Carnivorous wolves feed on nectar: Lifeform of the week
For the first time, scientists have documented wolves – which are mostly carnivorous animals – feeding on the nectar of flowers. The protagonist of this story is the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), which scientists saw feeding on the red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa) in the Bale Mountains of southern Ethiopia. Researchers at the University of Oxford said on November 22, 2024, that this might be the first known plant-pollinator interaction involving a large carnivore.
And it wasn’t just a coincidence of a couple of wolves seen simply sniffing or licking the flowers. Numerous wolves from different packs came to the areas where these flowers bloom on a recurring basis and fed on up to 30 flowers on each visit.
Likewise, the scientists observed the adult wolves were not alone; their offspring accompanied them. This indicates the adults may be teaching the younger members of the group.
The scientists published their study in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology on November 19, 2024.
In Ethiopia the amazing Lily torch ( Kniphofia foliosa) are blossoming. For a long time I was dreaming to catch this behavior, a wolf licking the nectar ! I did it in June 2021. I am back In few days to see this.#wildlifephotography #Wolves #photographer pic.twitter.com/7slS4dOf10
— Adrien Lesaffre (@LesaffreAd91015) May 16, 2023
New allies in pollination?
When most people think of animals consuming nectar, they think of insects. And when little insects such as bees enter the flowers to feed, they become covered in pollen. Then they move from flower to flower to continue eating, and, as a result, spread the pollen. So we call these insects pollinators.
According to the study, up to 87% of flowers depend on a wide range of animals for pollination. And this includes mammals. Among flying mammals, the ones that do the most work are bats, and, what’s more, they do it on night shifts!
However, it seems that therophily, that is, pollination thanks to non-flying mammals, is more widespread and frequent than scientists knew. These mammalian pollinators are usually small or medium-sized arboreal species, while carnivorous animals are much less common.
In a 2015 study, scientists identified 343 mammals as pollinators, but only four of them were carnivores. And now we can add the largest carnivore ever seen feeding on pollen to this list: the Ethiopian wolf.
Carnivorous animals as pollinators?
Wolves may be rare as pollinators, but no less functional. When Ethiopian wolves lick nectar from flowers, their snouts become coated with pollen. Thus, the same thing happens as with insects, that is, they move to other flowers to continue eating and therefore move the pollen from one flower to another.
So, have we missed more examples of carnivorous species that feed on nectar? Or are animals changing their habits to adapt to new situations?
Lead author Sandra Lai, Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program senior scientist based at the University of Oxford, wrote:
These findings highlight just how much we still have to learn about one of the world’s most-threatened carnivores. They also demonstrate the complexity of interactions between different species living on the beautiful Roof of Africa. This extremely unique and biodiverse ecosystem remains under threat from habitat loss and fragmentation.
A look at the lives of wolves
Wolves are highly social animals that live in families called packs. Each pack has a leader called an alpha, plus his partner. Normally, this pair is the only one that reproduces.
Families work as a team to catch large prey, and hardly any meat is wasted! On the other hand, when they are hungry, they can also feed on carrion, and of course, countless small animals. These impressive predators can run at a speed of 37 miles per hour (60 kph), as well as swim and travel long distances in the water.
They also have very good night vision, which allows them to hunt even in the dark. But they also have a highly developed sense of smell and can smell their prey from a distance of up to 1.2 miles (2 km). They have an acute sense of hearing and can hear sounds up to 6.2 miles (10 km) away.
Wolves are territorial animals and defend their territory with great ferocity, but they’re capable of sharing it with other packs as long as they have enough food and space.
Wolves are intelligent and can learn and adapt
Wolves are intelligent creatures that can adapt to different environments and situations. In fact, they are able to solve complex problems and learn from experience because they have excellent memories, which allow them to survive in some of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Wolves live in diverse habitats such as the Arctic, deserts, woodlands and rainforests.
Wolves also carry out complex communication, using a variety of sounds and gestures to communicate. They howl, growl, bark and use body language. The lifespan of a wolf is around six to eight years in the wild, but they can live up to 16 years in captivity.
Unfortunately for wolves, many people see them as an enemy when they attack domestic livestock. So for decades, farmers and ranchers have killed them to protect their animals. However, wolves control high herbivore populations in the wild. The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park beginning in 1995 has changed the ecosystem in the park, said YellowstonePark.com. It said the wolves returning to Yellowstone caused:
… a trophic cascade of ecological change, including helping to increase beaver populations and bring back aspen and vegetation.
The Ethiopian wolf is the most endangered carnivore in Africa
The Ethiopian wolf is the rarest wild canid species in the world and the most endangered carnivore in Africa. Although wolves are beings that adapt easily to different situations, the Ethiopian wolf only lives in the highlands of Ethiopia. Fewer than 500 individuals survive, in 99 packs restricted to six Afro-Alpine enclaves. The People’s Trust for Endangered Species said:
The endangered wolves are threatened by habitat destruction and degradation, conflict with farmers and also by catching fatal diseases such as rabies and canine distemper virus (CDV) from the domestic dog populations. The latter can kill many of the wolves in a short space of time.
The Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program (EWCP) was created in 1995 to protect wolves and their unique habitat. EWCP is the longest-running conservation program in Ethiopia, which aims to safeguard the future of natural habitats for the benefit of wildlife and people in the Ethiopian highlands.
Bottom line: For the first time, scientists have documented carnivorous wolves feeding on nectar. Read more about wolves and see photos here.
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The post Carnivorous wolves feed on nectar: Lifeform of the week first appeared on EarthSky.