Howling

Last updated
Gray wolves communicate by howling Howlsnow.jpg
Gray wolves communicate by howling

Howling is a vocal form of animal communication seen in most canines, particularly wolves, coyotes, foxes, and dogs, as well as cats and some species of monkeys. [1] [2] Howls are lengthy sustained sounds, loud and audible over long distances, often with some variation in pitch over the length of the sound. Howling is generally used by animals that engage in this behavior to signal their positions to one another, to call the pack to assemble, or to note their territory. [3] The behavior is occasionally copied by humans, and has been noted to have varying degrees of significance in human culture. [4] [5]

Contents

In canines

In howler monkeys

A pair of black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) vocalising Howler monkey.jpg
A pair of black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) vocalising

Outside of canines, the howler monkey is also noted for behavior characterized as howling. As their name suggests, vocal communication forms an important part of their social behavior. They each have an enlarged basihyal or hyoid bone, which helps them make their loud vocalizations. Group males generally call at dawn and dusk, as well as interspersed times throughout the day. Their main vocals consist of loud, deep, guttural growls or "howls". Howler monkeys are widely considered to be the loudest land animals. According to Guinness Book of World Records, their vocalizations can be heard clearly for 3 mi (4.8 km). [29] The function of howling is thought to relate to intergroup spacing and territory protection, as well as possibly to mate-guarding.

In human culture

Painting of howling wolves by Ochir Kikeev (1988) Kikeev Kalmyk hoton.jpg
Painting of howling wolves by Ochir Kikeev (1988)

Human accounts of wolf behavior are typified by depictions of howling, and this has been incorporated into fictional and mythical representations, such as the werewolf. Virgil, in his poetic work Eclogues , wrote about a man called Moeris, who used herbs and poisons picked in his native Pontus to turn himself into a wolf. [30] An examination of Virgil's work notes that "[t]he howling of wolves is portentous; it is cited among the baleful omens at the assassination of Julius Caesar and the advent of renewed civil strife". [31] In prose, the Satyricon , written circa AD 60 by Gaius Petronius Arbiter, one of the characters, Niceros, tells a story at a banquet about a friend who turned into a wolf (chs. 61–62). He describes the incident as follows, "When I look for my buddy I see he'd stripped and piled his clothes by the roadside... He pees in a circle round his clothes and then, just like that, turns into a wolf!... after he turned into a wolf he started howling and then ran off into the woods." [32] Such depictions have become a staple of modern depictions of werewolves and other monstrous dogs, leading to their central position in media such as The Howling media franchise, the 2012 Korean film, Howling , and the 2015 British film, Howl . Howling by humans has historically been associated with wildness and madness.

The howling of wolves has been described as "perhaps the most evocative sound of any wild creature", alternately beautiful and dismal, and consequently recordings of howling have sometimes been incorporated into music. [33] Although wolves howling at the Moon is a myth, it is also one that has made its way into human imagery of wolves, as with the Three Wolf Moon t-shirt meme.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coyote</span> Species of canine native to North America

The coyote, also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological niche as the golden jackal does in Eurasia, however, the Coyote is generally larger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canidae</span> Family of mammals

Canidae is a biological family of dog-like carnivorans, colloquially referred to as dogs, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid. The family includes three subfamilies: the Caninae, the extinct Borophaginae and Hesperocyoninae. The Caninae are known as canines, and include domestic dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals and other species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackal</span> Several species of canines

Jackals are canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed jackal and side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of south-central Europe and Asia. The African golden wolf was also formerly considered a jackal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf</span> Type of canine

The wolf, also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gray wolves, as popularly understood, only comprise naturally-occurring wild subspecies. The wolf is the largest extant member of the family Canidae, and is further distinguished from other Canis species by its less pointed ears and muzzle, as well as a shorter torso and a longer tail. The wolf is nonetheless related closely enough to smaller Canis species, such as the coyote and the golden jackal, to produce fertile hybrids with them. The wolf's fur is usually mottled white, brown, gray, and black, although subspecies in the arctic region may be nearly all white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingo</span> Canid species native to Australia

The dingo is an ancient (basal) species of Canid found in Australia. Its taxonomic classification is debated as indicated by the variety of scientific names presently applied in different publications. It is variously considered a form of domestic dog not warranting recognition as a subspecies, a subspecies of dog or wolf, or a full species in its own right.

