Wolves Howl to Hold a Territory Together
A howl is a long mournful cry. For wolves it is a means of keeping a pack informed across distance.
To howl is to make a long doleful cry. Wolves howl to locate absent pack members and to advertise a territory, and a chorus can be heard ten kilometres away in open country. Wolves also vary their pitch deliberately so a small group sounds larger than it is, which discourages rivals from testing the boundary. The belief that wolves howl at the moon has no basis; they simply howl more at night, when they are active.
- A long cry. *The howl of a wolf.*
- To wail. *The wind howled.*
- A loud complaint. *Howls of protest.*
- A blunder (informal). *A howler.*
- Middle English — *houlen*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | howl | Howling. |
| Noun | howl | A howl. |
| Past | howled | Howled. |
| Agent | howler | A howler. |
| Related | owl | An owl. |
- Wolves howled in the valley.Animals.
- The wind howled all night.Weather.
- It was a real howler.Mistake.
What a howl communicates
- Location — reuniting a scattered pack
- Territory — warning rival packs away
- Identity — individual wolves are recognisable by voice
- Numbers — varied pitches make a group sound larger
- Not the moon — wolves simply howl more at night
Middle English *houlen*, imitative, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *huilen*.
Do wolves howl at the moon?
No. They howl more at night because that is when they are active, and they point the head upward to carry the sound further.
Why do wolves vary their pitch?
So a small group sounds like a larger one, which discourages rival packs from approaching the territory.