Group specific vocal signature in freeranging wolf packs

Acoustic communication conveys a variety of information that is a helpful tool
for animal conservation. The wolf is an elusive species, which can be detected through
the howls that individuals emit. In this study we investigated the acoustic features of
wild wolf pack howls from five locations in the province of Arezzo, Italy. We tested
the hypothesis that each group had a distinctive vocal signature. Our results showed
that these wolf packs emitted howls with significantly distinctive acoustic structures.
We hypothesized that group-specific vocal signatures require temporal stability to be
functional. Indeed, we did not find any statistical differences in howls collected from
the same location during the same season or for 2 consecutive years. We suggest that
the acoustic features of howls can be used to distinguish wolf packs in the wild