scholarly journals Breeding displacement in gray wolves (Canis lupus): Three males usurp breeding position and pup rearing from a neighboring pack in Yellowstone National Park

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy SunderRaj ◽  
Jack W. Rabe ◽  
Kira A. Cassidy ◽  
Rick McIntyre ◽  
Daniel R. Stahler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Dominant Female ◽  
Territorial Group

Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) are territorial, group living carnivores that live in packs typically consisting of a dominant breeding pair and their offspring. Breeding tenures are relatively short and competitive, with vacancies usually occurring following a breeder’s death, and are often filled by unrelated immigrants or by relatives of the previous breeder. The frequency and conditions of active breeder displacements are poorly understood. Position changes in the dominance hierarchy are common yet rarely documented in detail. We describe a turnover in male breeding position in a wolf pack by males from a neighboring pack in mid-summer 2016 in Yellowstone National Park. Over the course of two months, three males from the Mollie’s pack displaced the breeding male of the neighboring Wapiti Lake pack, joined the pack’s two adult females, and subsequently raised the previous male’s four approximately three-month old pups. In the four years following the displacement (2017 to 2020), at least one of the intruding males has successfully bred with the dominant female and most years with a subordinate female (who was one of the pups at the time of displacement). The pack reared pups to adulthood each year. Male breeding displacements are likely influenced by male-male competition and female mate choice. These changes are the result of individuals competing to improve breeding position and may lead to increased pack stability and greater reproductive success. We report in detail on the behavior of a closely observed breeding displacement and we discuss the adaptive benefits of the change.

scholarly journals Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves ( Canis lupus )

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. DeCandia ◽  
Kira A. Cassidy ◽  
Daniel R. Stahler ◽  
Erin A. Stahler ◽  
Bridgett M. vonHoldt
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Body Site ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Gray Wolves

Leadership behavior in relation to dominance and reproductive status in gray wolves, Canis lupus

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 1405-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf O Peterson ◽  
Amy K Jacobs ◽  
Thomas D Drummer ◽  
L David Mech ◽  
Douglas W Smith
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Scent Marking ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Males And Females

We analyzed the leadership behavior of breeding and nonbreeding gray wolves (Canis lupus) in three packs during winter in 1997–1999. Scent-marking, frontal leadership (time and frequency in the lead while traveling), initiation of activity, and nonfrontal leadership were recorded during 499 h of ground-based observations in Yellowstone National Park. All observed scent-marking (N = 158) was done by breeding wolves, primarily dominant individuals. Dominant breeding pairs provided most leadership, consistent with a trend in social mammals for leadership to correlate with dominance. Dominant breeding wolves led traveling packs during 64% of recorded behavior bouts (N = 591) and 71% of observed travel time (N = 64 h). During travel, breeding males and females led packs approximately equally, which probably reflects high parental investment by both breeding male and female wolves. Newly initiated behaviors (N = 104) were prompted almost 3 times more often by dominant breeders (70%) than by nonbreeders (25%). Dominant breeding females initiated pack activities almost 4 times more often than subordinate breeding females (30 vs. 8 times). Although one subordinate breeding female led more often than individual nonbreeders in one pack in one season, more commonly this was not the case. In 12 cases breeding wolves exhibited nonfrontal leadership. Among subordinate wolves, leadership behavior was observed in subordinate breeding females and other individuals just prior to their dispersal from natal packs. Subordinate wolves were more often found leading packs that were large and contained many subordinate adults.

Interference competition between gray wolves and coyotes in Yellowstone National Park

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Merkle ◽  
D. R. Stahler ◽  
D. W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Rare Opportunity

