Interesting facts about wolves. The mystery of the wolf howl has been revealed. Unrecognized signals of the wolf tongue

08/18/2010 | What are the wolves talking about?

But this song excites and cheers the souls of people who closely communicate with tame wolves. “Waking up, Chris, as usual, began to yawn luxuriously... The wolves, in turn, yawning and stretching, appeared from under the bed. The man and the animals exchanged quiet, intimate sounds that created the appropriate mood, and suddenly the wolves howled at the top of their voices... Amazed and delighted, we looked at each other and formed a quartet for them. I was hanging from the head of the bed, looking into the red gaping mouth of the Lady. The trigger screamed right in Chris's face... From now on, when we woke up, we always started howling...” This is what L. Chrysler writes in his book “On Caribou Trails.”
More than once we had to lie down and get up to the howling of wolves. Dozens of times we rushed to see how they behaved at this moment. Usually, the wolves walked around animatedly, stretching out their tails, raising their heads, and sang in different voices, melodiously, with obvious pleasure. But maybe wolves howl so carefree only in captivity, when they are well-fed and completely safe? And what does a wolf howl even mean? Why is it so diverse, so different from one another?

Since wolves hunt large animals, a pack requires complete orderliness and coordination of the individual capabilities of all animals. The basis for animals’ understanding of signals and response to them is illustrated by the experiments of zoologist B. Ginzburg. A group of young wolves was isolated from the old animals. When the young grew up, their pack formed the same organization that occurs in ordinary wolf packs: all the signals used by wolves in life were obvious and correctly perceived by the animals. Since this experiment preserved the possibility of mutual learning between young wolves, another experiment was carried out: a newborn puppy was completely isolated from other wolves. After 10 months, the young wolf had formed the entire sound repertoire typical for intraspecific communication of wolves.

However, when the wolf was brought to his brothers, it turned out that he did not understand the meaning of their sounds. It took the novice five days to learn to correctly understand species cues. Thus, it was found that for normal communication, wolves, in addition to innate, firmly fixed ideas about signals, require, although short, a process of living learning. Wolves distinguish between general communication and individual communication. In general communication, basic signals are used that are accepted for all representatives of the species, and in communication between animals living together, additional signals are also used, which individuals who are little familiar with each other must learn. As a result of this individual communication Closer group communication is formed within the family.

Wolves have ten main types of sounds: howls, barks, dull barks, squeals, whines, whimpers, growls, hisses, snorts and yelps. In addition, L. Chrysler writes about two rare signals that she observed when communicating with wolves: “conversation,” when the wolf wants to say something, emitting short emotional “messages,” and a long, ardent, passionate “storytelling.” Common for wolves and jaw chattering.
Between all these sounds there are transitional and mixed sounds. To communicate over short distances, wolves do not use their entire sound repertoire; signals become more diverse as the distance between animals increases. And a specially conducted analysis of the howl of the same wolf made it possible to identify eleven variants of this sound, each of which corresponded to a specific situation. The manner of howling depended on the weather, emotional state animal, as well as from the environment. L. Chrysler identifies a joyfully sociable, mourning, hunting, calling howl. A firmly defined standard exists only for the mourning howl; other types vary widely without changing the meaning.

Howling is the main means of distance communication for wolves. Through howling, wolves convey all the information that is important to them. A person is not able to convey with his voice the various nuances of a wolf howl, but the famous scientist Yason Konstantinovich Badridze, who has been studying wolves all his life, taught his wolves six symbolic sounds. For example, the signals “food”, “north”, “south”, etc. The wolves released into the wild passed on the signals invented by man to inheritance; these signals were subsequently used by their descendants. Canadian naturalist Farley Mowat told us an interesting story about the “wolf telegraph” in his book: “My education in the field of wolf linguistics truly began with the appearance of the Eskimo Utek. Once the two of us watched the wolf's den, but to no avail.
Suddenly Utek put his hands to his ears and listened carefully. I heard nothing and could not understand what attracted his attention until he whispered: “Listen, the wolves are talking.” I strained my ears, but if the wolf was broadcasting, it was not on my wavelength. It seemed that there was nothing in the air except the ominous moaning of mosquitoes, but Georg (the leader of the wolf pack), who was sleeping on the crest, suddenly sat up, pricked up his ears and, turning his long muzzle to the north, began to sing. It was a vibrating howl. Low at the beginning, it ended on the highest note it can perceive human ear. Utek grabbed my hand and broke into a satisfied smile: “The wolves say - the caribou (deer) have gone.” It turns out that a wolf from a neighboring site to the north not only reported that the long-awaited caribou had moved south, but also indicated where they were now. Moreover, and this was completely incredible, it turned out that the neighbor wolf himself did not see the deer, but simply passed on the information he received from a wolf living even further away.”

