Wolf Ethogram R-S

The wolf ethogram behavior cards are listed in alphabetical order on every page. Each card includes a photo demonstrating the behavior, its name, and the code or abbreviation on the front. Hover your mouse over the picture to “flip” the card to see the back and learn about the behavior category and definition.

As you watch the live cams, you may see certain behaviors more frequently. The 20 most commonly seen behaviors are marked with an asterisk.

Download our ethogram worksheets and practice tracking wolf behaviors while viewing the Live Wolf Cams
Portrait Wolf Ethogram Worksheet | Landscape Wolf Ethogram Worksheet

Select a Group of Behavior Cards:

Behavior Category Descriptions A-G H-P R-S T-Z

Social
To come together after a howl or after a period of rest. Several behaviors may be occurring, such as greeting, tail wagging and sometimes mild aggression.

Rally (RA)*
Dominance
To seek a safe or protected state from harassment or weather.

Refuge (REF)
Social
To bring undigested food up from the stomach to the mouth, most commonly stimulated by puppies. This can occur by visual stimulation or active stimulation, such as by puppies performing the food beg behavior, but it can also occur when adult wolves regurgitate after a big meal or when they consume too fast or too large of a piece of meat.

Regurgitate (RG)
Rest
To restore energy by sleeping or relaxing.

Rest (RT)*
Food/Predatory
Resting or sleeping on the back, belly exposed with paws extended or folded on the chest.

Rest, Back (RB)
Rest
Lying down with legs tucked close to the body; the back is curved, and the tail often covers the paws and nose.

Rest, Curl (RC)
Rest
Resting flat on one side with the body stretched out.

Rest, Side (RSD)
Rest
Resting on the ground with the forepaws extended in front of the chest, hind legs tucked close to one side, body erect and head up.

Rest, Sphinx (RSX)
Rest
Resting in the sphinx position with the hindquarters splayed out from the body.

Rest, Sphinx-Sprawled (RSS)
Dominance
To place the forelegs or paws on the back of another wolf from the side. In most cases this is a dominance behavior.

Ride Up (RU)
Social, Rest
To alternate positions repeatedly from side to back to side.

Roll (RL)
Social, Rest
Lying down on the side and rotating the body to come to rest on the dorsal surface.

Roll on Back (ROB)
Social, Investigatory
The wolf presses against, then slides along a companion or an object such as a fence, rock or tree.

Rub On (RO)
Dominance, Social
To press against, then rub across another wolf’s chest.

Rub Under Chin (RUC)
Dominance
To move quickly or rapidly at a full pace.

Run (RN)
Food/Predatory, Investigatory
When encountering an odor, the wolf puts its nose into the smell, then slides down onto the shoulder, then onto one flank through the smell. Unique to canids, it is thought to be a means of communicating the scent back to the rest of the pack or marking the scent.

Scent Roll (SR)*
Investigatory
A form of grooming, consisting of dragging the rump along the ground, rubbing the anal area.

Scoot (SCT)
Investigatory
Raking the hind paws against the ground forcefully, usually after marking with a raised-leg urination.

Scrape (SCP)*
Social, Investigatory
To rub the skin or fur with the claws, especially to relieve itching or discomfort. Wolves may often get snow or other debris in their ears during the winter season.

Scratch (SCR)
Dominance
A group of aggressive actions happening too quickly and/or with too many wolves to record individual behaviors.

Sequence, Aggression (AGSeq)
Dominance, Food/Predatory
An attack on another wolf is rare and generally the following codes would occur in order: Bite + Grab + Head Shake + Pin + Drag

Sequence, Attack (ATSeq)
Food/Predatory
A group of behaviors that are performed around food; guarding and stealing food items are included.

Sequence, Food Aggression (FASeq)
Social
A group of behaviors happening too quickly to record individually that include relaxed tail-wagging, grinning, whining encounters.

Sequence, Greeting (GRSeq)*
Social
A group of actions constituting play, happening too quickly to record individual behaviors. These actions may appear like fighting or aggressive behaviors but are friendly encounters and lack aggression.

Sequence, Play (PLSeq)
Dominance
A group of threat behaviors issued as signs of warning that may occur too rapidly to allow individual recording. These include behaviors such as staring, snarling, raised hackles, lunges, snaps and ambushes.

