Why do wolves howl at the moon?

Since ancient times, it was believed that the most bloodthirstyForest predators - wolves - have a special and inexplicable connection with our night luminary. Hearing a wolf howl in the distance, our ancestors tried as soon as possible to leave the territory of the formidable forest inhabitant, who was even credited with being related to fantastic werewolves. So why do wolves really howl at the moon? Why is she so attracted to them?

Since ancient times, wolves have been credited with fantastic abilities that supposedly open up to them during the full moon

What does the wolf howl to the moon mean?

Despite the fantastic legends about wolves,turning into a full moon in werewolves, in reality everything can turn out to be much more prosaic. Zoologists believe that the moon as such does not affect the behavior of these animals. Observations showed that wolves howl not only at the Moon, but also at a cloudy sky, during rain and in general under any state of nature, which somewhat reduces the shade of gloomy romance that has surrounded these smartest representatives of the canine family for centuries.

See also: In Siberia, the severed head of a giant wolf living 40,000 years ago was found

Due to the fact that animals are nocturnallife, howl can serve as a kind of communication language with which wolves exchange important information. Intonation with this method of communication allows you to warn relatives about imminent danger, to become a call sign when you go out on a night hunt, or even become evidence that a pair of wolves has offspring.

With the help of howling, wolves are able to notify relatives of the danger or approach of a person

How do you feel about wolves? Do you feel awe of these forest creatures or do you prefer to look at them from afar somewhere in the zoo? Let's try to discuss this issue in our Telegram chat.

How animals communicate

By the way, not only wolves successfully usehowling as an effective means of communication. I think many of you know firsthand that pets like dogs love to practice this way of communicating with each other and in ordinary apartments. Due to the fact that people tend to come up with all kinds of signs for one reason or another (and sometimes without it at all), the dog’s sudden barking also managed to acquire a whole bunch of superstitions. So, since ancient times, the howling of a domestic dog was associated with the presence of evil spirits or was a harbinger of some unpleasant event.

Do not rush to pack your bags if you suddenly hear a dog barking at night. Perhaps your dog just wanted to chat with his relatives

Although the myth that wolves howl at the moon wascompletely debunked, a small fraction of the truth that the satellite of our planet is capable of exerting some kind of effect on the behavior of nocturnal animals is still there. Due to the fact that nights during the full moon are much brighter than during the new moon, it becomes much more convenient for night predators to hunt during this period, which is what they inform their cousins ​​with a loud howl.