Moving through the forest, wolves check the road in front of them with periodic howls. After all, neighboring flocks avoid each other. They almost came together - a fierce battle in which one or two wolves were seriously injured. Therefore, in the forest there seems to be an endless dialogue: “Get out of our way!” - “What else, run quickly yourself.” If the flock is strong and confident in its abilities, it ignores the menacing howl and moves forward. And then the neighbors have to decide whether to fight or retreat. Most of the menacing vocal rebuke is empty bravado, followed by a silent escape. It happens that a flock is brave until it sees the enemy, and having noticed enemies from afar, it rushes away with its tails between its legs. If the pack prudently remains silent, it cedes territory without a fight. But sometimes wolves wait: suddenly the strangers themselves realize that they wandered into their neighbors without an invitation. After all, a flock invades someone else's territory more often inadvertently - they will chase the game, kill it, in a hurry, eat as much as they can, and go home. As long as howling helps avoid unnecessary encounters, it is useful, but if conscious aggressors appear who do not pay attention to the marks of their rightful owners, raising a voice means giving themselves away.
Since howling in vain is fraught with trouble, there must be important motives for voicing in response. Everything is taken into account: where the pack is located - in the center of its possessions or on the periphery, near the den or at the meeting place, whether there are wolf cubs in the pack and how many adults are near them.
Wolves are never too lazy to turn away from their original route, just so as not to risk an unnecessary meeting with their neighbors. But if they are very hungry, and the prey is tempting or there are wolf cubs nearby, there is no time for compliance. The flock threateningly warns: “Go your way, we won’t let you pass, we’ll tear you to shreds.”
Having killed large prey, wolves zealously guard the place where the carnage is hidden. To the howl of strangers they answer: “Well, get out of here, this is ours!” But as the meat dwindles, the wolves are cautious, weighing whether it’s worth responding - what if a reckless pack rushes towards them, looking for a fight?
But at the end of February - away with caution! On the eve of spring and the rut, the blood plays in the veins. Don't be a stranger here! The bloodiest clashes between packs occur during the mating season. The size of the pack in any season is reflected in its courage: 4-6 wolves use their vocal capabilities much more modestly than 7-10. But then April comes, and the unbridled aggressiveness has disappeared, and we started to be cautious again.
In May-June, wolf cubs appear in the family. The she-wolf is the mistress of the den; the wolf often does not even approach it with prey, but calls the female with a voice and gives her the meat he brought at some distance from the hole. The call consists of just one full bass note for the male and a squeaky high note for the female, which reports that everything is fine at the den. The reason for howling in the den should be sought in the need of animals to live together year-round as a family, in the need to constantly communicate with its members.
In July-August, when the wolf cubs leave the den, a howl hangs over the forest: some wolves hunt intensely and probe the way ahead with howls, while others, not wanting to abandon the young and give way, drive the uninvited guests away with their voices. While the wolf cubs are not able to run fast, at the sound of someone else’s howl, one part of the pack responds: “The place is occupied!”, and the other urgently evacuates the children to a safe place. In a fight between flocks, the young animals will not fare well. In good weather, a powerful, mournful wolf howl can be heard several kilometers away, reminiscent of the hum of many wires on a frosty day, the howling of the wind in a chimney, or even the distant, multi-voiced song of a cheerful village company.
But now the wolf cubs have grown up, they quickly follow the adults, heroism is no longer required, and you can return to the tactics of avoiding meetings. The flock cautiously responds to other people's signals and only shows aggression near the prey.
In July, the need for food delivered to the den increases sharply. In search of food, parents often find themselves in different directions from each other. By voicing, the seasoned ones determine by ear who is where, and by the intonation of the howl they guess about the prey they have found. When the she-wolf is constantly hunting for prey, the cubs, left to their own devices, begin to move further and further from the den. In the morning and evening dawns, the old ones, having brought their prey, call the young animals together. In most cases, when a person enters the den area, both old wolves begin to howl.
But not only seasoned ones communicate with their cubs by howling during this period. Although older children leave their parents, they stay nearby. Having overtaken or found prey, they send a signal to their parents, they howl and report where the food is. Experienced people hear, remember where the sound comes from, and sometimes respond. Having chosen the moment, the seasoned go to the indicated place for provisions. As a result, the pereyarks seem to “procure” meat for the family, thereby assisting parents in raising their children. The newcomers, no matter how hungry they are, do not vote on their own initiative in the lair. But as soon as the kids hear the voice of the wolf, they begin to whine and bark in support of it or in response. Often they run in a crowd to the place where the wolf howled. This behavior of the wolf cubs indicates that they perceive a certain tone of the wolf’s howl within the den as a signal that prey has been delivered.
In August, three generations of wolves unite together and begin howling at night. They now increasingly meet in groups, and sometimes with the whole family. The most common function of howling is to maintain consolidation in a flock, the desire for unification. In the description of the behavior that accompanies a spontaneous group howl, when animals begin to howl, seemingly without visible reasons, everyone who observed wolves unanimously emphasizes the friendly nature of the interaction between the animals immediately before and during this acoustic demonstration. A. Muri, for example, describes the behavior of wolves gathered for a spontaneous howl: “... I saw two black and two gray males, they converged on the horizon, waving their tails and clearly expressing their location. Then the vigorous actions ceased and the five snouts rose to the sky. Their howl spread softly across the tundra. The group broke up abruptly - the mother returned to the hole, and the four wolves went deeper into the twilight that had thickened in the east.”
