The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is full of unique sounds. From the bulge of an elk to the yip of a coyote to the unidentified sound of a raven, you never know what to expect. We have started compiling some of these sounds in a series called ‘Sounds of the Sanctuary’ on both Instagram and Facebook. Here they are in case you missed them!
Elk bugle
It is common to hear the male elk bugle during rutting season, generally late fall from early September to mid-October. This screeching sound is a way for male elk to communicate. Whether they are trying to assert dominance over other bull elk, or demonstrate they are a suitable mate for a cow elk, it certainly gets the point across. Though we do not breed our elk, and our females and males are separated as to reduce any tension or disputes that may exist during the high pressure mating season, you will surely hear this sound if you visit the sanctuary during rut!
Muskox Head-butting
Why is the muskox head-butting the tree? Good question. Muskox head-butt lots of things. Most often, they use it as a form of communication with their herd, primarily as a way to establish their status in the social hierarchy. During rutting season, it’s also common for males to fight against other males to prove they are the more suitable mate for a female. Their boss (the horns and hard part of their heads) is designed to take a MUCH greater impact than our heads, which is why they experience few noticeable injuries from this behavior. In fact, their anatomy has been studied when designing helmets for sports like football to reduce risk of injury!
Porcupine Crunching
Why is it that when we hear other people chewing it’s aggravating, but when we hear porcupines chewing it’s so satisfying? I have no idea, but let me tell you a little about porcupine teeth. For one, they’re orange! This is because they are coated with iron-rich enamel, unlike our which is white enamel. This makes their teeth stronger for munching on wood or nuts, which is perfect because they eat a lot of that. Porcupines are herbivores, and their diet changes with the seasons. During the summer, they eat twigs, berries, fruits, inner bark. During the spring, they resort to lots of spruce and birch. Porcupines generally eat almost one pound of food a day!
Wolves Howling
Wolves howl for many different reasons. For one, they howl to communicate with their pack and other packs. They may use it as a way to mark their territory, and let others know not to encroach. In some cases they use it as an alert, to signify that there is a potential threat nearby. Enjoy this video of the wolves howling during the aurora!
Stay tuned on our Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube pages for more ‘Sounds of the Sanctuary!’
Instagram: @akwildlife | Facebook: @akwildlife | Youtube: @alaskawildlifeconservation8033