ETHIOPIAN WOLVES ► Reproductive behaviour

Most matings in the Bale Mountains occur between August and November. The receptive period of females in any given area is synchronized to less than two weeks. After a short courtship, which primarily involves the dominant male accompanying the female constantly, wolves copulate over a period of 3 to 5 days. Mate preference is shown, with the female discouraging attempts from all but the pack's dominant male. In contrast, she is receptive to any visiting male from neighbouring packs. Up to 70% of matings involves males from outside the pack.

Breeding females typically are replaced after death by a resident daughter, resulting in a high potential for inbreeding. Extra-pack copulations and resulting multiple-paternity may
be the mechanism by which this problem is circumvented among Ethiopian wolves.

The dominant female of each pack may give birth once a year between October and December. Pups are born with their
eyes closed and without teeth, in a den dug by the female in open ground, under a boulder or inside a rocky crevice. Two to six pups emerge from the den after 3 weeks. At this time, the dark natal coat begins to be replaced by the pelage typical of the species. Pups are regularly shifted between dens.

All pack members guard the den, chase potential predators, and regurgitate or carry rodent prey to feed the pups. Subordinate females may assist the dominant female in suckling the pups. At least half of the extra nursing females show signs of pregnancy and may have lost or deserted their own offspring before joining the dominant female's den.

Development of the young is divisible into three stages:

• early nesting (week 1 to week 4), when the young are entirely dependent on milk;

• mixed nutritional dependency (week 5 to week 10), when milk is supplemented by solid foods regurgitated by all pack members until pups are completely weaned; and

• postweaning dependency (week 10 to 6 months), when the pups subsist almost entirely on solid foods supplied by helpers. Adults have been observed providing food to juveniles up to one year old.

Juveniles will join adults in patrols as early as 6 months of age. Yearlings have 80 - 90% of adult body mass. Full adult appearance is attained at 2 years. Both sexes become sexually mature during their second year.

See Reproductive behaviour publications