Successful activity of wolves in a family-pack is possible only having good evolution of language, transfer and reception of the information that is superb reached by wolves during long struggle for existence. A basis of the wolf language is the sound signalling, but in it the main element - is a howl. Sound communication by means of extremely diverse howling is peculiar only to wolves. No one of big Russian predators use so multivalent howl. Wolf language radically differs; it is rather opposite to language of other representative of dog family - a domestic dog:
from sound signals the adult wolf more often uses howl and extremely seldom barks; the dog, on the contrary, barks more often, and howl, monotonous enough, lets out only in particular situations.
Systems of wolves' and dogs' lives are diametrically opposite:
- domestic dogs, having run wild, form large packs of 20 and more individuals and they are polygamous;
- wolves never form large packs, but live only monogamous families or, in case of need, alone; - wolf domestication, who even has grown in a man's house, is very difficult, unstable, and the behavior of such "domestic" wolf becomes frequent unpredictable and even dangerous.
The contrast between the wolf language and the way of life and the language and behavior of a dog force to recollect considerations of many known scientists about doubtfulness of the domestic dog descending from the wolf. It's quite probable that in dog family (Canidae) dogs (Canis), subsequently domestic dogs (Canis familiares), and wolves were created.
Variety of wolves' howling and other signals.
The basis of wolves' language is made of the following elements of the sound signalling: - the main - is a howl with its inexpressible versions and inflections. Moreover, it may be, that howl is heaved by wolves not only in a frequence band heard by people, but also in other bands used by wolves;
- snorting and voiced bark;
- growl, teeth snapping, squeal, whining;
- many-voice, yelping, young wolf-cub squeal.
Besides the sound signalling, transfer and receiving of the information by wolves is made by means of signs of their vital functions, smells and visually. These can be:
- uric spots;
- signs of movement (traces of paws, the rests of a wool on bushes and trees, etc.); - scratches on the ground or on the snow, signs of wolves that were rolling on the ground or a snow, falling, etc.;
- a nest (a place of the first wolf-cub raising);
- the den in wide understanding of this term as a system of a nest and day time haul-out sites, it is usual within the fodder area of the given family;
- smells of wolves; they are not only individual, but often imperceptible by people though perfectly are caught and differ by a wolf;
- direct contacts of animals in educational, aggressive and other purposes. The visual information is also very important. Here the special attention is given to quite various mimicry, position and movements of a body, ears and a tail.
Wolves howl mainly at dawn and at night, but sometimes, especially after the one of family members' loss, even in the afternoon. In this case the howl is especially frequent and long. At that the howl is strictly individual, the same as voices and intonations of people. And still it is possible to allocate some steady features. First of all, as well as people's voices, wolves howl distinctly differs on the basis of sex:
- the full-grown male wolf's howl - dense and low, it is very rare with barking;
- the full-grown female wolf's howl - on much higher notes, sometimes with whining and barking;
- youngs' howl - on higher notes with frequent barking, sometimes with whining;
- new wolves do not howl. They "wail", heave many-voice, typical cub yelping, squeal, whining.
Purpose of sound signals, especially howling.
Wolves put into their howl quite definite meanings: threat, melancholy, despair, grief, a signal about the caught or found prey, calls, tender intonations towards cub-wolves, etc. She-wolf, coming back to the den, gently calls her dispersed cub-wolves with low whining, on the den she shortly and quietly answers with howl on coming back full-grown's howl. She wolf or full-grown wolf, having caught an inept howl, having suspected the eternal enemy - a man, cat inappropriate reciprocal howl of youngs or yelping of arrived wolves short with sharp snorting or roar with teeth snapping and if they will not obey instantly will punish disobedient. When cub-wolves will grow up, alarm signals serve as a command for grown up cub-wolves: "everybody hide and subside". During last days of pregnancy and in the first days after cubing she-wolf lays "deeply" and silently. Lonely she-wolf on heat howls invocatorly, waiting for mail wolf but having heard his answer, she does not answer and does not go towards him. Wolf's abilities to determination of a source howl's direction are those, that he from the first precisely determines it and as on bearing, goes on it. Full-grown wolf, coming back to the den usually later than she-wolf, heaves his usual howl, but a little fainter, shorter: "I'm on the way". Full-grown sometimes snaps on cub-wolves, demanding from him an eructation, tries to depart, but after she-wolf's intervention nevertheless eructs.
Single and group howl.
Single howl serves for communication between members of family-pack, for singles location determination, for preventions that territory is occupied, for establishment of contacts between animals of different sexes on heat, for sample's condition expressions, for calling cub-wolves and for parents' care about them, for the prey signal, for giving alarm, etc. Group howl serves for rallying family-pack and expression of its condition. Probably, group howl of united, numerous and powerful family-pack serves as the proof of the fact that this given fodder site is thoroughly occupied.
Sense of sound signals.
