Glossary | International Wolf Center (2024)

This glossary includes terms you will encounter in your reading about wolves and wild lands. Boldfaced words within the definitions are words that are defined elsewhere in the glossary. An on-line search can help you with terms not included in this list.

A, B, C,D, E, F,G, H, I,J, K, L,M, N, O,P, Q, R,S, T, U,V, W, X, Y, Z

Adaptation– a change in an animal’sbehavioror body that allows it to live better in its surroundings. Some adaptations in wolves include large feet with toes that spread which enable the animals to walk on snow and ice. The large, compact feet also enable the wolf to travel long distances.

Alphas– The term sometimes used to describe thedominantwolves in the social order of the wolfpack. Because a free-ranging wolf pack is a family comprising the parents and their offspring, the term “alphas” has been superseded by“breeding pair”or “breeders” or simply “parents.” (SeeDominance Hierarchy)On the other hand, captive wolves that live together are often unrelated. Therefore, competition forrankin the group may take place with a resulting social hierarchy.

Anthropomorphism– The act of giving human characteristics, behaviors, feelings and/or motivations to animals or objects. Animals are frequently anthropomorphized in literature and in movies.

Behavior– What an animal does; its reactions or actions under specific conditions.

Beta– The term sometimes used to describe the secondrankin the social order of a wolfpack. In what researchers now consider an oversimplified model of a wolf pack, social hierarchies were thought to operate for males and females. This implied that a pack may have both a beta male and a beta female. According to this model, a wolf at this rank would usually dominate all of the other wolves in its gender except the dominant wolf. (SeeAlphasandDominance Hierarchy)

Big Game (Large Game)– Term used to designate larger species that are hunted. Examples are bears, moose, deer, elk, caribou and bighorn sheep. In many states, selectedspeciesare legally designated as big game,small game(rabbits, squirrels, game birds) andnon-game(songbirds, birds of prey).

Biological Diversity or Biodiversity– The variety, complexity and relative abundance ofspecies(plant and animal) present and interacting in an ecosystem.

Biologist– A person who studies living organisms, life processes and/or the animal and plant life of a particular place. Biologists also study the relationship of living things to one another.

Bounty– A payment or other reward for removing or killing certainspeciesof animals designated as harmful. Federal and state governments have used bounties as part of theirpredatorcontrol programs to encourage people to kill wolves.

Breeding Pair– The term used to refer to the male and the female in thepackwho mate and produce offspring.

Buffer Zone– An area betweenterritoriesoccupied by established wolfpacks. Prey species often flourish in buffer zones. Wolves that havedispersedand that are alone often find relative safety and food in buffer zones with less risk of being attacked and killed by members of established packs. However, buffer zones are not necessarily neutral areas and therefore safe havens. These zones may be contested by resident packs.

Cache– a hiding place used for storing food if there is an abundance of meat from a kill; v. to store or hide.

Canid– A member of the taxonomic family Canidae, which in North America includes wolves, coyotes, foxes and domestic dogs.

Canines– The sharp, pointed teeth (fangs) that carnivores use to pierce and tear the flesh of theirprey.

Canis lupus– The scientific name for the gray wolf.

Canis rufus– The scientific name for the red wolf. Two recognizedspeciesof wolves live in North America –Canis lupusandCanis rufus. Some scientists have proposed that the eastern wolf,Canis lupus lycaonis a distinct species,Canis lycaon.

Captive Breeding– Breeding animals in such places as zoos. Captive breeding is a tool to save criticallyendangered speciessuch as the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus balleyi) and the red wolf (Canis rufus). These captivepopulationsmay be used forreintroductionin designated areas. The wolves that were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho were not bred in captivity. They were captured in Canada and transported to the northern Rocky Mountains and released. The red wolves reintroduced in northeastern North Carolina were, on the other hand, bred in captivity because red wolves were officially declared functionallyextinctin the wild.

Carnivore– An animal that eats meat.

Carrying Capacity– The total number of aspeciesthat a given area of ahabitatcan support at any given time; the ability of a given area to supply water, food and shelter to a species.

Color Phase– The color of an animal’spelage(fur), which is determined by genetics and may vary within apopulation. White, gray and black color phases may be seen within the same gray wolf population. In the Western Great Lakes region, about 98 percent of the gray wolf population exhibits the gray phase, with the occasional occurrence of white or black phases. The predominant color phase within a population often corresponds to the overall color of its environment. For example, the white color phase is predominant in arctic regions. The word “phase” does not imply that a wolf changes color.