Factors influencing the outcome of interspecific interactions between sympatric carnivores, along with population-level consequences, are not clearly understood. The reintroduction of gray wolves ( Canis lupus L., 1758) to Yellowstone National Park provides a rare opportunity to study interactions with coyotes ( Canis latrans Say, 1823), which had lived in the absence of wolves for >60 years. We evaluated direct interactions between wolves and coyotes to identify factors influencing the outcomes of interspecific interactions and describe the context and degree of competition and coexistence. Using radio-collared wolves, we documented 337 wolf–coyote interactions from 1995 to 2007. The majority (75%) of interactions occurred at ungulate-carcass sites. Wolves initiated the majority of encounters (85%), generally outnumbered coyotes (39%), and dominated (91%) most interactions. Wolves typically (79%) chased coyotes without physical contact; however, 25 interactions (7%) resulted in a coyote death. Interactions decreased over time, suggesting coyote adaptation or a decline in coyote density. In the majority (80%) of fatal interactions, wolves outnumbered coyotes. However, wolves did not outnumber coyotes in interactions (n = 18) where coyotes chased or attacked/harassed wolves. Our results suggest that wolves are the dominant canid, group size may influence the outcome of interactions, and coyotes must benefit from the access to carrion at wolf-killed carcasses.

scholarly journals Yellowstone wolf (Canis lupus) density predicted by elk (Cervus elaphus) biomass

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 499-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. David Mech ◽  
Shannon Barber-Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Biomass Density ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Prey Biomass ◽  
Prey System ◽  
Using Data

The Northern Range (NR) of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) hosts a higher prey biomass density in the form of elk (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) than any other system of gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) and prey reported. Therefore, it is important to determine whether that wolf–prey system fits a long-standing model relating wolf density to prey biomass. Using data from 2005 to 2012 after elk population fluctuations dampened 10 years subsequent to wolf reintroduction, we found that NR prey biomass predicted wolf density. This finding and the trajectory of the regression extend the validity of the model to prey densities 19% higher than previous data and suggest that the model would apply to wolf–prey systems of even higher prey biomass.

Coyote foraging ecology and vigilance in response to gray wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 985-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Adam Switalski
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Continuous Source

Coyotes (Canis latrans) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) have lived in the absence of wolves (Canis lupus) for over 60 years. I examined whether wolf reintroduction in 1995 and 1996 in YNP influenced coyote vigilance and foraging ecology. From December 1997 to July 2000, my co-workers and I collected 1708 h of coyote activity budgets. Once wolves became established in the Park, they once again provided a continuous source of carrion in the Lamar Valley and we found that coyotes began feeding on carcasses throughout the year. Although we documented that wolves killed coyotes, it also became clear that surviving coyotes quickly adjusted their behaviors when wolves were present. When coyotes were near wolves or in areas of high wolf use, they fed on carcasses much more; however, they increased the amount of time spent in vigilance activities and decreased rest. There appears to be a trade-off in which wolf kills provide a quick source of food that is energetically advantageous to coyotes; however, attendant costs included increased vigilance, decreased rest, and a higher risk of being killed. Changes in the behavior of coyotes in response to the reintroduction of this large carnivore may ultimately have wide-ranging cascading effects throughout the ecosystem.

scholarly journals River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Killed by Wolves (Canis lupus) during Winter in Northern Minnesota

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-253
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Gable ◽  
Steve K. Windels ◽  
Ian C. Rautio
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
National Park ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Voyageurs National Park

Few accounts exist of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) killing small sympatric mammalian predators. In January 2017, we observed a River Otter (Lontra canadensis) that had been killed by wolves on the ice in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. This is one of only a few documented instances of wolves killing otters.

scholarly journals Seasonal patterns of predation for gray wolves in the multi-prey system of Yellowstone National Park

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Metz ◽  
Douglas W. Smith ◽  
John A. Vucetich ◽  
Daniel R. Stahler ◽  
Rolf O. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Prey System

The acceptance of a new breeding male into a wild wolf pack

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R Stahler ◽  
Douglas W Smith ◽  
Robert Landis
Keyword(s):  
Direct Observation ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Alpha Male ◽  
Stereotyped Behaviors ◽  
Close Range

The acceptance of an unfamiliar male wolf (Canis lupus) into a wolf pack after the recent death of the pack's alpha male was observed and filmed at close range in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A. A 2½-year-old dispersing male from a neighboring pack was accepted as a new pack member over the course of a 6-h interaction. This observation involved stereotyped behaviors and canid body posturing in association with dominance/submission, play solicitation, and courtship. Although documented before via radiotelemetry, this interaction marks the first direct observation of a wild wolf pack accepting and incorporating a strange wolf as a breeder and pack leader.

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