Post by TheSeaWolf on Oct 21, 2018 21:13:32 GMT
People can communicate in a lot of different ways - words, facial expressions, body language, and different noises can all be used to convey different things. Wolves can communicate in very similar ways! They don't have a complex language with words, but they can use a wide range of vocalizations, gestures, and expressions to talk to other wolves. In this roleplay, they do have the ability to speak, but we will also be utilizing natural wolf behaviors as well!
We don't expect our players to be experts, so we've made this guide to some basic wolf behaviors! The use of real wolf behaviors during the rp isn't meant to intimidate non-wolf experts. I'm hoping that it will be a fun, engaging way for players to learn more about wolves! So remember that being perfect is not the goal. Having fun and learning is the goal!
Dominance and Submission: In most wolf packs, there isn't really an "alpha" pair. Most packs are made up of one breeding pair and their offspring. These wolves didn't dominate their way to the top, they just had some kids, and the kids are expected to listen to mom and dad. Even though most pack leaders aren't as alpha as most people think, there are still different displays of dominance and submission. The leaders of a pack generally have more confident body posture, holding their head, ears, and tails in an erect posture. The subordinate wolves walk with their tails and heads a bit lower, with less rigid ears. These behaviors are used as brief social posturing. The wolves don't walk around in these postures 24/7. Subordinate wolves may also display submissiveness by crouching, tucking their tail beneath their legs, and licking the dominant wolves. If a subordinate wolf acts up, more intense behaviors may be displayed, such as raised hackles and an ears-forward, teeth-bared snarl from the dominant animal. The subordinate will usually give up and roll onto its back to submit. Social interactions rarely escalate into violence.
Our pack diverts from the norm a bit as it isn't composed of one pair of wolves and their pups. Our group is made up of a lot of unrelated wolves, which means that the pack will get bigger and have a lot more tension and potential uprisings. This will likely lead to displays of dominance that are more frequent and intense.
Young wolves generally look for mates when they're around two years old, and set out to find mates in the fall. If they find a potential mate, they'll start spending time together. Flirting ramps up in the winter, with lots of licking, nuzzling, and general carrying on. Once females come into estrus in late winter, the wolves will mate, giving birth almost exclusively in April. There's a lot of media representation of wolves mating for life and being super romantic, but that's not always the case. Some wolves are pretty promiscuous! A female may choose one wolf as her mate that she will raise pups and lead the pack with, but will mate with lots of different males. Her mate may actually have to stay near her and guard her from other males because she is so willing to mate with other males. Having multiple fathers within one litter is possible, and fairly common. Plenty of subordinate females will mate with lone males/males from other packs, with no pair-bond at all! With this being said, there have been some wolf couples that have seemed very strongly bonded and monogamous. This wide range of mating behaviors is completely allowed within the rp, and gives us all lots of fun options for how to make them babies. You could have a character with a mate that they're head over heels for, or maybe they have a mate that they simply have a strong friendship with. So many possibilities!
We don't expect our players to be experts, so we've made this guide to some basic wolf behaviors! The use of real wolf behaviors during the rp isn't meant to intimidate non-wolf experts. I'm hoping that it will be a fun, engaging way for players to learn more about wolves! So remember that being perfect is not the goal. Having fun and learning is the goal!
Social Behaviors
Dominance and Submission: In most wolf packs, there isn't really an "alpha" pair. Most packs are made up of one breeding pair and their offspring. These wolves didn't dominate their way to the top, they just had some kids, and the kids are expected to listen to mom and dad. Even though most pack leaders aren't as alpha as most people think, there are still different displays of dominance and submission. The leaders of a pack generally have more confident body posture, holding their head, ears, and tails in an erect posture. The subordinate wolves walk with their tails and heads a bit lower, with less rigid ears. These behaviors are used as brief social posturing. The wolves don't walk around in these postures 24/7. Subordinate wolves may also display submissiveness by crouching, tucking their tail beneath their legs, and licking the dominant wolves. If a subordinate wolf acts up, more intense behaviors may be displayed, such as raised hackles and an ears-forward, teeth-bared snarl from the dominant animal. The subordinate will usually give up and roll onto its back to submit. Social interactions rarely escalate into violence.
Our pack diverts from the norm a bit as it isn't composed of one pair of wolves and their pups. Our group is made up of a lot of unrelated wolves, which means that the pack will get bigger and have a lot more tension and potential uprisings. This will likely lead to displays of dominance that are more frequent and intense.
Mating Behaviors
Young wolves generally look for mates when they're around two years old, and set out to find mates in the fall. If they find a potential mate, they'll start spending time together. Flirting ramps up in the winter, with lots of licking, nuzzling, and general carrying on. Once females come into estrus in late winter, the wolves will mate, giving birth almost exclusively in April. There's a lot of media representation of wolves mating for life and being super romantic, but that's not always the case. Some wolves are pretty promiscuous! A female may choose one wolf as her mate that she will raise pups and lead the pack with, but will mate with lots of different males. Her mate may actually have to stay near her and guard her from other males because she is so willing to mate with other males. Having multiple fathers within one litter is possible, and fairly common. Plenty of subordinate females will mate with lone males/males from other packs, with no pair-bond at all! With this being said, there have been some wolf couples that have seemed very strongly bonded and monogamous. This wide range of mating behaviors is completely allowed within the rp, and gives us all lots of fun options for how to make them babies. You could have a character with a mate that they're head over heels for, or maybe they have a mate that they simply have a strong friendship with. So many possibilities!