The wolf (Canis lupus) has been one of the most persecuted animals because it has been mistakenly considered a threat and it must be clarified that although the wolf is a predatory animal, it only shows this behavior as part of its eating patterns, which does not imply that it is an aggressive animal.
On the contrary, we find in the wolf a very complex family structure and habits that always act for the benefit of the community. This extraordinary behavior has been widely studied, in part because wolves reproduce well in captivity, a great blessing for animal diversity, as several species are in danger of extinction.
Do you want to know more about wolf reproduction? Then don't stop reading this AnimalWised article.
The family structure of the wolf
Studies suggest that animals as endearing and friendly as dogs do not act through family ties, but rather the mother does after giving birth in the process of caring for and educating her young, but for example, the father does not perceive this family bond and even after years can mate with his progeny.
On the other hand, when studying an animal as wild and beautiful as the wolf, very different, amazing and even more humane behaviors have been observed than those that are often observed in a human family.
A wolf pack can be formed by a number of wolves that oscillates between 6 and 20, however, this will depend on many factors. The members that make up the pack are an alpha male and a beta female, also known as breeding pair, and their children, some of whom may leave upon reaching a adulthood, while others can remain part of the pack.
The herd's sense of care is also amazing, since when siblings from different generations live together, older siblings have a instinct for care and protectiontowards younger siblings.
Sometimes siblings can reproduce, when there is plenty of food, however, if hunting is proving difficult for the herd, the reproductive pair could even decide not to have a new litter so as not to compromising herd feeding.
Image from elmundodelosanimales.com:
Wolves and their mate
Physiologically a wolf can procreate with any she-wolf and a she-wolf can in turn reproduce with any wolf, knowing this, we can affirm that the reproductive coupleof the pack is not just a breeding pair.
Why? They remain together all their lives and we know in advance that this is not only due to a matter of reproduction.
It is not known exactly what leads a wolf to choose a certain mate, but it is known that when a pair of wolves mate, they will stay together in the same packthroughout their lifetime , this can be 6 to 8 years in the wild and up to 15 years in captivity.
The wolf is the most faithful animal (yes, much more faithful than the human being) and will only reproduce with another partner in the event that your previous partner has died or is lost.
Preparing for playback
Wolves know very well that having the same partner for life may not be very easy and to place your partner as a priority and stay togetherthey always have different mechanisms, although two are mainly worth highlighting:
- The beta female is aggressive towards the other females in the pack. This attitude stresses the subordinate females and the stress causes the inhibition of heat in the body of these females.
- The alpha male, at the beginning of the mating season, anticipates the female's ovulation and begins to be very affectionate with her, constantly showing his affectionthrough various gestures.
The Mating Ritual
The period of receptivity by the female occurs once a year and lasts from 5 to 14 days, during which, multiple intercourse will occur. Mating generally occurs in late winter or early spring.
Intercourse occurs when the male mounts the female from behind, and can last between 10 and 30 minutes, during which, the wolf will ejaculate multiple times, however, the curious thing is that after the initial ejaculation, the male will raise his legs above the female, so that each wolf will be looking in opposite directions. Why is this happening? Well, wolves know you have to watch each other's backs.
Mother wolf and her cubs
After approximately 63 days of pregnancy, the she-wolf will give birth alone in her lair and may have up to 14 cubs, during the first month the She will feed them with their mother's milk and educate them. If any of them dare to leave early, the mother wolf scares them to death and growls at them, thus protecting them at all costs.
By the time the cub comes out of the den, her mother has already taught him everything she needs to know about a predator
Already in the pack, the proper development of the cub is a priority, and as we said, when some members go hunting, others are left in the care of the smallest of the tribe. It will take between 4 and 6 months for the wolf to fend for itself.
