Introduction to Wolf Ethology

As a student in this course, you will be provided the reference codes used in the International Wolf Center's Interactive Ethogram. While a full Ethogram is not required for this course, it may be helpful to maximize the understanding of each behavior. A copy of the Ethogram can be purchased directly from the International Wolf Center Wolf Den Store.

As part of this course, students will be required to record at least 8 hours of actual observation of captive wolves at the International Wolf Center or through observing the Center's YouTube channel and weekly postings. For the assignment, list the date and times of your observations, if you are using the YouTube channel, record the date and video time clock with your observations. Then record the behavior identified by individual wolf. When you have your raw data, create an excel spreadsheet categorizing the behavior most commonly displayed by each wolf. Provide a sound interpretation of the behaviors you observed. In the resources section of this Unit, you will see references to reports written by former Ethology students observing at the International Wolf Center.