Density of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Territories Affects Response to Simulated Conspecific Intrusion in Wisconsin

Sarah Wyrick^1,*, Joshua M. Kapfer¹, and Meg Waraczynski²

¹Biology Department, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI 53190.²Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI 53190. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 32, Issue 1 (2025): 52–65

First published early online: 8 February 2025

Abstract
Canis lupus (Gray Wolf) use olfactory and auditory cues to alert conspecifics of territory occupancy. This study aimed to determine if conspecific response levels to perceived territorial intrusions varied with pack density. During 2013–2014, we collected data on conspecific response to simulated olfactory and auditory intrusions over 2 winters and 1 summer in areas with high and low density of Gray Wolf territories. We simulated a territorial intrusion by a non-resident Gray Wolf using commercial Gray Wolf urine or howl surveys. We monitored resident Gray Wolves’ responses with camera traps for olfactory intrusions and in situ for auditory intrusions. Results suggest that Gray Wolves in low-density areas spent more time investigating the commercial Gray Wolf urine than those in high-density areas. These findings highlight that the number of packs in an area influences territorial behavior, with Gray Wolves in low-density areas exhibiting heightened investigative response to olfactory cues. This result suggests that Gray Wolves perceive a greater need to assess potential intrusions in less-crowded areas.

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