WHY DO WOLVES HOWL AT THE MOON?
It’s cool. It’s spooky. It’s also, well, a myth. Wolves don’t actually do this.
Instead, they mostly howl to “talk” with one another. Wolves usually live in packs, often made up of a father, a mother, and their young. Packs may also include aunts, uncles, and cousins. Each pack claims a territory—an area where members live and hunt.
Whether lounging around or on the move, the wolves often need to communicate. To connect over short distances, they may yip, growl, and whine. But to “keep in touch” over longer distances, they howl. Different howls send different messages. Some rally the pack before a hunt or meal. Others are used to warn the pack of a threat. A wolf that gets separated from the group may howl to communicate that it’s lost. Once the pack responds, the wolf will howl back to reveal its location.
Sometimes, wolves may even howl just for fun! Scientists believe that group howls—when one wolf starts, and the others join in—help the group bond. Think of it like a sing-along!
But wait—if wolves mostly howl to connect with one another, what made people start thinking that they howl at the Moon?
The idea may have sprung from folktales. Also, wolves often hunt at night and lift their snouts toward the sky when howling. This may have led some people to believe that the creatures were directing their calls to the Moon. In reality, wolves raise their snouts because it helps the sound of their howls travel farther.
The Moon may not cause a wolf to howl. But wolf calls are still jaw-dropping. They allow packs to stick together, help make wolves safer, and may even boost a pack’s quality time together. Now that’s something to howl about!