“Some wolves love to sing more than others and come running to “sing” from any distance, and you have to see how quickly they breathe, how their eyes burn and how passionately, as they approach, they begin to howl, with their mouths wide open, without able to restrain myself." As the Chrysler spouses noted, the howling of wolves is not a “noisy bazaar”, but a pleasant social event.
The consolidating howl is under the control of the female, which naturally follows from the specifics of the social organization of the wolf pack. The older puppies stay close to her, always taking part in the group howl; during the period of increased schooling, the over-fawns also gravitate towards the same group. In addition, all members of the pack are attached throughout the year to the area of the territory where the den is located and, therefore, constantly maintain contact with the female. Under natural conditions, wolves usually howl in the evening hours, less often at night and early in the morning. But frequent howling, especially repeated during the day, may indicate a complication in the life of a family or individual. Experienced hunters they say that the August night howl is a sign that there will be a den here in next year.
During the year, wolves howl most often in winter, when packing is at its maximum. Howling activity also increases at the end of summer and beginning of autumn, when the flock begins to move especially widely within the family area. At this time, single and group howls are more typical for wolves. In autumn, moving widely around the area, wolves usually gather together for daytime rest. Solitary animals, returning after a long absence for the day, usually howl when approaching it. From a day camp located hundreds of meters from the howling animal, everyone on it answers. The infectiousness of the howl during this period is especially high, and hunters take advantage of this when looking for a flock. Even a not very skillful imitation of a howl evokes a response howl from a flock that is spending the day.
Usually a person hears a howl one and a half to two kilometers away. By howling you can distinguish the sex and age of the animal. The seasoned one howls loudly and long. His single howl lasts 20-25 seconds. When imitating the howl of a seasoned person, he experiences difficulty due to the lack of exhaled air, the seasoned howl is higher and shorter, her howl is more complex and mournful, sometimes it seems that two wolves are howling. The voices of Pereyarks are distinguished by monotony and sonority. They often howl in tenor, sometimes ending the howl with whining and barking.
The wolf is good at distinguishing the howl of its fellows from a tape recording, no matter how accurate it may be. He is even more likely to respond to a not very accurate imitation of his voice by a person than to a real howl recorded on film.
A howl, alternating with barking, can be emitted by both adult females and males disturbed by a person near the den, den and prey. This sound is rarely heard by humans. The howl, alternating with barking, is very demonstrative and sometimes lasts tens of minutes.
Wolves use sounds to communicate both at close and long distances. At close range, when the animals see each other, the antagonistic behavior of wolves is accompanied by growls, barks and squeals. It is more typical of adult animals and is typical for close contacts between them, when individual distance is violated and the likelihood of conflict increases. Higher-ranking animals are more likely to growl and bark at subordinate animals or those occupying a low rank in the pack. Females growl and bark less often than males. During the mating season, growling and, to a lesser extent, barking are aimed at maintaining individual distance between partners. Growling usually prevents direct confrontations between males, and in some cases it entails the submission of the partner. The dominant animal with its entire appearance expresses its intention to stop the opponent’s activity. Low-ranking animals express submission by squealing, which blocks the aggressive intentions of the partner. A dominant wolf never screeches, and the closer the ranks between partners, the less often it is possible to hear their screech.
Growling and dull barking on the one hand and squealing on the other are antipodes, although all three sounds express a negative attitude towards the partner. However, if wolves demonstrate equality between partners by growling or dull barking, then squealing means subordination of one to the other. It also signifies agreement to interrupt the activity preceding the squeal.
Wolves, especially males, also bark when guarding large portions of meat or when another male approaches them. Often barking stops the approach of the animal. In similar situations, wolves growl. However, barking is accompanied by lunges towards the enemy, but growling is not. Which means that growling is a milder threat than barking.
She-wolves raising young ones, at the moment of concern for them, give signals to call the wolf cubs, as well as signals warning about the proximity of a person. This is a series of short, soft snorting-like sounds that occur at intervals of about a second. Hearing a snort, the wolf cubs scatter and hide. Especially often, wolves warn puppies with these sounds near the den or near a family day. Moreover, she-wolves react not only to the detection of a person, but also to his traces. Introducing wolf cubs to human tracks, the she-wolf makes snorting sounds, establishing in the young a connection with human tracks as a source of danger.
The sound reactions of wolves to humans are not limited to snorting. The literature describes a ringing bark, very similar to the barking of a dog. There is an assumption that in this way the she-wolf prohibits the cubs from howling.
Like dogs, wolves can also whine. With this sound they express their desire to establish contact with a group partner, and when kept in captivity, with a person. The underlying motivation behind whining is exactly the opposite of the sounds of antagonistic behavior. When whining, wolves never show a grin. All their movements at this time express friendliness and a desire to establish contact with their group partner. However, such a demonstration of friendliness does not always find understanding. Often, in response to a welcoming whine of an animal, it is met with a threatening grin and growl, especially from higher-ranking animals.
Wolves also have other sound signals, such as grumbling conversations. One observation of a pack of wild wolves describes how one of them, acting as a beater during a deer hunt, grumbled his displeasure to two other wolves for five minutes after an unsuccessful hunt.
Of course, of all the sound signals characteristic of wolves, the howl is the most expressive, widely known and at the same time the most mysterious. It’s just a pity that it’s becoming less and less common to hear him to an ordinary person in natural conditions.