Signals of the danger warning.
Snorting is usually used by she-wolf, less often by full-grown wolf for cub-wolves warning. After that signal cun-wolves quickly disappear and hide in the protected places. Let's try to give a "free translation" of some phrases of the wolf language. So at first full-grown wolf has began quietly his "ar-oooo" as if wires buzz on a wind. The Sound becomes stronger, the tone is higher, and now deep, slow howl sounds through the whole forest. The power of the huge wolf is felt. And in the end with the terrible warning even more deep-voices "oooooh" or "ooohaa" sounds: "Do you hear, this my and my family's wood, my fodder area, look out, a stranger!" And now the full-grown she-wolf has stroke up her howl with inescapable melancholy: "ar-oooo", "ar-oooo-aw": "How to keep not yet grown up, but nimble cub-wolves? They have dispersed somehow. Your mother is here, come here, goslings!"
Unrecognized signals of the wolf language.
Experienced hunters not bad understand wolf language. However, despite of centuries of hunting for the wolf, of numerous scientific researches and publications in biology and habits of wolves, we do not know (and hardly probable we'll know soon) till now many features of the wolf language, ways of their communication. For example, signals which wolves use for the organization and carrying out of joint hunting are not known. But different signal system is absolutely necessary for the organization and realization of the wolf hunting which are quite various.
Here is one example. The pack with a nomadic life quite often carries out group, quite preyfull hunting. Thus, similarly to human hunting by "rounding-up", the family-pack is divided on beaters and "shots". It is not known which signals they use to be organized, how they distribute duties that will go for rounding-up and who will catch the prey? Or how is the hunting on large and dangerous animal organized, for example, an elk, when the part of wolves divert him from his head, and they do not attack him, dodging his hoofs and horns, but do not give him to go, and other wolves attack behind and from sides? It is incontestable that such rational methods of numerous collective wolf hunting can be organized and lead only with information interchange, transmitting still unknown commands or with the help of very quite sound signalling, whether absolutely silently, with a mimicry, touches, bodily movements, whether in any other way. Namely extraordinarily developed signalling system (information interchange) provides to closely rallied family-pack with high efficiency of collective hunting, and consequently, and survival rate during the most difficult winter period. As it was noted above, even in that part of the sound signalling, which can be heard by people there are still many incomprehensible things. And in fact it is known, that the wolf sometimes poses for howling, throwing back his head, but this howling is not heard by people. In a view of told both in applied and in the scientific sense a wide data gathering about wolf language and the further researches of this phenomenon are needed.
Additional features of howling that are important for whinnering training.
As it was noted, full-grown's howl is remarkable for density of tone, bass or baritone, for power and duration, almost always without breaks. Howl, especially low in the beginning, raises a little in the middle, and comes to an end again on the low note. This long "boom" almost on one low note is similar with lingering "ra-ooo" or "ra-ooo-ooh", and sometimes with shorter deep-voices, terrible termination "ar-ooo-ooh-aah". Occasionally full-grown wolf's howl can be with a small break. Wolf's respiratory system is much more perfect than man's, therefore the wolf can sometimes "drawl" in one breath more than a man, till 20-25 seconds, but in most cases howling duration - about 15 seconds.
She-wolf howls on the high note, that can be compared with the tenor, plaintively and melancholy. Long "ar-oooo" is heard with change in the end of the part to "ooooh" or "aaaaah". She-wolf's howl consists of two parts with a short break between them or without interruption, only with evident slackening, like with dying down sound. Duration of one part is only 5-7 seconds. Youngs howl in high tone, shorter than full-growns. Besides their howl is noted for squeal and barking. New cub-wolves wail like puppies. In process of growing they learn foundations of the wolf language, gradually mastering short howling with frequent yelping, squeal, coming closer to the sound signalling of youngs.
Howling time according to seasons.
Wolves' howl can be heard almost all year round, only when on heat, in the middle of winter, and during cubbing howl is rare thing. On heat howl is or mature she-wolves' inviting howl, or youngs' call-over, sometimes it is bass parties of full-grown males. In the late spring and in the beginning of summer full-grown wolves usually avoid howling, being afraid to betray the place of the nest. Necessarily their howl can be short and not loud. Most often wolves howl in July-August when cub-wolves, having got stronger and having reached 1-1,5 months, actively move. Lone howl mainly is required for communication between family members. Full-growns often howl on the way to the den, but cub-wolves, sometimes and youngs, respond them. Later on group family-pack's howl also appears; the time of the most frequent "wolf concerts" begins. More often wolves howl in twilight, at dawns. It is the most probable to hear howl within 1-2 hours after a sunset or before a dawn. During this time it is especially possible group howl. It is frequent howl at night. In the daytime wolves have a rest; their howl is extremely rare. And if necessary call-over or signals to the lost puppies is carried out quietly - by short howling or by squeal.
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