Regurgitative food transfer among wild wolves

Few studies of monogamous canids have addressed regurgitation in the contex t of extended parental care and alloparental care within family groups. We studied food transfer by regurgitation in a pack of wolves on Ellesmere Isl and, North West Territories, Canada, during 6 summers from 1988 through 199 6. All adult wolves, including yearlings and a post-reproductive female, re gurgitated food. Although individuals regurgitated up to five times per bou t, the overall ratio of regurgitations per bout was 1.5. Pups were more lik ely to receive regurgitations (81%) than the breeding female (14%) or auxil iaries (6%). The breeding male regurgitated mostly to the breeding female a nd pups, and the breeding female regurgitated primarily to pups. The relati ve effort of the breeding female was correlated with litter size (Kendall's tau = 0.93, P = 0.01).