Wolves: Fact and Fiction

Photo: Wolves howling at the moon (itl.cat)

Wolves and Dogs

Wolves are not wild dogs! Although wolves and dogs share a common ancestor and many characteristics, they are classified as different animals: Canis lupus (the gray wolf) and Canis lupus familiaris (the domestic dog). Wolves and dogs each have many subspecies or breeds.

The most important difference between wolves and dogs is that wolves are wild. Kathryn Lord, an evolutionary biologist, says “If you want to socialize a dog with a human or a horse, all you need is 90 minutes to introduce them between the ages of four and eight weeks. After that, a dog will not be afraid of humans or whatever else you introduced. But with a wolf pup, achieving even close to the same fear reduction requires 24-hour contact starting before age three weeks, and even then you won’t get the same attachment or lack of fear.”

Wolves and dogs also have different physical characteristics. Wolves have larger heads, pointier snouts, thicker teeth, and longer legs.

Howling at the Moon

Wolves do not howl at the moon! They howl to communicate with each other. Howling is the most direct way of communicating across long distances, and is especially important in areas where wolf territories are vast. A howl can communicate things like a wolf’s location, warnings about predators, and the position of prey.

Wolves howl for more reasons than we'll ever know. They howl day or night—not just when there is a full moon. They even have daily howling choruses with their own packs, which can be one way of strengthening member bonds. 

The myth that wolves howl at the moon may stem from the fact that ancient people probably ventured outside more often when there was a full moon, since it offers more light for navigating in the dark. Perhaps people simply were more aware of wolf howls on nights will full moons.

Acknowledgment: National geographic