What is the difference between alpha and omega wolves

One of the biggest misconceptions involves their power structures. The concept as we know it today can be traced back to a study written by animal behaviorist Rudolph Schenkel [source: International Wolf Center ]. According to this idea, wolf packs are led by an "alpha male" and an "alpha female.

Alpha wolves are said to outrank "beta wolves," who look down on submissive "omega wolves" in turn. All very hierarchical.

This belief — that every wolf pack is a dog-eat-dog environment where some members are constantly vying to climb the ranks by aggressive means — has been repeated in countless wildlife documentaries and nonfiction books over the past odd years. We even repeated that idea here at HowStuffWorks when we first published this article on July 28, It's also misleading [source: International Wolf Center ].

Schenkel's paper was describing two wolf packs in captivity. His study specimens were unrelated animals who'd been brought together at a Swiss zoo, where they shared an enclosure measuring 2, square feet square meters [sources: Mech and Boitani]. Unlike their counterparts at this particular zoo, natural wolf packs mainly consist of genetic relatives. They also take up way more space, patrolling territories of 1, square miles 2, square kilometers or larger [source: International Wolf Center ].

Because they don't live under the artificial constraints Schenkel observed, wild wolves usually organize themselves in a way that's less competitive. Don't get us wrong: The 'alpha wolf' hierarchy system isn't a complete myth. Again, captive wolf packs like Schenkel's have been known to adopt this kind of pecking order.

But outside zoos and other artificial environments, the stereotypical "alpha-beta-omega" social structure is incredibly rare — if it can be said to exist at all [source: "Alpha" Wolf? Your typical wild wolf pack is made up of two breeding adults and their progeny.

He zigzagged through the grass with his mouth agape and his lips pulled back as if in a smile, nearly allowing himself to be caught, then leaping ahead. Eventually Lakota was caught, or let himself be caught. He flipped over onto his back in surrender, bestowing on Kamots the full victory. Kamots straddled his brother snarling and snapping in mock aggression. On another occasion, I again saw Kamots and Lakota racing through the meadow in a game of chase.

The two brothers are extremely similar in appearance — large with very typical black and gray markings — so it took me a while before I realized to my amazement that this time Lakota was chasing Kamots. In an amazing twist in their standard game, Kamots was allowing himself to be the victim!

As I grew to know these wolves I realized that this was a regular occurrence, one that bears no scientific explanation other than the fact that sometimes it is fun to be the one getting chased. To me, it implies that there is a lot more going on in the inner life of wolves than we can imagine. In humans, an older, stronger brother might let a younger brother pin him in a mock wrestling match, feigning defeat and letting his younger sibling celebrate victory.

Both know who the dominant one is, but it is fun to reverse the roles. Witnessing scenes like this, the only interpretation I could make was that Kamots and Lakota genuinely cared for each other.

Some years later, while scouting for wolves along the Yukon River with Jim, I watched from a small airplane as a pack played a game of tag in the deep snow. The attention he would draw to himself could sometimes result in a full-on mobbing. It was painful to watch his hopeful expectations dissolve, fear spring into his eyes, and his entire posture change. Group rallies were another risky time for Lakota. Often the pack gathered together and howled, as if to celebrate its solidarity.

The real reason for this ritual is unknown. Sometimes it appeared that Kamots would purposefully start to howl, apparently calling the pack together and reminding everyone of his leadership.

Other times the rallies seemed more spontaneous, with a spontaneous howl bubbling up inside one of the wolves, then bursting forth uncontrollably. When one wolf began to howl, the others would quickly join in and assemble around Kamots. As the rally grew in intensity, the wolves often displayed their dominance, sparring, growling and pinning each other to the ground. These were dangerous times for the omega.

Regardless of the bickering that went on between the mid-ranking wolves, Amani and Motomo, most of the aggression was transferred to Lakota. At birth, wolf pups weigh about one pound and are darkly furred. They are deaf, blind, have little or no sense of smell and cannot regulate their own body heat. For their safety, wolf pups are born in a den. Pregnant female wolves usually dig dens themselves, often as early as three weeks before the pups are born.

They prefer their den sites to be located on elevated areas near water. Dens are typically tunnels that extend six to fourteen feet into the earth.

At the end of the tunnel is an enlarged chamber where the newborn pups are kept. Sabira Baedke Pundit. Can a female Alpha get pregnant? Knotting is when the base of the Alpha penis swells when they orgasm and locks them securely with the Omega's vagina so sperm doesn't escape.

This increases the chances of pregnancy , which is the ultimate goal for most Alphas. Donghai Meiner Pundit. What is beta personality type? Beta Male. Betas are reserved, responsible and moderate: your average Mr Nice Guy, nothing spectacular but likeable enough.

Most modern men are Betas; they're more sensitive, less aggressive, and better read than Alphas. They are easily nervous or embarrassed and play wingmen to their more suave Alpha friends. Anatolii Tremblay Pundit. Can a beta become an Alpha? The only way to do this is by TRUE self-improvement though. Thorsten Jofre Pundit. What is an omega female? Omega women are the biggest empaths. Hosni Vullings Teacher. What is a female Alpha called? In the past, the prevailing view on grey wolf packs was that they consisted of individuals vying with each other for dominance, with dominant grey wolves being referred to as the " alpha " male and female , and the subordinates as "beta" and "omega" wolves.

Alma Casaseca Supporter. Who eats first in a wolf pack? The alpha male is the boss. He eats first , has his pick of mates, and leads the pack during hunts and when dealing with threats to survival.