Sequence, Threaten (THSeq)
Social
"The body appears to oscillate vigorously on its longitudinal axis. Sometimes it looks as if the shake starts behind the wolf’s ears and exits out of its tail." (Quoted from Wolf Park Ethogram)

Shake (SHK)
Rest
To rest the body with the weight supported by the lowered hindquarters while the torso is erect.

Sit (ST)
Dominance, Food/Predatory
A rapid bite with little or no contact with another wolf.

Snap (SNP)
Dominance, Food/Predatory
Lips raised to reveal canines and incisors; may be accompanied by growling and snapping.

Snarl (SL)
Investigatory
An abrupt clearing of the nasal passages characterized by an audible exhalation of air.

Sneeze (SZ)
Social, Investigatory
To smell or inhale through the nose.

Sniff (SF)
Dominance
Sniffing the genital area of another wolf during greeting or mutual investigations.

Sniff, Genitals (SFG)
Social
To sniff noses during greeting.

Sniff, Noses (SFN)
Social
To use the muzzle to push snow. This may be an attempt at cleaning or a social behavior.

Snow Plow (SPW)
Dominance, Social
To sit or lie on a recumbent wolf.

Squash (SQ)
Food/Predatory
To pursue quarry or prey by means of stealthy approach.

Stalk (STK)*
Dominance
To straddle a recumbent wolf in a dominance display.

Stand Over (SOVR)
Dominance
Drawing up to full height and appearing as large as possible; may include raised hackles.

Stand Tall (STL)
Dominance
To look at with an intense fixed gaze, often with wide-open eyes.

Stare (STA)
Rest
After getting up from resting, a slow, drawn-out bowing stretch may occur.

Stretch, Bow (STRBW)
Rest
A bow stretch that moves into a hindleg stretch.

Stretch, Fore & Aft (STRFA)
Rest
A stretch that seems to be the reverse of the bow stretch; the back is arched in a catlike manner.

Stretch, Humpback (STRHB)
Dominance, Social
In active submission, the subdominant wolf crouches, whines, paws and licks at the muzzle of the dominant wolf; the tail may wag weakly while tucked, often in T4 position.

Submission, Active (SA)*
Dominance
In obnoxious submission, the submitting wolf shows elements of threat and submission. This is often a means of testing the rank and patience of a more dominant wolf.

Submission, Obnoxious (SO)
Dominance, Social
The dominant wolf initiates the submissive behavior in the subdominant, often growling or snarling to make the subdominant lie down, roll over on its back, flatten its ears and raise a hind leg for inguinal presentation. The dominant wolf often will stand over the submissive wolf and snarl or execute an inhibited bite.

Submission, Passive (SP)
Investigatory
To propel itself in water by movement of the limbs and tail. During the 2004 pup introduction at the Center, Grizzer was the first to jump into the pond and swim. He was caught on film chasing his tail in circles in the water.

Swim (SWM)

Wolf Ethogram R-S

Wolf Ethogram R-S

Select a Group of Behavior Cards:

Rally (RA)*

Refuge (REF)

Regurgitate (RG)

Rest (RT)*

Rest, Back (RB)

Rest, Curl (RC)

Rest, Side (RSD)

Rest, Sphinx (RSX)

Rest, Sphinx-Sprawled (RSS)

Ride Up (RU)

Roll (RL)

Roll on Back (ROB)

Rub On (RO)

Rub Under Chin (RUC)

Run (RN)

Scent Roll (SR)*

Scoot (SCT)

Scrape (SCP)*

Scratch (SCR)

Sequence, Aggression (AGSeq)

Sequence, Attack (ATSeq)

Sequence, Food Aggression (FASeq)

Sequence, Greeting (GRSeq)*

Sequence, Play (PLSeq)

Sequence, Threaten (THSeq)

Shake (SHK)

Sit (ST)

Snap (SNP)

Snarl (SL)

Sneeze (SZ)

Sniff (SF)

Sniff, Genitals (SFG)

Sniff, Noses (SFN)

Snow Plow (SPW)

Squash (SQ)

Stalk (STK)*

Stand Over (SOVR)

Stand Tall (STL)

Stare (STA)

Stretch, Bow (STRBW)

Stretch, Fore & Aft (STRFA)

Stretch, Humpback (STRHB)

Submission, Active (SA)*

Submission, Obnoxious (SO)

Submission, Passive (SP)

Swim (SWM)