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What do people know about wolves? That they are fierce and dangerous, treacherous and treacherous. That they must be destroyed. This is how those who know nothing about wolves think about wolves. In fact, wolves very rarely attack people. Like all predators, they hunt to feed themselves and live their lives, trying to stay away from people. I invite you to lift the veil of secrecy and plunge into mysterious world– the world of the Wolf.

Wolves have lived on Earth for more than a million years. They originated from carnivorous predators who lived 100 million years ago, and about 20 million years ago dogs originated from the wolf.

The genus of wolves (Lupus) unites wolves, coyotes, jackals, wild and domestic dogs - the largest representatives of the wolf family. In addition, all foxes, arctic foxes, raccoon dogs and maned wolves belong to this family. Like dogs, wolves are very intelligent and easy to train. In addition, each wolf has a special character: some are cautious, daring or self-confident; they behave freely and naturally in wolf society, while others are not seen or heard.

Wolves live in the mountains, forests and plains of the Northern Hemisphere. Like all living beings, they, as biologists say, occupy wildlife its ecological niche. In the territories of their habitat wolves are the largest group of predators that hunt large mammals.

Is the wolf big? “Big” is not a very suitable description for a wolf. Typically, a male wolf weighs about 50 kilograms, a female wolf weighs 5 kilograms less. Their height at the withers is about 75 centimeters, and the length from the nose to the tip of the tail reaches 1.5 - 2 meters.

Wolves are social animals: they live in families. Any flock has its own “table of ranks”, and in it everyone has their own place. Strong and aggressive wolves rule, and those who need a firm hand obey them. A wolf pack - a group of animals connected by kinship and mutual sympathy - is led by a wolf and a she-wolf. The rest of its members are their offspring (from tiny puppies to 2-3 year old teenagers). Usually there are 6 - 7, and sometimes 15 animals in a wolf family. The strongest wolf in the pack becomes the leader. His friend, a she-wolf, helps him rule. Leaders must have strong character in order for others to obey. All decisions concerning the life of the pack are made by this pair. In a pack where the leader keeps order, wolves usually do not fight among themselves. However, clashes with strangers or lone wolves who trespass often occur.

Each wolf pack hunts only in its own territory. The owners strictly guard and mark it, warning neighbors that they should stay away. Any uninvited guest will be punished.

In large packs it often happens that one wolf is poisoned by all his relatives. Sometimes the outcast becomes completely unbearable, and he is forced to leave the pack. Why is an unsociable person called a lone wolf? Because he resembles a wolf who left the pack and lives on his own. Over time, changes occur in the flock. Candidates for the role of leader remain in the pack and wait in the wings. Other wolves, having matured, leave to wander alone. But they can also create their own pack if they are lucky enough to meet a lone wolf. If the wolf and she-wolf want to rule the pack, they must subjugate all the other members of the pack to their will and force them to unquestioningly carry out their laws.

The leader dominates the males of the pack, and his mate maintains order among the she-wolves. The leaders constantly remind their “subordinates” who is the boss of the pack: they growl at them, bite them, chase them and even knock them down, preferring to do this in front of the whole pack.

One stern, intent look from the leader or his girlfriend is enough for those he targets to submit. Grinning ingratiatingly, the wolves fall to the ground, and then, if possible, sneak away. Sometimes they lie on their backs, as if to say: we know who is the most important here.

The way a wolf holds its tail indicates its position in the pack. Among the leaders it is raised high, among their “subjects” it is lowered, and those at the lowest level in the wolf family have their tail between their legs.

Pack members show love and respect to the leader in a welcoming ceremony. Crawling, with ears flattened and fur smoothed, they approach the leader or his mate, lick and carefully bite his face.

Wolves are one of the most loyal animals; they form strong bonds with their pack mates. They express their feelings through facial expressions and body movements. "Wolf's tongue" unites the pack and helps it act as one. In a surge of tenderness, the wolves lick each other and rub their muzzles.

The wolf also needs a tail to express its feelings. If the tail is raised and its tip is slightly curved, this means that the wolf is quite confident in itself. A friendly wolf has a lowered tail, but its very tip points upward. A wolf with its tail between its legs is either afraid of something or is communicating its sympathy.

The faces of wolves are very expressive. Frightened, the wolf presses his ears back and pretends to smile. An angry wolf bares his teeth and turns his erect ears forward. Sensing danger, he pulls his ears back, bares his teeth and sticks out his tongue. Companions understand how to behave in order to maintain peace in the pack.

Wolves are created for hunting by nature itself. In winter, a wolf leaves a neat chain of footprints in the snow - he puts hind paw exactly behind the front. Thanks to this gait, he can run on any terrain and even in deep snow.

The wolf's weapon is its teeth. There are as many as 42 of them in his mouth. Four sharp, crooked 5-centimeter fangs stick out in front - two on top and two on bottom. With them the wolf can bite through the thick skin of the victim. And with carnivorous, or carnivorous, teeth - this is what the molars of all predators are called - an adult wolf even chews femur moose

A hunter needs keen hearing, and wolves are lucky in this regard. When they hear a noise, they move their ears and determine where the sound comes from. The sound source may be several kilometers away. Wolves hunt almost silently, because they run on the very tips of their fingers. Just like horses and cats, a wolf's heel does not touch the ground.