<i>Canis</i> Genus of carnivores

Canis is a genus of the Caninae which includes multiple extant species, such as wolves, dogs, coyotes, and golden jackals. Species of this genus are distinguished by their moderate to large size, their massive, well-developed skulls and dentition, long legs, and comparatively short ears and tails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfdog</span> Dog-wolf hybrid

A wolfdog is a canine produced by the mating of a domestic dog with a gray wolf, eastern wolf, red wolf, or Ethiopian wolf to produce a hybrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog communication</span> Communication of dogs with other dogs and as well as humans

Dog communication is the transfer of information between dogs, as well as between dogs and humans. Behaviors associated with dog communication are categorized into visual and vocal. Visual communication includes mouth shape and head position, licking and sniffing, ear and tail positioning, eye gaze, facial expression, and body posture. Dog vocalizations, or auditory communication, can include barks, growls, howls, whines and whimpers, screams, pants and sighs. Dogs also communicate via gustatory communication, utilizing scent and pheromones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian wolf</span> Canine native to Ethiopian Highlands

The Ethiopian wolf, also called the red jackal, the Simien jackal or Simien fox, is a canine native to the Ethiopian Highlands. In southeastern Ethiopia, it is also known as the horse jackal. It is similar to the coyote in size and build, and is distinguished by its long and narrow skull, and its red and white fur. Unlike most large canids, which are widespread, generalist feeders, the Ethiopian wolf is a highly specialised feeder of Afroalpine rodents with very specific habitat requirements. It is one of the world's rarest canids, and Africa's most endangered carnivore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden jackal</span> Species of mammal

The golden jackal, also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Eurasia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It is smaller and has shorter legs, a shorter tail, a more elongated torso, a less-prominent forehead, and a narrower and more pointed muzzle than the Arabian wolf. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its widespread distribution and high density in areas with plenty of available food and optimum shelter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coywolf</span> Hybrid mammal

A coywolf is a canid hybrid descended from coyotes, eastern wolves, gray wolves, and dogs. All of these species are members of the genus Canis with 78 chromosomes; they therefore can interbreed. One genetic study indicates that these species genetically diverged relatively recently. Genomic studies indicate that nearly all North American gray wolf populations possess some degree of admixture with coyotes following a geographic cline, with the lowest levels occurring in Alaska, and the highest in Ontario and Quebec, as well as Atlantic Canada. Another term for these hybrids is sometimes wolfote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bark (sound)</span> Sound mainly produced by dogs

A bark is a sound most often produced by dogs. Other animals that make this noise include, but are not limited to, wolves, coyotes, foxes, seals, frogs, and barking owls. "Bark" is also a verb that describes the sound of many canids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Guinea singing dog</span> Dog breed

The New Guinea singing dog or New Guinea Highland dog is an ancient (basal) lineage of dog found in the New Guinea Highlands, on the island of New Guinea. Once considered to be a separate species in its own right, under the name Canis hallstromi, it is closely related to the Australian dingo. The dog is relatively unusual among canines; it is one of the few to be considered "barkless", and is known for the unusual "yodel"-like style of vocalizing that gives it its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pack (canine)</span> Social group of conspecific canids

A pack is a social group of conspecific canines. The number of members in a pack and their social behavior varies from species to species. Social structure is very important in a pack. Canine packs are led by a breeding pair, consisting of the alpha male and alpha female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian wolf</span> Wolf subspecies

The Indian wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It is intermediate in size between the Himalayan wolf and the Arabian wolf, and lacks the former's luxuriant winter coat due to it living in warmer conditions. Within this subspecies, the "Indian plains wolf" is genetically basal to all other extant Canis lupus apart from the older-lineage Himalayan wolf, with both proposed as separate species. The Indian wolf travels in smaller packs and is less vocal than other variants of the gray wolf, and has a reputation for being cunning. The Indian wolf is one of the most endangered populations of gray wolf in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog behavior</span> Internally coordinated responses of dogs to internal and external stimuli

Dog behavior is the internally coordinated responses of individuals or groups of domestic dogs to internal and external stimuli. It has been shaped by millennia of contact with humans and their lifestyles. As a result of this physical and social evolution, dogs have acquired the ability to understand and communicate with humans. Behavioral scientists have uncovered a wide range of social-cognitive abilities in domestic dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African wild dog</span> Endangered species of canine native to Africa

The African wild dog, also known as the painted dog or Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus Lycaon, which is distinguished from Canis by dentition highly specialised for a hypercarnivorous diet and by a lack of dewclaws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erich Klinghammer</span>

Erich Klinghammer was a wolf biologist best known for his contributions to the fields of ethology and behavioural ecology, particularly that of canids. He was the founder of Wolf Park in Indiana and a professor of animal behaviour at Purdue University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African wolf</span> Species of canine native to Africa

The African wolf is a canine native to North Africa, West Africa, the Sahel, northern East Africa, and the Horn of Africa. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. In the Middle Atlas in Morocco, it was sighted in elevations as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft). It is primarily a predator of invertebrates and mammals as large as gazelle fawns, though larger animals are sometimes taken. Its diet also includes animal carcasses, human refuse, and fruit. They are monogamous and territorial; offspring remain with the parents to assist in raising their parents' younger pups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf communication</span> Overview about the communication of wolves

Wolves communicate using vocalizations, body postures, scent, touch, and taste. The lunar phases have no effect on wolf vocalisation. Despite popular belief, wolves do not howl at the Moon. Gray wolves howl to assemble the pack, usually before and after hunts, to pass on an alarm particularly at a den site, to locate each other during a storm or while crossing unfamiliar territory, and to communicate across great distances. Other vocalisations include growls, barks and whines. Wolves do not bark as loudly or continuously as dogs do but they bark a few times and then retreat from a perceived danger. Aggressive or self-assertive wolves are characterized by their slow and deliberate movements, high body posture and raised hackles, while submissive ones carry their bodies low, sleeken their fur, and lower their ears and tail. Raised leg urination is considered to be one of the most important forms of scent communication in the wolf, making up 60–80% of all scent marks observed.

