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ReproductionMating season can be anywhere from January to April with the alpha female having only five to seven days of oestrus. During this time, the alpha pair may move out of the pack temporarily to prevent interruption from other pack members. Also the alpha pair is almost always the only pair to mate, to avoid over population.Usually the alpha male has dominance over the entire pack including the alpha female. But this not always true. During the mating season the alpha female takes total dominance even while the pups are still in the den. This is for the rest of the pack to know that she is the one to serve. She also decides were the den will be. With this in the pack mind, they go in search of food and bring it back to the den either for the hungry, laborious female or for the pups. Although in rare cases a non-alpha pair will mate, according to one study, "Twenty to forty percent of the packs contain at least two adult females produce two litters". Breeding other than the alpha pair, depends on certain conditions: 1.How dominant the alpha pair is: - Sometimes the alpha female will becomme aggressive to the other females in the pack - Other males that mate may be chased ffrom the pack by a very dominant alpha male 2.Mild winter's, adequate food supplies, Habitat conditions (In the arctic multiple litters is the norm, due to the harsh conditions, more litters means more chances for survival.) 3.Disruption of pack hierarchy: - When the social order of the pack changes some researchers have noted that sometime subordinate females may mate. When the two are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close and touching each other more and more. Right before copulation, the alpha pair might act jubilant by nuzzling, whipping tails in each other's faces, and even urinating. This is when the actual bliss comes in by the alpha female releasing her ambrosial pee. Every Male in the pack reacts to this, even the male pups. As you might already know, wolves copulate like dogs, the male mounting the female from behind. During an actual physical tie occurs caused by swelling in the alpha male's penis and constriction in the female's vaginal wall. After about five minutes the male suddenly stops and twists around so the two are end to end. The two will still be in a tie up to a half an hour. Although wolves often have long-lasting attachments to their mates, if one wolf dies, the widowed mate may breed with another wolf. Wolves normaly mate for life, but only while thy are both alive. The gestation period for wolves is fifty-nine to sixty three days. See Pups for the next stage of the wolfs life.
| Annual Cycle | Pack | Hunting | Reproduction | Pups | Injuries | Endangered | | Origins | Wolf Dog Hybrids | General Facts | |
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Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Shadow Wulf's Alphas.
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