Stages Of Pup Development
- 10 to 13 days: The eyes open.
- 3 Weeks: Can hear, milk teeth appear, explore den area.
- 4 Weeks: Leave den regularly, weigh 5-6 lbs, begin to eat
meat and begin to howl.
- 5 Weeks: May travel up to a mile from den.
- 5 to 8 Weeks: Pups are weaned then moved to rendezvous site.
- 12 Weeks: They begin to accompany adults on hunting trips.
- 16-26 Weeks: Milk teeth are replaced.
- 7-8 Months: They actively begin hunting.
Shortly before giving birth, a pregnant female will seek out
a den.
Dens may be a deep riverbank hollow, a cleft between rocks,
a hollow log,
a space under upturned tree roots or a space under a rock
overhang.
In a normal den, the birthing chamber lies at the end of a
tunnel that may
be up to 15 feet long in soft soils. The entrance to the den
is about 20 to 28
inches wide and 15 to 20 inches high. Dens may have two or
more entrances,
both of which are usually marked by a large pile of dirt.
Den sites are often near
a source of water, and are often elevated so that the wolves
can detect approaching enemies.
Just prior to birth and for a few days after birth, the female
will not allow
the male into her den.. The time of birth is private, for
her and her alone.
Most wolf pups are born in late March to early May, with southern
wolves
giving birth earlier in the season, and arctic wolves sometimes
giving birth
as late as June.
The litter averages five to six, but ranges from one to eleven.
Pack stresses can cause increased litters; in Yellowstone
National Park,
litters of ten to eleven pups followed several years of wolf
poisonings, shootings,
and trapping. The same response to long-term population threats
has been observed in coyotes.
There is much excitement in the pack caused by the birth of
pups.
Prior to the birth, pack members may gather at the den entrance,
whining
and scratching the ground.
The alpha male is very protective of the den. He will often
act as a decoy,
leading predators away from the site. Although wolves will
often stand their
ground against wild predators at the den site, they will usually
run away from
the den at the approach of humans.
For More Facts about Wolf Communication Click HERE
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