The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species

by L. David Mech

Comprehensive study of the wolf's habits, behavior, and relationship with other animals and the environment

Genres: Wolves, Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Animals, Natural History, Biology

384 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 1981

About the author

Lucyan David "Dave" Mech is an internationally recognized wolf expert, a senior research scientist for the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (since 1970), and an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. He has researched wolves since 1958 in places such as Minnesota, Canada, Italy, Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, and on Isle Royale.

Mech is the founder of the International Wolf Center and sits on its Board of Directors as Vice Chair. The project to create the facility, which he started in 1985, was a natural outgrowth of his wolf research as well as his ambition to educate people about the nature of wolves that they may come to respect the creature through understanding.

He has published ten books and numerous articles about wolves and other wildlife, the most famous of these being his books The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species and Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species” is a classic wolf biology book from 1971, which systematically goes through key aspects of wild wolves and their environments: such as their ecological niche, pack structure and population dynamics, physical and mental characteristics, hunting, seasonal movement patterns, key species of prey, and their relations with prey and other stake holders… including humans (and much more).

Some unusual circumstances surround this book: The author says he has urged his publishers to stop republishing it, because some of the research in it is outmoded. He is particular unhappy about the book’s contribution to cementing “the myth about the alpha wolf” and the wolf pack as a dominance hierarchy. He explains the problem in this video (and in other places).

The publishers, however, continue to sell this book, and I guess I'm guilty too, because I bought it. Keeping in mind that some of the research is outmoded and that the parts about pack structure are inaccurate, I still learned a lot about predator-prey interactions and ecology from this book, so although I really wanted to give it a low rating out of principle, I just couldn't give it less than 4 stars.

I suggest to go ahead and read the book (perhaps borrow it in the library to avoid frustrating the author by keeping up the demand), and then also read Mech's articles Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs (1999), and Whatever happened to the term Alpha Wolf? (2008) which explain wolf pack structure as it is now understood.

That should fix the dilemma!

[jazthedigital · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nowadays material is pretty outdated. Author himself said: “The concept of the alpha wolf is well ingrained in popular wolf literature, at least partially because of my book “The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species” written in 1970, republished in paperback in 1981, and currently stil in print, despite my numerous pleas to the publisher to stop publishing it”.
Aware of misconceptions and scientific inaccuracies due to time and also observing wolf behaviour from limited perspective- wolfs in captivity.

Also David Mech introduced idea of alpha by describing this captive animals. Later writing a book when he corrects himself, rejects the ideas presented in this paper. Due to new research, shading new light into behaviour of wild wolves in the wild natural habitat.

So yeah. It’s not badly written. It’s entertaining. Mech has passion for the thing. But with knowledge about the paper where it stands in regard to its subject matter and scientific value... eh let’s say some books get old and wrong. This is one of that. Even author knows this and made other books correcting and learning more to outline more accurate scientific observations.

Much misconceptions and outdated things. .
Read the follow up: “The Way Of The Wolf” also by this author where he corrects things from this book.
Since even he recommends that.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mech has written on his website that he repeatedly asked the publisher to stop printing the book because much of the information is outdated—including the concept behind the alpha wolf. Nevertheless, the book is still being sold.

"David Mech, the world's most profiled wolf researcher, used the terminology alpha animals in his early research. But by the time he realized that this was a mistake, the term had already taken root in the literature. He is now struggling to get this changed," Zimmermann said.

