal, massive, sinewy, burly stocky, bulky, huge, great, enormous, immense, giagantic, large, well-built, big in stature |