Conservation– Protection of natural resources from loss, waste or harm; the wise and intelligent use of natural resources so they will be available for future generations.

Den– A shelter, often a small cave or hole dug out of the ground, to protect the breeding female and her young pups from weather and other animals.

Delisting– Removing a plant or animal from the list ofendangeredspecies when it is no longer in danger ofextinction.

Depredation– Refers to damage done bywildlifeto people’s crops and domestic animals. This term is primarily used when referring to situations involving wolves or othercarnivoreskilling or maiming domestic animals, such aslivestock.

Dispersal– The act of an organism leaving its birthplace and moving to where it will live as an adult. Dispersal in wolves usually involves a young, sexually maturing wolf leaving thepack, perhaps due to rivalry with other members of the pack, intense bonds formed with an individual wolf from outside of the pack or lack of sufficient resources within the pack’sterritoryto support the number of wolves present.

Disperser– A wolf that leaves thepackand strikes out on its own. Some of these “lone wolves” have no socialterritory, and they live on the fringes of established packs or in the areas where several territories come together. Their single status may make them vulnerable to malnutrition and to attacks by other wolves. Dispersers will sometimes hunt in unoccupied areas between pack territories calledbuffer zones. Some wolves are seeking a partner and may travel hundreds of miles from where they were born. Males and females may meet and form new packs if they can find unoccupied territory with sufficient prey.

Distinct Population Segment (DPS)– A term created in the 1978 amendments to the Endangered species Act (ESA) allowing vertebratespeciesto be divided into distinct groups based on geography and genetic distinction. This controversial amendment to the ESA allows the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to adopt different management practices, including the level of protection, for differentpopulationsaccording to their need. The current DPSs are Northern Rocky Mountain, Western Great Lakes, Southwestern and Eastern.

Domesticated– Referring tospecieswhich have descended fromwildancestors but have been tamed, kept in captivity and bred over many generations for human purposes. They are usually dependent upon humans for their survival.

Dominance Hierarchy– A linear “chain of command” concept describingrankwithin a wolf pack established through competition and conflict. According to this model, the strongest male and female are the “alphas,” and the second in rank are the “betas.” The “omega” wolf is the lowest ranking wolf, often having to beg food and always losing fights. While this status hierarchy may exist in captive packs comprised of unrelated individuals, natural wolf packs usually consist of parents and their offspring of various years. In a free-ranging wolf family, each wolf seems to know its standing and communicates it to the others. The parents are in charge, with the older siblings next in order of dominance followed by the pups of the current year.

Dominant– Having power, control and privilege over others within a social hierarchy.

Ecologist– A scientist who studies the interrelationship of living things to one another and to their environment.

Ecology– The science of relationships between plants, animals and the environment.

Ecosystem– A more or less discrete system or community formed by the interaction of living organisms with each other and with the physical factors found in their environment.

Encroachment– The physical occupation of space orhabitatwhich was previously occupied by anotherspecies, resulting in displacement of this species or destruction of the species, if no alternative space or habitat is available.

Endangered– Referring to a species (plant or animal) currently in danger ofextinction.

Endangered species Act– A Congressional act (16 U. S. C. 1531 et. seq.) passed in 1973 and amended through the years that provides for the identification and protection ofspecies(plants and animals) currently in danger ofextinctionorthreatenedby extinction within the foreseeable future.

Experimental Population Designation (Section 10(j) Rule)– a concept added to theEndangered Species Act(ESA) as a way ofreintroducinga species without severe restrictions on the use of private andpublic landin the area. Members of an experimentalpopulationcan have special rules written for them which may include killing animals causingdepredations(killing or harmingdomesticanimals and/orlivestock). This was proposed in order to reduce public opposition to the reintroduction of a majorpredatorsuch as the wolf. If loss of the population would diminish thespecies‘ prospects for survival, the population is designated asessentialand is treated as an endangered species. If the experimental population is designated asnon-essentialand is treated as a species that isproposedfor listing asthreatenedorendangered. Examples of species with non-essential experimental populations are the Mexican gray wolf in the Southwest, the red wolf in the Southeast, the gray wolf in the Yellowstone area and the black-footed ferret.

Exterminate– To get rid of by destroying or killing.

Extinct– No longer in existence. Once aspeciesis extinct, all individuals within this species have forever vanished from the planet.