Alpha types are seen in CAPTIVE species

[wally · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think it was this one that describes how the wolf takes down a moose, not an easy task. one of them grabs it by the nose and hangs on while the others wait for it to weaken. wolves are opportunists and as they are tracking, following a moose, if another happens to cross their path, they are as likely to notice and chase that one.

was in a tree stand one october when i saw what i thought were three...coyotes, moving in a line-abreast, the two one the ends about 15 yards or more away from the one in the middle. west to east, about 75 yards away. tails out, big, wolves! a year prior, i was hunkered down in a natural blind, blowing on a grunt tube, and though i did see deer movement, i heard the animal flee. though it was a distance away. deer are normally quiet. i stood. behind me, maybe ten yards away, a wolf takes off for the lake. i guess my grunts sounded deer-like?

back to the other case. shortly after watching the three disappear, i realized, well, guess i'm not going to see any deer tonight. a bit later, i saw the three moving east to west. they didn't see me, 20' tall in a white spruce.

so...i take down an 8 pt shed i had hanging on a branch and began to rattle it. why? curious. did this for longer than normal. hang em back up. sit. wait. bout five minutes later i hear noise in the fallen leaves off over my shoulder. i peek. wolf. one of the three, looking intently in the direction of the tree i was in. didn't see the other two. i spose i made a noise. he/she looked up, our eyes met, and the wolf left in a hurry.

they travel. lots. a wolf collared by the local dnr (why they consider that natural and not maintaining the winter deer herd "unnatural" is beyond me, but that is the case) collared in november in the u.p. was found dead in minnesota in january.

this book is an informative read.

[Ashleigh Cutler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mech is one of the top names for wolf research and for a good reason. This book is readable - meaning it's not full-on textbook style to the point you need a law degree to grasp it - but it's not open and breezy either. It's great for my research as I write about wolves far too much and know more than I should. The pictures are OK but small. It's another "staying" book in my library.

[Aruna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is packed with valuable insights and offers a fascinating window into the world of wolves. Even though the author himself wanted to stop its printing due to 'some' inconsistencies with current knowledge, it is still a worthwhile read.

Wolf is often a 'friendlier' animal than we might think

In the first chapter, Mech describes how the wolf’s social nature shapes its personality. Being comparatively smaller than their prey, over millions of years, wolves learned to hunt in groups. This increased their capacity for making emotional attachments to others, making the wolf far less aggressive. They are less averse to backing down from a fight, more likely to give up on prey, and generally more agreeable.

However, the wolf's personality can differ from one individual to another.

'The strongest impression remaining with me after watching the wolves on numerous occasions was their friendliness.'

Hunting strategies

Wolves are equipped with a range of sophisticated hunting strategies that demonstrate their intelligence and cooperative behavior. One common tactic is the spread formation, where wolves fan out around their prey to flank and encircle it, minimizing escape options and isolating vulnerable prey.

Another key method is the chase and relay strategy, in which wolves take turns pursuing prey over long distances, conserving energy while exhausting the target, particularly effective in challenging environments like deep snow.

When targeting herd animals, wolves use a driving strategy, deliberately harassing the herd from multiple angles to create panic, split the group, and isolate weaker members.

In some cases, especially in wooded or rugged terrain, wolves employ an ambush technique, positioning part of the pack ahead of the prey’s anticipated escape route while other wolves flush the prey toward the waiting hunters.

The alpha wolf

Mech was one of the first wolf researchers to coin the term 'Alpha Wolf' to explain a certain dominance hierarchy among wolf packs. But later, this claim turned out to be false, according to his own research.

The word alpha applied to wolves has had a long history. For many years, books and articles about wolves have mentioned the alpha male and alpha female or the alpha pair. In much popular writing, the term is still in use today.

Mech explains in the article 'Whatever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf':

'Rather than viewing a wolf pack as a group of animals organized with a “top dog” that fought its way to the top, or a male-female pair of such aggressive wolves, science has come to understand that most wolf packs are merely family groups formed exactly the same way as human families are formed.'

Reproduction and family life

Wolves’ reproduction and family life differ significantly from other animals. A wolf pup about three weeks old can already walk well and may romp and play around the den entrance. By the age of 30 days, the pups determine their social status in the pack among other pups.

The urge to mate doesn’t surface until they are roughly 22 months old. Wolves mate for life, and the book emphasizes the fact that a wolf would only mate with another if their partner were dead or their preferred partner was unavailable. Also, wolves only mate with a relative of the same age.