He has strong, muscular legs and a sweeping gait, and can trot for long periods at a speed of 9 km/h, and can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h when chasing deer and elk.

When hunting, the nose, and not the ears or eyes, is the first to tell wolves where to look for prey. In the wind, they catch the smell of even the smallest animal located 1-2 kilometers away from them, when it is not yet heard or seen. Thanks to their keen sense of smell, wolves can follow the tracks of their prey.

Thick fur up to 8 centimeters long protects the wolf from frost. The layer of fur closest to the body is the undercoat, and the outer layer is formed by hard, long, black-tipped guard hairs. They repel water and the undercoat does not get wet. In such a fur-lined cloak, the wolf is not afraid of the weather.

Wolves are carnivorous (or predatory) animals. They hunt in groups. To satisfy a hungry wolf, sometimes a small animal is enough - a beaver, a rabbit, a mouse or a bird.

But this is not enough for the whole pack; it needs large prey - deer, elk or ram. It is not for nothing that they are called orderlies - after all, as a rule, their victims are old, sick or inexperienced animals. With a sick animal, the focus of the disease disappears; if an old animal is killed, the young and strong get more food. This biological regulation of numbers promotes the survival of strong, healthy animals, both among hunters and among their possible prey. Although wolves are considered merciless, only every tenth of their hunts are successful.

It happens that, after spending three days tracking and chasing a herd of deer or elk, wolves manage to kill only a few animals. Why? Fleet-footed deer can run away, and moose can give a worthy rebuff: these 600-kilogram giants with sharp antlers and heavy hooves can easily break a wolf’s skull. Wolves can go without food for two weeks, but if they are lucky on the hunt, they will eat to their fill. An adult wolf can eat up to 10 kilograms of meat at one time! Sometimes wolves hide part of the uneaten prey in reserve - they drag it into a hole and throw something on top. If the hunt is unsuccessful, they will return to this cache and dig up the hidden lunch. The survival of a pack depends on the size of its hunting grounds, so wolves protect them tooth and nail.

Wolves mark the boundaries of the territory (it can be 50-1500 sq. km, depending on what animals the pack hunts) with odorous marks - they spray stumps and large stones with urine - and notify neighbors about their rights by howling.

Wolves do not always hunt, growl and be ferocious. The first thing a wolf will do when its stomach is full is curl up in a ball and take a good nap. When he wakes up, he will frolic with pleasure. If he wants to play, he will invite his relatives to join him. Crouching low to the ground on his front paws, he will approach them and, wagging his tail, say: “Well, please!” No answer? Then, in order to attract attention, he will begin to jump from side to side, just like a dog.

Who isn't afraid of the evil wolf? Since childhood, when we were read fairy tales “The Three Little Pigs”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”, we learned that wolves are evil and scary. They don't actually harm people. But despite this, people kill them.

Greetings, friends!

In this post I decided to talk about the wolf totem. Working with totem animals is one of the effective methods self-development. It makes it possible to realize your strengths and weaknesses, your characteristics. By activating the energy of the totem in ourselves, we receive additional strength and protection.

In this and subsequent posts I plan to talk about totems and animals of power that I myself have worked with. I will provide information about the rest for informational purposes only. However, many groups of totems have similar characteristics and, let’s say, functionality.

For example, representatives of a particular family (felines, canines, mustelids) have a lot in common, although, of course, there are also features inherent in this particular representative. Therefore, it will be possible to draw some analogies, taking information about one of them as a basis.

How many animal powers can one person have?

Regarding the question about the number of totems and power animals, I believe that a person still has one totem animal. The one that most reflects his character, and the one that leads him along the path of development.

However, our unconscious is connected to the energies of all animals, to one degree or another. Therefore, it is very natural that we can connect to other totems. This is especially useful for mastering patterns of behavior that were not characteristic of us before, expanding the range of actions.

For example, I have one personal totem, and I interact with the others as power animals. However, the names are not so important; they are rather symbols for convenience. The principle of interaction in both cases is practically the same.

Wolf totem

The wolf is perhaps one of the most common totems, which is why I decided to start with it. It is considered masculine, but working with its energy is also available to women. It is very multifaceted, very difficult.

It takes time to tune into his energy. Although it is among the “wolf people” that more often than among all other groups there are those who, from childhood, are aware of their connection with the wolf.

Spiritual paths, the search for purpose, self-knowledge - these are his themes. It so happened that the totem animal wolf appeared in my life when I was at a crossroads. It was unclear to me which way to go next, and the wolf led me very confidently.

Intuition became sharper, contact with oneself became more dense, and then, later, it seemed strange that earlier there were doubts, and the path was not obvious.

At the same time, I was actively involved in creativity and vocals, and this is also not an accident. In general, the wolf patronizes vocalists.

It is known that wolf howls are tonal. It distinguishes a huge number of different tones and timbres, which are signals.