Extirpate– To destroy or eliminate aspecies(plant or animal) from an entire area within its range, but not from the entire planet.

Feast-or-Famine Diet– Thebehaviorof eating a great deal of food in a short time and then not eating for an extended period. A single wolf has been known to eat up to 22 pounds of meat at one time. The wolf then rests while this food digests. It may be several days or several weeks before the wolf gets another significant amount of food.

Federal Register– A periodical published by the United States Government which advertizes actions or proposed actions by federal agencies. The Federal Register is available at all major libraries and federal offices. It is the federal government’s primary means of releasing information to the public.

Feral– Domesticated animals that have gonewild. Examples are wild burros, goats, pigs, cats and dogs. There is an important distinction between a feral dog and a wild dog. Sometimeslivestock depredationsare blamed on wolves when, in fact, the killing was done by a feral dog or ahybrid.

Food-Begging– Abehaviorwhich pups and sometimes sub-adults use to get food fromdominantmembers. The pup or subordinate lowers its body posture and licks around the muzzle of the wolf with the food. It may whine. Pups may induce adults toregurgitatefood by engaging in food-begging. Adults with food may simply give some or all of the food. Thebreeding femalesometimes uses food-begging to induce thebreeding maleto deliver food to her when she is confined to thedenwith young pups.

Game Animals– Legal name for animals that may be regulated and hunted under regulations and laws.

Genus– Part of the classification system used to identify plants and animals. Wolves are of the genusCanisalong with coyotes anddomesticdogs.

Gestation Period– Pregnancy – The period between fertilization and birth. For a wolf this period is 62 – 63 days.

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem– The geographical area including parts or all of: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Beaverhead, Gallatin, Custer, Shoshone, Bridger-Teton and Caribou National Forests, and various National Wildlife Refuges; the headwaters of three major river systems: the Yellowstone, the Snake and the Green Rivers; and parts or all of the Salt River, Northern Rocky, Absaroka and Wild River Mountain Ranges. Greater Yellowstone encompasses an area roughly the size of West Virginia and is home to some of the world’s most unique wild lands and wildlife that together constitute one of the earth’s most diverse and dynamic natural regions. Greater Yellowstone Area map.

Guard Hairs– The long outer hairs of an animal’s coat that keep the downyunderfurfrom getting dirty or wet. The underfur keeps the animal warm by preventing heat loss from the body.

Habitat– The natural environment of a species (plant or animal) that provides the food, water, shelter or cover and space required for it to survive. Forests, deserts and lakes are but a few examples of habitats.

Habitat Destruction– The act of destroying an entirehabitator any significant part within the habitat.

Hard Release– One method of wolf recovery is thereintroductionof wolves to areas from which they have beenextirpated. In a hard release, wild wolves are brought from another area and released immediately without a period of time to acclimate to their new surroundings. The hard release method was used in central Idaho when wild wolves were brought from Canada and released without spending a period of time in “holding pens.” Reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone was, on the other hand, done by thesoft releasemethod.

Harvest– The intentional gathering of plants, animals and natural resources. In wildlife management, hunting is one form of harvesting in which animals are killed.

Hybrid– The offspring resulting from reproduction between two closely relatedspecies, Dogs, wolves and coyotes can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. The subject of wolf-dog hybrids is controversial. Many people believe that if they obtain such a hybrid, they will get an animal that looks like a wolf and acts like a dog. This is often not the case, however. Hybrids sometimes have a dog’s aggressive nature combined with a wolf’s shyness and fear of humans. This combination can produce an “aggressivepredator,” a potentially dangerous animal.

Indicator Species– a specific species selected for monitoring by animal scientists in order to get a general indication of the health of theecosystemin which the animal lives.

Litter– All of the pups born during a single birth to an adult female wolf.

Livestock– Animals that aredomesticated, such as cattle, sheep, horses and mules that are raised on a farm or ranch.

Longevity– Length of time an animal lives.

Management– The act of providing direction for the use, control, enhancement or protection of aspecies(plant or animal) or itshabitat.

Mange– a skin condition caused by a parasitic mite. Mange is characterized by intense itching and hair loss. Excessive hair loss can result in hypothermia and death.

Mortality Rate– The relative frequency of deaths in apopulation.

National Forest– An area ofpublic landdesignated and managed by the federal government (Forest Service) to assure an ongoing supply of natural resources. These include grazing land forlivestock, minerals, timber and opportunities for recreational and scenic use.