'We have never observed an older wolf develop a first preference for a younger one, nor have we ever observed reciprocal preferences between wolves of different ages.'

Conclusions

Everything is based on statistics; therefore, most of the claims carry a certain degree of uncertainty.

Animal behavior is obviously not static — it can change over the years for many reasons. This book was written emphasizing that ever-changing, dynamic nature. But there are an overwhelmingly high number of claims that have not been backed up with a strong statistical foundation.

For instance, I found many places in the book where the author wrote “someone once saw this” type of claims, which could be vulnerable to being proven false, and therefore misleading in the long run.

More to read

Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation

https://www.docgordillopetnutrition.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/bibliografia/Mech_2003_Wolves_Behavior_Ecology_and_Conservation_Cap_4.pdf

Social Ecology of Wolves

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1343&context=usgsnpwrc

Whatever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf

https://media.dogtraining.world/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/31020946/Whatever-Happened-to-the-Term-Alpha-Wolf.pdf

[XOX · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The idea of the alpha wolf was debunked almost 25 years ago, but its legacy lives on. Most commonly, it’s found in circles of the internet where men appoint themselves alpha wolf, and also in dog training. Strangely, those two things are connected. "

"Maddie first talks with Dr. Dave Mech, senior research scientist at the US Geological Survey and founder of the International Wolf Center. His 1970 book, The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species helped popularize the term “alpha wolf.” But when he discovered that alpha wolves aren’t really real many years later, he tried to right the wrong."

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segment...

[Robert Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in all in wolves, read THE WOLF by David Mech. It is one of the rare books that is both scientifically accurate and completely readable. It’s one (unavoidable) fault is that it is somewhat dated. In a way, the fact THE WOLF is a bit dated gives it another recommendation. Although the research it uses is decades old, more recent studies of wolves have reinforced everything L. David Mech says in THE WOLF.

[Eric Ellefson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. It is going on 50 years old, however, and as many reviewers have pointed out, some content is no longer considered accurate. From a historical standpoint, it's interesting to read about the wolf in the US prior to widespread protection efforts or reintroduction programs.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goes kinda slow, and the copy I read felt sort of outdated, but all in all very informative and interesting.

[Dewayne Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1970 so it is some what not of too new tracking and data information.

[Claire Sudol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outdated and now out of print but it’s so interesting to see how the perception of wolf ecology has changed just in Dave’s lifetime. Finished just in time for the end of the field season

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there were an updated version of this book. The past 20 years with wolves in Yellowstone have added a vast amount of information to what we know. Many of Mech's speculations in this version could be verified or denied.

Thanks to Goodreads reviewer "A" for her review with a link to a video in which David Mech discusses the outdated information.

If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered. They must be outshouted, outfinanced, and outvoted. Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes. Finally their hate must be outdone by a love for the whole of nature, for the unspoiled wilderness, and for the wolf as a beautiful, interesting, and integral part of both.

[Autumn Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good? A little outdated but a very good resource. From the 70s. A more updated and detailed version, would be by the same author of the title Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. Just a personal opinion, if you have access to one another they are almost the same the other title is much more reason to the current decade and modern research.

[Kristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This use to be my bible. David L. Mech. The ultimate wolf ecologist of our time. For years he was my idol and definitely a pioneer in the field. Unforuntely, my ecology career never took off. Still, wolves are my favourite animal of all time. So yeah.

[Lori Schiele · Rating 5 out of 5]

L. David Mech is one of the top wolf biologists in the world. His knowledge and insight into this fascinating and beautiful animal is without limits. He has written a good number of books and I have read all of them. This, however, was his first book and is still my favorite.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best single volume on Wolf behavior and physiology.

[Sharon Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading on the subject. I used all Mech's books during my research for Raven Quest and Wolf Rider.

[K]

research....