Along with the energy of the wolf comes also some introversion, self-absorption, and thoughtfulness. This totem also gives strength and physical endurance. With him, I learned to spend my energy more wisely, to distance myself from everything that could deprive me of my strength, and it was a very useful lesson.

In addition, the wolf works great with fears. If you called him and he came to you, you will almost immediately feel that you are under powerful protection. There comes a feeling of balance, calmness and even some slowdown. There is a feeling of distance and at the same time a feeling of shoulder, as with a faithful friend.

In general, when working with the energy of the wolf, I felt not so much patronage as cooperation, that is, interaction on equal terms. This energy is not somewhere separate. It is inside you, and manifests itself directly through you. And at the same time, this energy is isolated.

Which, however, fully reflects the behavior of a wolf in nature: on the one hand, he can live in a pack and tenderly care for the members of the pack, and on the other, be a loner and not depend on anyone. Dissolving and not losing yourself is another lesson of this totem.

By the way, a wolf and a dog are still two different totems. They have different tasks, although they undoubtedly have similarities.

To work with the energy of a wolf, a talisman is suitable, for example, in the form of a pendant like this, depicting this animal. For men who have a wolf totem, we can recommend this solid mug with the image of the beast. However, if you wish, you can make a pocket wooden amulet or make an image on a piece of paper - choose what suits you best and trust your intuition.

Archetype of the wolf among the ancient Slavs and other peoples

Wolf image among the Slavs was associated with the god of fertility - Veles, and also, possibly, with Dazhdbog, who turned into a lame wolf, and some other Slavic deities.

This archetype had a dual meaning. On the one hand, it symbolized endurance, determination and intelligence, and on the other, evil spirits, lower instincts and was closely associated with werewolfism, when a person who failed to curb his animal instincts turned into a wolf.

The wolf was also a guide to another world, and existed, as it were, on different layers of reality - between This and That world. He was feared, but also revered, and his fangs were worn as amulets that protected from evil spirits and gave courage and perseverance.

In addition, the wolf was associated with the image of a warrior - brave, selfless, fighting to the end.

U ancient Scandinavians two wolves are assistants to the god Odin, his accompaniments and guides. By the way, the image of a wolf is often associated with the image of a raven. The god Odin also had two raven assistants.

In addition, in Norse mythology there is also the wolf Fenrir (child of the fire god Loki), who, according to predictions, will devour the god Odin at the very end. He represents chaos and destructive power, temporarily chained. The god of war, Tyr, sacrificed his hand to pacify Fenrir.

U North American Indians The wolf was revered as a protector and wise guide. Indian shamans often adopted wolves as power animals. They also had a widespread cult of the coyote as a totem animal.

The character and appearance of people with a wolf totem

Such people are usually athletic. Average build, often with a tendency towards thinness. They have a good appetite and prefer mostly meat foods. The look is penetrating, and somehow it makes you feel a little uneasy.

They are usually somewhat introverted, but not so self-absorbed that they do not monitor what is happening in the outside world. On the contrary, they are very observant and nothing escapes their gaze.

They are faithful, devoted, value friendship, and are ready to help at any time. Often good family men. However, they need their own space.

Oddly enough, wolves sometimes allow themselves to be abused by people close to them, but, having escaped the captivity of such relationships, they can then cruelly take revenge on the offender.

A wolf, like a dog, can endure for a very long time. However, his patience always has a clear limit. If he already for a long time allows him to cross, then it is most likely not a wolf, but a dog.

Such people feel quite comfortable both alone and in company. Although they tend to be somewhat introverted, they are good communicators and pleasant to deal with. Intelligence, competent speech, and the ability to listen to the interlocutor attracts people to them.

Also, as I said above, the wolf totem often patronizes musical people. In general, people with this totem can be found in any profession, but instinctively they are drawn to areas where hierarchy is expressed. Therefore, among them there are many employees of law enforcement agencies and the military.

Despite the fact that the wolf has good defense, he would rather prevent a conflict, and certainly not provoke it, unless, of course, he is pursuing some special goal.

Such a person will not get involved in fights just to wave his fists or prove something. It is almost impossible to take it weakly. However, he will fight to the last if someone close to him is under threat.

The main conflict that the wolf resolves is, of course, the balance between freedom and belonging. Such a person has a very developed sense of duty. And at the same time, he needs to feel independent. If he can maintain this balance, he will be happy.

We can talk about the wolf forever. However, it should be understood that even within the same species, wolves can vary greatly. Individualism is very wolf-like. In nature, in wolf packs, each wolf is an individual, and his place is clearly assigned to him.

Therefore, people with this totem can be quite different from each other. In this article I described the typical features that they have. In order to understand such a person, you need to understand the general concept of the wolf, feel it from the inside.

In addition, the animal of power still gives each person something of its own. The wolf rewards someone to a greater extent insight, some - speed, some - intelligence, and some - communication skills. We can also observe these accents.

Conclusion

I guess I'll stop here today. I hope the article was interesting and useful for you, write comments and ask questions.

And I’m not saying goodbye to you - see you in the next post.

The wolf is the only animal that can go into battle against a stronger opponent. If he loses the battle, he looks into the eyes of the enemy until his last breath, after which he dies.

