Wolf dispersal age question...

[wolfpupsrule567]

I need to know how old a wolf can be when it disperses. Ive heard and read that they can be about a year or a year and 1/2.


I just want to know if its true or not.

Hope this was descriptive enough!


~ Reika

[bonsaipotato]

i think they are around 2 years but i could be wrong.

[wolfpupsrule567]

thanks for helping! I may end up googling it, but, mods and adminds will answer too so yeah.

[Blightwolf]

Dispersal wolves are adoslescent wolves, so yeah, I would say that prolly around 1-2½ years, or something like that. I would advice you to research more about it to get a more clarifying answer.

[wolfpupsrule567]

okay! Thanks for the answer!

[Mezzanota]

I think the youngest a wolf could be before dispersion is about a year and a half. After that, they could disperse if/whenever they want.

[Songdog]

Ive always read between 1 1/2 to 2 years. The younger they are, the lower their chance of survival. Plus, the longer they spend in their birth-pack, the more socialized and experienced they will be.

In the WolfQuest game, you start as a 2 year old. So 2 years would probably be the more accurate estimation.

Juvenile Period
(12 weeks to sexual maturity) 12 weeks: Begin to accompany adults on hunting trips and return to rendezvous site by themselves. 3.5 months: Pups will gain approximately 1.3 lbs. per week for the next three months. 4-6 months: Milk teeth replaced; winter pelage becomes apparent. 6 months: Pups begin to accompany adults on hunts; pup appearance nearly indistinguishable from adults. 7 months: The "period of slow growth (27-51 weeks)" begins: the female pups will gain approximately .07 lbs. per week and the male pups will gain approximately .4 lbs. per week; pups begin to travel with pack. 7-8 months: Actively begin hunting. 1 year: Epiphyseal cartilage closes off, marking the end of skeletal growth. 22 months: Sexual maturity.

[merowolf]

Mostly it's 1-2 years of age. But i heared that if a wolf is unsatisfied with their pack, they can become a dispersal wolf no matter what their age is. But I do not know if it's true. Oh man! I can't remember! Where did I read that! *scratchs head*

[CLBaileyi]

Per Dave Mech and Steve Fritts: Wolves can disperse as early as 5 months or as old as 5 years. However, most wolves disperse between 11-24 months of age. Also, most wolves disperse in aut5umn and early winter or around spring denning season, although they may disperse at any time of the year.

The above information and a GREAT resource for anyone interested in wolves is the book: Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation edited by L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani. It is worth every penny to have the latest information about wolves in one book.