Know Your Wolf

Know Your Wolf

It is the subject of nightmares, the villain of scare stories for adults and children alike, the prized object of hunters everywhere... Huge, stealthy, crafty, ravenous, carnivorous, nocturnal, solitary, mysterious, the wolf has stalked human history. But how well do you really know these legendary predators?

published on December 18, 2014
1/50

What is the gray wolf's species?

Canis lycanthropis
Canis lupus
Canis carnivus
2/50

Tick all the ways wolves communicate with their pack members

Tick all the ways wolves communicate with their pack members
Hint: 15 choices
Barking
Snarling
Growling
Howling
Scent signals
Posture
Touch signals
Whimpering
Whining
Visual signals
Facial expressions
Fur and ear signals
Gesturing with paws
Eye signals
Semaphore
Pouncing
Using leaves to mark trails
Writing in the snow
Digging holes
Having sex
Licking
Biting
Leaving trails
3/50

How do wolf packs form?

How do wolf packs form?
Lone wolves in a stretch of land join together
A single pair of breeding wolves produce offspring which form the pack structure
The appearence of a pack is a temporary phenomenon. Wolves collaborate as long as it takes to bring down their prey, and then disperse
4/50

You are a bison surrounded by a pack of snarling, snapping, growling, barking, advancing wolves. What's your best course of action?

You are a bison surrounded by a pack of snarling, snapping, growling, barking, advancing wolves. What's your best course of action?
Run. You are bigger and faster. If you stay where you are you are easy game.
Stand your ground. Wolves won't attack without the stimulus of running prey.
5/50

Tick all the reasons that wolves may howl:

Hint: 8 choices
To assemble the pack for a hunt
To assemble the pack for a meal
To crow over a mating
To locate a mate
To locate the pack
As a cry to pursue prey
To frighten other wolves away
As a cry to close in on prey
To harmonise with others, appearing to be great in number
To take over a territory from resident wolves
To signal the beginning of a wolf fight
To signal the end of a wolf fight
To keep the pack together
6/50

You are a yearling wolf, wandering alone. You sense other wolves nearby who are not your pack members. What's the best thing for you to do?

You are a yearling wolf, wandering alone. You sense other wolves nearby who are not your pack members. What's the best thing for you to do?
Howl to let them know of your presence. You are a social creature and so are they.
Stay quiet and keep out of the way. If they find you, they may attack and kill you.
7/50

How is this wolf feeling?

How is this wolf feeling?
Submissive
Confident
Aggressive
Fearful
8/50

How is this wolf feeling?

How is this wolf feeling?
Scared
Aggressive
Submissive
Scared and aggressive
Scared and submissive
All three
9/50

How is this wolf feeling?

How is this wolf feeling?
Scared, aggressive
Confident, aggressive
Scared, submissive
10/50

How is this wolf feeling?

How is this wolf feeling?
Scared
Aggressive
Submissive
Confident
11/50

How is this wolf feeling?

How is this wolf feeling?
Confident
Aggressive
Submissive
Scared
12/50

What rank position does this wolf hold?

What rank position does this wolf hold?
Low rank
High rank
Medium rank
13/50

What rank position does this wolf hold?

What rank position does this wolf hold?
Low rank
Medium rank
High rank
14/50

What rank position does this wolf hold?

What rank position does this wolf hold?
Medium ranking wolf
Low ranking wolf
High ranking wolf
15/50

Which of these wolves is the higher ranking?

Which of these wolves is the higher ranking?
Right wolf ranks lower
Left wolf ranks higher
Right wolf ranks higher
16/50

Which of these wolves ranks higher?

Which of these wolves ranks higher?
Right one ranks higher
Left one ranks lower
Left one ranks higher
17/50

Which of these wolves ranks higher?

Which of these wolves ranks higher?
Bigger wolf ranks lower
Smaller wolf ranks lower
Smaller wolf ranks higher
18/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Are these wolves fighting or playing?
Playing
Fighting
19/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Are these wolves fighting or playing?
Playing
Fighting
20/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Are these wolves fighting or playing?
Playing
Fighting
21/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Are these wolves fighting or playing?
Playing
Fighting
22/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Are these wolves fighting or playing?
Playing
Fighting
23/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Are these wolves fighting or playing?
Playing
Fighting
24/50

Are these wolves fighting or playing?

Playing
Fighting
25/50

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?
Playing
Travelling
Hunting
26/50

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?
Playing
Hunting
Travelling
27/50

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?
Playing
Hunting
Travelling
28/50

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling
Hunting
Playing
Travelling
29/50

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?
Hunting
Playing
Travelling
30/50

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?

Are these wolves hunting, playing or travelling?
Hunting
Playing
Travelling
31/50

How are wolves assigned their pack ranks?

On a basis of size
On a basis of age
On a basis of confidence
On a basis of gender
32/50

How are wolves assigned their roles within the pack?

On a basis of confidence and gender
On a basis of size and gender
On a basis of size and strength
On a basis of preference and confidence
On a basis of confidence and rank
On a basis of size and rank
On a basis of rank and preference
33/50

How can you tell the difference between a male wolf's howl and a female wolf's howl?

Males howl more deeply than females
Females don't howl
Females howl more melodiously
Males emphasis the 'O' and females nasally emphasise the 'U'
You can't tell the difference
34/50

You're a little wolf pup, all alone outside your den. You hear an adult wolf approaching. What do you do?

Stay quiet: it might be a stranger and kill you.
Howl to it, whoever it is: it might bring you food, and it's in your pack's territory, so it's probably safe.
Howl to it to say hello.
35/50

How do adult wolves breed?

However, whenever
Only one couple in the pack breeds, same couple each year
One couple in the pack breeds, different couple each year
36/50

Are wolves promiscuous or do they mate for life?

Promiscuous
Mate for life
37/50

Why do wolves remain joined together for some time after mating?

The penis of the male has barbs. These take time to go down, and only then can he extract it from the female.
It's a bonding behaviour.
The penis of the male swells. This takes time to go down, and only then can he extract it from the female.
They find sex pleasurable and can have multiple orgasms.
38/50

Which of these howls might a wolf emit to check on its pack?

Long, smooth
Smooth, ending in a series of yelps
High pitched, oscillating between two notes
Combination of a short bark and a howl
39/50

Which of these howls might wolves emit when pursuing prey?

Long, smooth
Smooth, ending in a series of yelps
High pitched, oscillating between two notes
Combination of a short bark and a howl
40/50

Which of these howls might a yearling wolf emit?

Long, smooth
Smooth, ending in a series of yelps
High pitched, oscillating between two notes
Combination of a short bark and a howl
41/50

When might a wolf bark?

Hint: 2 choices
When excited
When closing in on prey
When angry
When startled
As a challenge
42/50

When might a wolf whine?

Hint: 4 choices
When lunging
When sad
When frightened
When curious
When lonely
When anxious
When intimate
43/50

When might a wolf growl?

Hint: 2 choices
When challenging for food
When playing as pups
When fighting
When seeking out new territory
44/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?
Yes
No
45/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?
Yes
No
46/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?
Yes
No
47/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?
Yes
No
48/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?
Yes
No
49/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human?
Yes
No
50/50

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?

Is this wolf attacking or killing a human being?
Yes
No