And some more interesting facts about wolves:

Under certain weather conditions, wolves can hear sounds at a distance of 9 kilometers in the forest, and at a distance of 16 km. in open areas.

The Vikings wore wolf skins and drank wolf blood before battle, which they took with them, to raise their morale.

The earliest images of wolves were found in caves in southern Europe; they are more than 20,000 years old.

It is impossible to tame a wolf and make it a guard dog; it is afraid of strangers and will hide from them rather than bark.

The autoimmune disease lupus, or tuberculosis of the skin, literally means “red wolf” because in the eighteenth century doctors believed that the disease developed after a wolf bite.

Wolves distinguish about 200 million shades of smell, people only 5 million. The wolf family is able to smell the smell of other animals at a distance of 1.5 kilometers.

Wolf puppies always have blue eyes at birth. They turn yellow only at eight months.

The gestation period of a she-wolf is about 65 days. Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, and weigh only half a kilogram.

Wolves were once the most common land predators, the only places where they did not live were deserts and tropical forests.

Enormous pressure is created by the teeth in the cleft palate, approximately 300 kilograms per square centimeter (compared to 150 kg/cm^2 in a dog).

The North American gray wolf population in 1600 was 2 million. Today there are only North America no more than 65 thousand.

A hungry wolf can eat 10 kilograms of meat in one sitting, which is like a man eating a hundred hamburgers in one sitting.

A wolf pack can consist of two or three individuals, or maybe ten times more

Wolves are descended from ancient animals called "Mesocyon", which lived about 35 million years ago. It was a small animal, similar to a dog, with short legs and a long body. Perhaps they, like wolves, lived in packs.

Wolves can swim up to 13 kilometers, using small membranes between their toes to help them move in the water.

Between 1883 and 1918, more than 80 thousand wolves were killed in the US state of Montana alone.

Adolf Hitler (whose name means "leading wolf") was fascinated by wolves and sometimes demanded to be called "Mr. Wolf" or "Conductor Wolf" as a pseudonym. "Wolf's Gulch" (Wolfsschlucht), "Wolf's Lair" (Wolfschanze) and "Werewolf" ( Wehrwolf) were Hitler's code names for various military headquarters.

In the 1600s, Ireland was called "Wolfland" because there were so many wolves there at the time. Wolf hunting was the most popular sport among the nobility, who used wolfhounds to locate the wolf and kill it.

Biologists have found that wolves will react to people imitating a wolf howl. It would be strange if it were different...

In 1927, a French policeman was convicted of shooting a boy he thought was a werewolf. That same year, the last wild wolf was killed in France.

When Europeans arrived in North America, the wolf became the most popular animal hunted in American history. These animals were on the verge of extinction at the beginning of the 20th century. The US federal government even adopted a program to eradicate wolves from the western states in 1915.

Dire wolves (“canis dirus”) are one of the representatives of prehistoric wolves that lived in North America about two million years ago. They hunted mainly for prey of such size as mammoths.

Wolves can run at a speed of 32 km/h for a minute or two, and in moments of danger or persecution - up to 56 km/h. It has been observed that throughout the day they run at a “trot” (approximately 8 km/h) and can travel at this speed throughout the day.

The smallest representatives of wolves live in the Middle East, where they reach a mass of no more than 30 kilograms. The largest wolf individuals live in Canada, Alaska, and Russia, where they gain weight up to 80 kilograms.

Wolves use howls to communicate with disunited members of their group to rally before a hunt, or to warn rival packs to stay away from them. Lone wolves howl to attract mates or simply because they are alone. In fact, the wolf howl lasts no more than 5 seconds, just because of the echo it seems that the sound is longer.

The reflective layer in a wolf's eyes is called "tapetum lucidum" (Latin for "bright tapestry"), it glows in the dark and also contributes to the animal's night vision.

Where wolves live, there are often ravens (sometimes called "wolf birds"). Crows often follow packs of wolves to peck leftovers from the hunt, and also use wolves as protection.

According to Pliny the Elder, a first-century Greek scholar, the she-wolf rubs her pups' gums with her tongue to ease pain when they emerge. He also believed that wolf dung could be used for healing stomach colic and cataracts.

The Aztecs used wolf liver in the treatment of melancholy as an ingredient in medicine. In addition, they pricked the dying person's chest with a sharpened wolf bone in an attempt to delay the date of death.

In the Middle Ages, Europeans used wolf liver powders to relieve pain during childbirth.

The Greeks believed that if someone ate the meat of a wolf, which kills lambs, then he would suffer high risk become a vampire.

The Cherokee Indians did not hunt wolves because they believed that the brothers of those killed would take revenge on them. In addition, the weapon that was used to kill the wolf was considered “damaged.”

The British King Edgard introduced a special annual tax of 300 skins for Wales, as a result of which the Welsh wolf population was quickly destroyed.

In 1500 the last wild wolf was killed in England, in 1700 in Ireland, and in 1772 on Danish soil.

Germany became the first country to place the wolf population under conservation laws in 1934. Under the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche (b. 1844-d. 1900) and Oswald Spengler (b. 1880-d. 1936), society became convinced that natural predators mattered much more than their after-kill value. By the way, in Germany all wild wolves were exterminated by the mid-nineteenth century.

