Definition of Howling
Howling is a vocal form of animal communication seen in most canines, particularly wolves, coyotes, foxes, and dogs, as well as cats and some species of monkeys. Howls are lengthy sustained sounds, loud and audible over long distances, often with some variation in pitch over the length of the sound. Howling is generally used by animals that engage in this behavior to signal their positions to one another, to call the pack to assemble, or to note their territory. The behavior is occasionally copied by humans, and has been noted to have varying degrees of significance in human culture.
Related terms
Wolf tone
A wolf tone, wolf note, or simply a "wolf", is an undesirable phenomenon that occurs in…
Bark (sound)
A bark is a sound most often produced by dogs. Other animals that make this noise…
Game call
A game call is a device that is used to mimic animal noises to attract or drive animals…
Purr
A purr or whirr is a tonal fluttering sound made by some species of felids, including…
Girneys
Girneys are soft vocalizations used by species of Old World monkeys to ease affiliative…
Growling
Growling is a low, guttural vocalization produced by animals as an aggressive warning…
Stridulation
Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This…
Prusten
Prusten is a form of communicative behaviour exhibited by some members of the family…
Roar
A roar /rɔːr/ is a type of animal vocalization that is loud, deep and resonating. Many…
Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
Frequently asked questions
What is Howling?
Howling is a vocal form of animal communication seen in most canines, particularly wolves, coyotes, foxes, and dogs, as well as cats and some species of monkeys.
Sources & credits
- Wikipedia: Howling – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Retron – Public domain