National Park– A tract of land declared public property by the federal government to be used for cultural and recreational purposes. National parks are managed by the National Park Service.

Omega– The lowest ranking member in the social order of a wolfpack. Natural wolf packs may not have a single omega wolf. However, low-ranking members of a wolf pack such as young, sexually maturing males and females may become dispersers, especially if food is scarce.

Pack– A family of wolves that lives and works together to hunt for food and take care of the pups. It usually consists of a male and female parent (the breeding male and the breeding female orbreeding pair) and their offspring from one or more generations. The size of the pack may depend on prey density and size. For example, wolves that prey on moose or bison may form larger packs because these large animals may be easier to kill when two or more wolves participate. However, a large pack requires a lot of food; the more wolves, the more quickly a kill is consumed.

Pelage– The entire coat of hair or fur, including the soft, furry undercoat as well as the coarseguard hairs, on a mammal.

Pelt– The skin and fur of an animal. Note that the pelage is the coat of hair and fur. The pelt is the skin as well as the hair and fur.

Persecution– Harassment or cruel treatment.

Pinch Period– The period in the annual cycle when the conditions for living and finding food are least favorable. For wolves, the pinch period is often in late summer when prey are in prime condition and difficult to catch, but when growing pups still need to be fed.

Poaching– Illegal taking ofwildlife.

Population– All of the individuals from the same species (or closely-related species) that are closely associated and that occupy a certain area.

Predation– The act of an animal capturing and eating other animals.

Predator– An animal that captures and eats other animals.

Preservation– Protection ofwildlifeandhabitatwhich emphasizes non-consumptive values and uses such as no direct use by humans.Conservation, on the other hand, emphasizes both consumptive and non-consumptive use of resources.

Prey– An animal that is captured and eaten by another animal.

Public Lands– Lands owned by the general public and managed by state or federal agencies such as the National Park Service or the Forest Service.

Rank– The relative social positions of animals in apack. The moredominantanimals are higher in rank. In a free-ranging wolf pack, the highest ranking members are usually the parents. The older siblings are higher in rank than the pups of the current year. In a captive group of wolves, rank may be determined through competition and sometimes conflict.

Range– The geographic area over which an entire species is distributed. This range is usually determined by the availablehabitatneeded by a species to survive, thus range can change as the available habitat is altered or destroyed.

Recolonization– The natural restoration of apopulationto an area within its original range.

Recovery– The natural or assisted restoration of apopulationto specified levels for minimum number of consecutive years to a designated area within its originalrange.

Reintroduction– The act of bringing individuals of a certainspecies(plant or animal) back into a designated area within the species’ originalrange, but from which it wasextirpatedor nearly eliminated. The purpose ofreintroductionis to establish a newpopulationin the wild.

Rendezvous Site– An above ground area, usually open and near water, where pups are taken when they are old enough to leave the birthden. The wolves gather there to sleep, play and eat. Wolves may move from one rendezvous site to the next until the pups are old enough to accompany the adults on their hunts and travels.

Resident Wildlife– Animals that are residents of a specific area on a year-round basis as opposed to migratory animals.

Scat– Fecal matter or feces.

Scavenger– An animal that eats animals it did not kill directly but that have died from other causes such as disease, starvation orpredation.

Scent-marking– The act of marking an area with body odor, scent from a gland, or urine or scat. This technique is used by wolves to communicate with other wolves and animals. For example, scent marks tell other wolves the locations of a pack’s territorial boundaries.

Social Animal– an animal that lives in a group with its own kind. Wolves are highly social animals because they live in a pack or family according to strict cooperative rules. Thepackmembers are dependent on one another for survival, and they all participate in the care and nurturing of the young.

Soft Release– Areintroductionstrategy whereby the animal is brought to the release area and kept in a “holding pen” or enclosure in order to become acclimated to its surroundings. Soft release was used with the reintroduction of the wolves to Yellowstone. The central Idaho wolves were, on the other hand, reintroduced byhard release.

Species– A subgroup of genus and part of the classification system scientists use to identify plants and animals. Although there is some debate among scientists, two species of wolves are recognized in the U.S. –Canis lupus, the gray wolf, andCanis rufus, the red wolf. The proper name of a species is made up of two words: the genus name (Canis) and the specific name (lupusorrufus).

Species Survival Plan (SSP)– An organized method of breedingendangered speciesin captivity in order to increase theirpopulations. Managed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), there is an SSP for Mexican gray wolves and one for red wolves.

