09-27-2011, 05:08 PM
The following is quoted from a book Spirit of the Wolf by Shaun Ellis & Monty Sloan
Its an interesting book, largely filled with lots of pictures. Its text is insightful to wolf behavior and sociology, yet simple enough you don't have to be an animal biologist to get good out of it ^^
Quote:Omega wolves are essential to the survival of the wolf pack. they are responsible for defusing tension within the pack and minimizing injury. From the age two to three weeks, the omega pup is always at the center of constant bouts of quarreling among its litter-mates. The omega learns very quickly how to attract attention towards itself by playing games and acting like a "court jester" or clown. Then by using a series of instinctive and learned behaviors, ranging from body postures, facial expressions and vocal sounds, the omega is able to calm a situation, avoid injury and restore harmony.
The omega wolf has often been labeled as the "Cinderella wolf" because it was assumed to be low-ranking and mistreated. This could be because when a wolf pack is feeding, the omega has been seen to be chased away, often repeatedly, from the carcass. One possible explanation for this behavior is to allow the high-ranking animals to change position at the carcass without fighting. This ensures that they get the select parts and the right amount of food for their rank. Hungry wolves could seriously injure each other without the distraction provided by the omega. Once the other wolves have fed, the omega is rewarded by being allowed acess to some high-quality food that has been saved for it specifically by the beta wolf. So it is probably that, despite appearances, the omega holds a high-ranking specialist position which is valued within the pack.
Its an interesting book, largely filled with lots of pictures. Its text is insightful to wolf behavior and sociology, yet simple enough you don't have to be an animal biologist to get good out of it ^^