References

  1. Faragó, Tamás; Townsend, Simon; Range, Friederike (2014). "The Information Content of Wolf (and Dog) Social Communication". Biocommunication of Animals. Fig. 4. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7414-8_4. ISBN   978-94-007-7413-1 via Researchgate.
  2. Colley, Bill (29 April 2022). "Hunting is Altering the Evolution of Yellowstone Wolves". News Radio 1310 AM and 96.1 FM. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  3. National Research Council (US) Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (1996). Read "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" at NAP.edu. doi:10.17226/5140. ISBN   978-0-309-05377-8. PMID   25121211.
  4. "Why people in the US have started howling at night during the coronavirus pandemic". The Indian Express. 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  5. "Why do we howl? An expert explains". www.9news.com. April 25, 2020. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  6. John B. Theberge & J. Bruce Falls (May 1967). "Howling as a Means of Communication in Timber Wolves". American Zoologist. 7 (2): 331–338. doi: 10.1093/icb/7.2.331 . JSTOR   3881437.
  7. P.N. Lehner (1978). "Coyote vocalizations: a lexicon and comparisons with other canids". Animal Behaviour. 26: 712–722. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(78)90138-0. S2CID   53185718.
  8. H. McCarley (1975). "Long distance vocalization of coyotes (Canis latrans)". J. Mammal. 56 (4): 847–856. doi:10.2307/1379656. JSTOR   1379656.
  9. Charles Fergus (15 January 2007). "Probing Question: Why do coyotes howl?". Penn State News.
  10. Robert L. Robbins (Oct 2000). "Vocal Communication in Free-Ranging African Wild Dogs". Behaviour. 137 (10): 1271–1298. doi:10.1163/156853900501926.
  11. J.A. Cohen & M.W. Fox (1976). "Vocalizations in Wild Canids and Possible Effects of Domestication". Behavioural Processes. 1 (1): 77–92. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(76)90008-5. PMID   24923546. S2CID   35037680.
  12. Gavin Van Horn (2008). Howling about the Land: Religion, Social Space, and Wolf Reintroduction in the Southwestern United States (PhD thesis).
  13. Paquet, P.; Carbyn, L. W. (2003). "Ch23: Gray wolf Canis lupus and allies". In Feldhamer, G. A.; Thompson, B. C.; Chapman, J. A. (eds.). Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 482–510. ISBN   0-8018-7416-5.
  14. Pavlovic, Goran. "Ojkanje - wolf singing" (paper) via www.academia.edu.
  15. Busch 2007, p. 59.
  16. 1 2 Seton, E. T. (1909). Life-histories of northern animals : an account of the mammals of Manitoba part II. Scribner. pp. 749–788.
  17. V.G. Heptner & N.P. Naumov (1998). Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol.II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; Wolves and Bears). Science Publishers, Inc. USA. pp. 164–270. ISBN   1-886106-81-9.
  18. Mech, D. L. (1974). "Canis lupus" (PDF). Mammalian Species (37): 1–6. doi:10.2307/3503924. JSTOR   3503924. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  19. 1 2 Lopez 1978, p. 38.
  20. Mech & Boitani 2003, p. 16.
  21. Zimen 1981, p. 73.
  22. Hoffmeister, Donald F. (2002). Mammals of Illinois. University of Illinois Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN   978-0-252-07083-9. OCLC   50649299.
  23. Lehner, Philip N. (1978). "Coyote Communication". In Bekoff, M. (ed.). Coyotes: Biology, Behavior, and Management. New York: Academic Press. pp. 127–162. ISBN   978-1-930665-42-2. OCLC   52626838.
  24. 1 2 Coren 2012, p. 86.
  25. Coren 2012, p. 87.
  26. Coren 2012, p. 88.
  27. Lloyd, H.G. (1981). The red fox (2nd ed.). London: Batsford. p. 21. ISBN   978-0-7134-11904.
  28. Tembrock, Günter (1976). "Canid vocalizations". Behavioural Processes. 1 (1): 57–75. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(76)90007-3. PMID   24923545. S2CID   205107627.
  29. "Black howler monkey". Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  30. Virgil. "viii". Eclogues. p. 98.
  31. Fratantuono, Lee (September 23, 2019). "The Wolf in Virgil".
  32. Petronius (1996). Satyrica. Translated by R. Bracht Branham & Daniel Kinney. Berkeley: University of California. p. 56. ISBN   0-520-20599-5.
  33. Garry Marvin, Wolf (2012), p. 167.

Bibliography