Denali – Lighter with Age

Axel’s log identifies a pattern of guard hairs appearing to lighten as he ages and becomes a yearling.  We note the same pattern for Denali, but on the other end of the aging spectrum.  When wolves age, they typically show a graying of the muzzle and less distinctive markings.  But, it’s not a uniform graying pattern; we notice that the wolves seem to have different patterns of aging, such as Aidan, who is maintaining a significant amount of pelage markings and Denali who is fading into a light colored coat.  Could this be related to rank? Genetics? Hormones such as stress?  I don’t have the answer to that;  What I do know is that when we observe wolves, we talk about behaviors such as ears pricked forward, direct stare, hackles , T1 tails, all parts of the body that have a characteristic marking that appears to be correlated with communication.  Highlights around the eyes make that intense stare more noticeable; Highlights around the lips will definitely draw attention to a lip curl; Highlights around the ear tips will be noticeable when a wolf’s ears are pricked forward in a heightened state of alert; Highlights at the shoulders and tail will be prominently displayed with hackles and tail posture over the back.  To understand wolves, we need to study them not only behaviorally, but physiologically as well.  To hear more about Denali’s life in the Exhibit Pack, consider joining us for his Birthday Webinar on April 27th at 6 pm Central Time.  Follow this link for details and registration. https://wolf.org/programs/webinars/