State Wildlife Agency– The state agency that has legal responsibility for the management of all or some of thewildlifein that state. It is usually responsible for regulations and for law enforcement.

Stewardship– Refers to responsible caretaking of the environment. Stewardship is based on the premise that we are managers of natural resources and that we are responsible to future generations forconservingandpreservingthese resources.

Stress– A harmful pressure to an organism or a. A drought or flood or a severe winter would cause stress to a plantpopulationand, therefore, to animals.

Submission– The act of acknowledging another animal’sdominanceor higherrank. Wolves do this in several ways including lying on their back and exposing their bellies, lowering their tails (or tucking the tail between the legs), flattening their ears against their heads and assuming a lower body position. Another behavior exhibited by submissive wolves isfood begging.

Subordinate– Lower ranking in power, control and privilege.

Subspecies– Part of the classification system scientists use to identify plants and animals. It is the most specific group of animals. Scientists disagree on how many subspecies of wolves there are, but in North America, for example, 5 subspecies ofCanis lupus, the gray is the generally accepted number. Two examples areCanis lupus arctos, the arctic wolf, andCanis lupus baleyi, the Mexican wolf.

Tame– Brought from wildness into a manageable or easily controlled states. Tame animals may be handled by humans and used in some cases to perform work,Domesticated animals, on the other hand, are animals that have, over a series of generation, become accustomed to living with humans and which have, to varying degrees, become dependent upon humans to provide for their needs. Domestic animals that live in awildstate are callferalanimals.

Taxonomy– The classification or organisms in categories based on common characteristics.

Telemetry– The use of electronic equipment to locate a distant source. Researchers use telemetry equipment, such as receivers and antennae, to locate signals emitted from radio collars worn by wolves in their study groups.

Territory– An area occupied by apackof wolves that can provide sufficient prey to support the pack. It is defended against wolves from outside of the pack and from other animals that might compete for the same resources. Wolves protect their territory byscent-marking, vocal communication and by harassing or fighting wolves that trespass.

Threatened– Referring to aspecies(plant or animal) that could become endangered in the foreseeable future.

Top Predator– Apredator, usually large in size, that is rarely killed by other predators and may kill smaller predators. Wolves are top predators and have few natural enemies. They may kill smaller predators such as coyotes. Sometimes wolves and bears will tangle, but this is infrequent as such encounters can be dangerous or deadly to both.

Track– A print left by an animal. Wolf tracks are large in comparison to mostdomesticdogs and other canids such as coyotes. The front feet are larger than the back feet. Claws are usually visible. This is one way to distinguish a wolf track from a mountain lion track. Mountain lions (cougars) walk with their claws retracted the way a domestic cat does.

Tracking Devices– The development of the transistor radio in the 1950’s lead to the ability to fit animals and birds with VHF collars. Miniaturization was the key to making this possible. Several types are collars are deployed on wolves: (1) VHF Tracking Collar (2) Satellite Collar (3) Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Collar (4) GPS/Argos Collar Satellite collars are particularly useful for long-range movement.Implantsare sometimes used for animals with cone-shaped heads but are not as efficient as collar transmitters because flesh can attenuate the signal.

Translocate– To move animals from one area to another. For example, wildlife managers translocated wolves from Canada to Yellowstone National Park and to central Idaho as part of thereintroductioneffort in the northern Rocky Mountains.

Ungulate– A hoofed mammal, such as deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, antelope, caribou and bison.

Viable Population– A self-supportingpopulationwith sufficient numbers and genetic variety among healthy individuals andbreeding pairsthat are well enough distributed to ensure that thespecieswill not becomethreatened,endangeredorextinctin the foreseeable future.

Western Great Lakes Area– The area in the United States south and west of the Great Lakes – especially Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Wild– Nottameordomestic. Wild animals obtain their own food and provide for their own needs in an area that serves as a suitable habitat.

Wilderness Area– An uninhabited area left in its natural condition. Wilderness areas designated by the federal government are for non-consumptive use of resources, although hunting is permitted during designated season. In some cases, wildfires are not fought in federal wilderness areas, and no machinery is permitted, not even chain saws. Visitors are encouraged to “leave only footprints, take only memories.”

Wildlife– Animals that are not tamed or domesticated. Wildlife can range in size from microscopic organisms to animals as large as whales.

Wildlife Management– A term referring to the technical and scientific skills applied to protect,conserve,preserve, extend and limit the value of wildlife and wildlifehabitat.