Wolf marking territory with pee

[MarkE]

Is it possible for a wolf to pee, just because he has to, and not mark its territory by it?

[Phi for All]

Yes.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territory_%28animal%29

When a wolf marks its territory, it lifts a hind leg and urinates on a scent post (usually an elevated position like a tree, rock, or bush). This raised leg urination is different from normal urination, which is done while squatting.

 

[MarkE]

Oke, so that's the difference, thanks for the explanation! The only thing I still don't understand is how wolves from other tribes, when smelling the pee, know if it's territorial pee or not.

[Phi for All]

Oke, so that's the difference, thanks for the explanation! The only thing I still don't understand is how wolves from other tribes, when smelling the pee, know if it's territorial pee or not.

 

Placement? If it's on an elevated portion of a tree or rock, it's been done with the lifted leg. Normally, they just squat on the ground.

 

Of course, pee of any kind is going to signal another wolf's territory. It could be similar to the difference between finding a No Trespassing sign and a candy bar wrapper. One stakes out a boundary, but they both tell you there's a human around.

[iNow]

Don't forget pheromones and other differences in the chemical scent generated by each unique animal.

.

The only thing I still don't understand is how wolves from other tribes, when smelling the pee, know if it's territorial pee or not.

I think this is a false distinction. Pee is pee is pee...

 

If there is a wolf peeing at all in a given environment, then I believe it's understood that the wolf is by default making some territorial claim. Even just entering and walking into that environment means the wolf considers it part of his/her space, regardless of whether or not they urinate.

 

The urination is just another step that carries the "I'm here and hence consider this my territory to be mine" message farther out through scent on the wind to a broader audience. It's not like they have an on/off switch for whether the pee they happen to be excreting in that exact moment is territorial or neutral. "Ah... This is a tree so I will release the pee from my territorial bladder instead of my neutral and non-territorial bladder." That just doesn't happen.

 

It's all just pee applied in different ways to different places and it's just being released where the wolf is already roaming (and when roaming they are in effect claiming that territory by definition).

 

This just my opinion. Happy to be corrected if something above is inaccurate.

[MarkE]

Ok so a wolf's pee of the same tribe is always the same, and different from other tribes (just as it is with ants). So wolf pee in general is not alway the same. So if this pee is from this tribe, and that pee is from that tribe, does it mean that tribes only pee within their own territory? Because peeing outside its territory would be very confusing