Why Do Wolves Howl at the Moon?

We often came across a question that why do wolves howl at the moon? What do you think about it? Is it true or not? There are lots of myths about wolves howling, but unfortunately, most of them are wrong. That’s why we’re here to answer this question. There are many reasons for wolves howling, so keep reading this article to find them. Before going into the reasons, let’s see the answer to this question. 

Do Wolves Really Howl at the Moon?

Wolves are known to be nocturnal animals, but they can be pretty active during dawn and dusk. Therefore, they howl at times when the moon is out and visible. They do this to coordinate with other members. It’s a myth that wolves howl at the moon because it’s just their nighttime behavior, nothing else. 

You can observe this behavior under full moonlight. However, you can’t say that wolves howl at the moon. Let’s move forward and find the reasons for wolves’ howling. 

Main Reasons of Wolves Howling

Let’s discuss all the significant reasons one by one:

• To Tell Their Location 

Like some other animal species, they use vocalization to communicate with other pack members. They mostly do this when they get separated from other members. By doing this, they can tell other members about their exact location.

Sometimes an individual howl to find the missing member, and sometimes the entire pack does this. Most adults howl to find the pups. Some people feel that they do this to prevent a missing member from humans’ hunt, but it’s not true. 

• To Defend Territory 

This behavior is common in pets. Do you have noticed an increase in howling during the mating season? If no, you’ll notice it next time. During mating season, wolves show aggressive behavior towards other packs. They do this to defend females in their pack and also to protect their territory. 

The average range of wolves’ homes in summer is 72 miles, and they howl to warn outsiders to stay away from this range. If you have pets at home, you might be familiar with this behavior. Cats and dogs also do this to defend their territory. 

• When They’re Separated

Another reason for wolves howling is separation. When they miss a pack member that has a close relationship with them, they howl. Here researchers have contradictions. Some say that they howl because they feel stressed when a wolf is missing. At the same time, others think that they howl to contact the missing member. Both are true. They howl a lot more when the higher-rank wolf is separated. 

• To Find a Mate

Like other animals, some eligible wolves howl to find a mate. They do this when they’re leading to a breeding season. They don’t howl in packs. In fact, a single wolf howls to signal that they want a mate. 

Other members can easily recognize a single wolf howling. Attractive and interested members will automatically connect with each other. When they’re paired, they live together. They do this until one of them dies. After that, the surviving partner starts searching for another matting partner. 

• To Communicate Their Plan of Attack

Wolves live in packs and they hunt in packs. So, they howl to coordinate with other pack members. For a successful hunt, it’s essential that all members must know the plan. So, the plans and strategies are shared through howling. 

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Some Interesting Facts about Wolves Howling

• When wolf pups get three to four weeks old, they start howling. 
• Different factors influence when and how they howl, such as weather conditions and wind direction. 
• They howl to communicate between the packs and within the packs. 
• You can easily listen to these sounds from 10 miles away, but trees and mountains might decrease the range. 

Final Words

Do you have had the answer to this question why do wolves howl at the moon? We have tried our best to answer this in the easiest way. Since there are many reasons for wolves’ howling, you can’t say that they only howl at the full moon. Wolves become visible when the full moon is out, so people say that they howl at the moon, but this only a myth, nothing else. 

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