| Popis: |
Publisher Summary An apex predator, the wolf demonstrates a superb adaptation, physically, psychologically, and socially. This chapter discusses the four interrelated aspects of that adaptation: (1) group hunting practices, (2) intrapack aggressive behavior, (3) reproduction, and (4) wolf individuality. Wolves are social hunters that cooperatively capture prey animals larger than themselves. Seasonal variation has been observed in the incidence of aggression within the wolf pack. Aggressive behavior is particularly significant in two contexts: (1) the regulation of pack size and (2) the determination of rank–order relationships in the pack with special reference toward breeding. Mating systems of wolves includes breeding by the monogamous dominant pair, the beta male mating with the dominant female while the alpha male maintains the territory, and the dominant female copulating with several of the top-ranked males. The wolf, large wild dog of the boreal forests, remains an elusive subject for study. |