Unlike other animals, wolves have a number of distinctive facial movements that they use to communicate and maintain relationships within the pack.

IN Japanese the word wolf is characterized as “great god.”

Between 6,000 and 7,000 wolf pelts are still traded worldwide each year. They are supplied mainly from Russia, Mongolia and China, and are most often used for sewing coats.

In India, simple traps are still used to catch wolves. These traps are pits camouflaged with branches and leaves. The wolves fall into the pit on sharp stakes, and the people finish them off from above with stones.

Wolves were the first animals to be listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

John Milton's famous poem "Lycidas" takes its name from the Greek "wolf cub" lykideus.

In the world of Harry Potter, there was a werewolf, Remus Lupin, whose name is directly related to the Latin word “lupus,” but his surname most likely came from Remus, the founder of Rome, who was raised by wolves.

The last wolf in Yellowstone Park was killed in 1926. In 1995, people managed to restore the wolf population, and ten years later, approximately 136 wolves roam the park in 13 packs.

Currently there are about 50 thousand wolves in Canada and Alaska, 6500 in the USA. On the European continent, in Italy - less than 300, in Spain about 2000, in Norway and Sweden - less than 80. There are about 700 wolves in Poland, and 70 thousand in Russia.

We often say the saying: “To live with wolves is to howl like a wolf,” but we never think about why wolves need to howl at all. Moreover, for a long time zoologists did not know this. And only recently, scientists from Austria were able to solve the ancient and intriguing mystery of the blood-curdling, but still, without a doubt, beautiful wolf howl...

Bloody lunch of the wolf pack

As we know, wolves sometimes tend to howl, which they do from time to time with pleasure. Moreover, many of those who live in rural areas or go on expeditions periodically hear this howl, which, in my opinion, is simply beautiful. However, scientists still don’t really know why wolves sometimes need to give away their location in such an original way. Although zoologists, of course, have some guesses on this matter.

I want to say right away that we are talking about the individual vocal exercises of each individual of the wolf pack and about the collective howl - when the whole “world” of wolves sings intricate melodies in unison. However, often both of these phenomena are superimposed on one another - as soon as some wolf starts a sad song, the whole pack immediately picks it up. But sometimes this does not happen - the “singer” can perform his roulades for half an hour in splendid isolation, and none of his comrades joins him. Why do wolves sing in chorus in some cases, but not in others?

Back in the middle of the last century, scientists suggested that wolves react to the absence of a dominant individual with a collective howl - in this way they try to call the leader. This version was confirmed by the observations of the Georgian zoologist-naturalist Jason Badridze, who lived for many years in wolf pack. In one of his articles, Yason Konstantinovich mentioned that after the death of the leader from old age, the entire flock howled harmoniously and piercingly for a long time (the leader went to die in a secluded corner, and, therefore, his comrades did not see the death itself). However, some zoologists disputed this statement, arguing that such a reaction could not have been to the disappearance of the leader itself, but to any stressful situation - that is, wolves howl simply to relieve stress.

And recently, scientists from the Center for the Study of Wolves (Austria) decided to put an end to the question of why wolves howl. Over the course of several years, researchers observed nine individuals Canis lupus, and the work began when these animals were only six weeks old. When the wolf cubs grew up, zoologists divided them into two groups, one of which had five wolves, and the other four. Gradually, the wolf cubs grew, and friendly and hierarchical connections began to form between them, that is, someone obeyed someone, someone preferred to play with someone, and someone led all their comrades. In other words, after some time two full-fledged wolf packs formed.

Next, the scientists began to give their charges very long walks, during which one of them was taken away from the pack. Moreover, such a “sampling” was carried out completely randomly - this was done so that such smart animals as wolves could not predict who exactly would leave them during a walk. And here’s what’s interesting: after 20-25 minutes, the flock, realizing that someone was missing, began to howl in unison. It is interesting that if the dominant disappeared, then it was quite difficult to understand who first started the howl; it seemed that the wolves began their song at the same time. Well, if one of the ordinary wolves disappeared, then his comrade would always act as the “ringleader,” and after some time the rest would pick up the calling song. Or they didn’t pick it up if the missing one didn’t get along with all the other members of the pack.

Thus, scientists realized that for wolves, howling serves as an expression of some kind of personal experience associated with social relationships. However, they still decided to test the so-called stress hypothesis. Zoologists measured the level of the stress hormone cortisol in wolves during the “disappearance” of the leader and ordinary members of the pack. As a result, it turned out that when the pack noticed the absence of a dominant, the level of cortisol in their saliva increased all the time. And in the absence of an ordinary relative, this did not happen, but the wolves still howled, sometimes with the whole pack. It turns out that howling is not at all a standard reaction to any stressful situation - it is directly related to the disappearance of a comrade, regardless of what rank in the pack the missing person occupied.

Thus, we can say that wolves really howl in order to re-establish contact with someone who is very important to them - either a leader or a close friend. And, what’s most interesting, they often do this without regard to their pack mates and are not at all under stress. Well, if this is so, then the wolf howl cannot be considered an unconditioned reflex - it is, to some extent, a completely conscious behavior.