Druids Continue their Polygamous Ways
2-3-99
This is a most interesting story from Nathan Varley. It raises a lot of questions about wolf behavior. I want to thank Nathan for letting me post it. Please check out the web site he maintains at: http://www.wolftracker.com
As February rolls around so does the breeding season for wolves. Mysterious individuals and pairs are making surprise appearances across the Northern Range making observer's days in some cases. An uncollared pair (origin unknown) showed up near Tower Junction chasing the elk that have been there largely undisturbed all winter.
In the packs, the scent of receptive females has the males in a fever. The first to "come in" in the Druid Peak Pack was Number 105, the dominant yearling. She has been observed in a tie with Number 21 twice now. What do Number 40 or Number 42 think of all this? Apparently very little, for they have watched complacently without any attempts to break up the two. In fact, when the activity has become very heated, other wolves have jumped in the "dog pile," not with the intent to break it up, but seemingly to join in the revelry. With the dominant females as well as two more yearlings yet to show receptiveness, it will be interesting to see how many
females breed in this pack this month. Regardless the number, it looks like Number 21 has a full plate and should have himself a month to
remember.
The unexpectedness of this orgy behavior stems from two assumptions. The first is the conventional wisdom that dictates having only one pair, the dominant pair, breed in a pack. This outcome is reached through aggressive behavior on the part of the dominant pair. From what we have seen so far, the rules seem to be at the very least relaxed and at the very best the opposite is being encouraged. It likely has to do with the bountiful conditions under which this pack lives. Everyone is well fed, and thus happy to allow hormonal urges to develop unhindered.
The second assumption is that now that Numbers 40 and 42 are no longer young and naive they will become more active in preventing their offspring from breeding. They are unquestionably aggressive in maintaining their dominance in the pack, but do nothing to prevent (at least) 105 from breeding. The nature of their dominance and particularly how it plays a role in whose pups will be raised by the pack may not factor in the breeding season, but rather in the denning season. The emergence of only two pups in the Druid Peak Pack last season leaves open the question of how subordinate mothers and their pups are treated in the springtime. However, in other packs like Rose Creek, mother-daughter combinations have had pups, even in the same den, without apparent incident.
I want to add that the Druid alpha male no. 21M was seen mating with both 40 and 42F in early 1998. The year before, the alpha male no. 38M (now deceased) mated with three of the Druid females. Four pups emerged from the Druid Peak den that year.
Email addresses
for members of Congress, the media and other officials.Return To Maughan Wolf Report Page
Copyright ©1999 Ralph Maughan
Not to be reprinted, archived, redistributed, etc., without permission.
Ralph Maughan PO Box 8264, Pocatello, ID 83209