Wolf homesite attendance patterns

Abstract

Adult gray wolves, Canis lupus L., 1758, frequent den and rendezvous sites (homesites) during summer to bring food to pups and to ensure security of the pups. We monitored homesite attendance of several adult wolves from a single pack in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, for 6 years. Pack size, number of pups, and prey density varied during the period of monitoring. Given the effect of prey density on wolf behavior, we predicted that wolf homesite attendance patterns would vary with prey density. We also examined the effects of varying pack size, social status, and number of pups on homesite attendance. Contrary to our expectations, prey density did not appear to be a significant predictor of homesite attendance statistics such as hours per day at the homesite or length of absence from the homesite. Furthermore, when prey density and social status remained the same, homesite attendance (hours/day) of individual wolves monitored for multiple years varied substantially. Our results show homesite attendance to be highly variable and not well predicted by prey density.

How does parental role influence the activity and movements of breeding wolves?

“…In our study, the female left the den mostly in the day, which would correlate with her having to remain with the pups to keep them warm during cooler periods (twilight and night). Breeding males, on the other hand, attend the den site less frequently than the adult females (Harrington and Mech 1982;Ballard et al 1991;Potvin et al 2004), but contribute by feeding the female and therefore spend most of the time hunting away from the den (Mech 1999). Wolves in our study area probably hunt mostly at dawn (Eggermann et al 2008), which would explain why this was the time when the breeding male was almost never at the den.…”

Space and Habitat Use by a Red Wolf Pack and Their Pups During Pup‐Rearing

“…To our knowledge, our study is the first to assess pup attendance in wild wolves by evaluating distances of pack members from radiotransmittered pups .18 weeks old. Previous studies that examined home-site attendance patterns of coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray wolves (Canis lupus) used distances to dens and activities around home sites as indicators of attendance (Andelt et al 1979, Harrington and Mech 1982, Harrison and Gilbert 1985, Potvin et al 2004. A common theme among some of these studies was that the relevant distance varied depending on how habitat structure limited visual observations of attending pack members.…”

Wolf space use during denning season on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

“…Inspection of individual wolf home ranges in our study revealed much variation in home range size, with breeding status emerging as the major influencing factor. As has been documented in other wolf populations, reproductive status influences space use as breeding wolves travel shorter distances, are less active, and have higher den attendance rates than non-breeding wolves (Theuerkauf et al 2003, Potvin et al 2004 translating to smaller home ranges for the breeding pair than nonbreeding pack members (Hinton and Chamberlain 2010). These results underscore the importance of evaluating space use in terms of individual characteristics, as individual variation can be obscured when evaluating home range size at the pack level.…”

“…Protection of breeding wolves during the early denning season is an essential step to ensure reproductive success and population viability; however, because wolves are cooperative breeders it is also important to consider the requirements of the non-breeding members of the wolf pack. These wolves play an important role in both attending and provisioning the pups especially before weaning due to reduced mobility of the breeding female (Ballard et al 1991, Potvin et al 2004, Ruprecht et al 2012. Conversely, because they are not as closely tied to the den site, these wolves may be better able to cope with disturbance.…”