Hearing a wolf howl is one of nature’s most incredible sounds, but you may not know its reasons. In this article, we look at how wolves communicate with each other.
Wolves howl as a means of communication with other wolves. Wolves howl to reassemble pack members, warn off other wolf packs from their territory, and communicate their location to pack members. They can also howl at other members with whom they show affection.
Hearing a wolf howl is a fantastic experience. It gives you the feeling that you are among one of nature’s apex predators. This article will answer your questions if you have ever wanted to know why wolves howl.
Do you know where wolves live in North America? Find out here.
Communication
Wolves use howls to communicate with other wolves, sometimes over long distances. The wolves they are communicating with can either be members of their pack or a rival pack.
Want to know more about how wolves communicate? You can find out here in an article I have written.
Communicating Their Location
Wolves howl to communicate their location to the rest of the pack. When wolves come back to the group after being away, such as when they go to find food, they will howl to let the other pack members know that they are coming back to the area.
Warning
Wolves also howl to other wolves or packs to show the area is already occupied. The group alpha that has wandered into their territory then decides whether to retreat or enter further. A defensive howl warns wolves to stay in their packs and protect the young.
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Why Do Wolves Howl Back?
Wolves use their howl as a means of communication, and a wolf howling back signals that they have heard and understood the message. Howls can be used to reassemble a pack, warn intruders away, identify other wolves, and signify territory. Other wolves will howl back to confirm the message.
Do you know why wolves howl? Find out in this article I wrote
How Far Can A Wolf Howl Be Heard?
Wolves can communicate with each other over several kilometers. Wolves have excellent hearing and can project their voice. This allows them to be heard by other wolves over their home territory and beyond.
The exact distance depends on their terrain when making the call. If in an open space, the howl can be heard at distances up to 16 km away. This distance may be reduced to less than 10 km in forested areas.
Areas with large hills and mountainous regions can also change how far the howl can be heard, with the sound bouncing off different terrain areas. A wolf at the top of a hill can be heard farther than a wolf howling at the bottom of a valley.
Do Wolves Howl After A Kill?
Wolves do howl after a kill, and the reason is now known. Wolves howl after making a kill for a few reasons. The first is to warn other wolves away from the kill site, while another reason is to reassemble all pack members after a kill has happened so that they can feed.
For more information on wolves, I have compiled 101 facts, which you can find here.
Do Dogs Understand Wolf Howls?
If you have heard a wolf howl in your area, then you may have heard dogs in your area reply. Dogs do respond to wolves using a similar howl. Although different, dogs and wolves can understand each other.
Many dogs howl to attract attention, and dogs left alone sometimes exhibit this behavior. However, there are differences in communication style between a dog and a wolf.
Wolves and dogs share the same body language when interacting with other members of their species. Bowing, chasing each other, pacing, growling, and showing teeth are similarities between both species. Howling is another form of communication that dogs and wolves share.
Do Wolves Bark Like Dogs?
Dogs are descendants of wolves, but wolves do not make the same noises. Wolf pups do bark, and this carries over into later juvenile stages. Wolves use barking to warn others in the pack. Their mother often barks at cubs as a warning if they sense danger. A combination of a bark and a howl is used when showing aggression.
Difference Between Coyote and Wolf Howl?
Wolves have a drawn-out howl that rises in pitch. The howl of a wolf starts low and then rises over time. The howl can also include barking and growls. Coyotes have a higher-pitched howl that occurs in shorter bursts that rise and fall. Instead of barking and growling like wolves, coyotes use yips and yaps.
Although wolves and coyotes are both members of the Canidae family, they are very different. Wolves are much larger than coyotes, with some wolves being three times as heavy as a coyote. This size difference also plays a part in the difference between a coyote’s howl and the deeper wolf howl.
Have you ever wondered what wolves eat? You might be surprised. Find out more here.
Do Wolves Howl At The Moon?
Wolves appear to be howling at the moon, but they aren’t. They lift their nose and mouths upwards because the sound will travel further by howling at the sky. Other wolves will hear the howl much better when the howl is projected towards the sky.
Wolves were once thought to howl at the sight of the moon, especially if it was a full moon. This is now largely believed to be false. However, wolves look like they are howling at the moon as they raise their nose and mouths skyward.
Why Do Wolves Howl When Humans Howl?
When a wolf replies to a human’s howl, they warn you to stay away from their territory. Whether they know it is a human or another wolf is unknown, but they know it is not one of their pack.
I have written an article on the evolution of the wolf, which you can find here.
Which Dogs Howl Like Wolves?
Several breeds make a noise similar to the sound of a howling wolf. Hunting dogs are one of the groups of dogs that howl like wolves.
Hunting dogs such as beagles, bloodhounds, coonhounds, dachshunds, and foxhounds were bred to trap prey. They use a howl as a means of communication to tell other dogs that they have caught their prey.
Other breeds that howl are Alaskan malamutes, American Eskimo dogs, and huskies. These dogs were bred to pull sleds and be part of a group of working dogs. They howl as a means of communication with their fellow dogs.
Want to know which wolves are in North America. I have written a guide which you can find here.
Bryan Harding is a member of the American Society of Mammalogists and a member of the American Birding Association. Bryan is especially fond of mammals and has studied and worked with them around the world. Bryan serves as owner, writer, and publisher of North American Nature.