The Canid Howl Project is the work of a large number of scientists, trying to understand the range of different vocal behaviors of canids: primarily wolves, dogs and coyotes. Despite being closely related, these animals have very different ways of communicating with howls, barks, yips, growls, etcetera. Researchers hope to understand more about the whole range of canid species and breeds, by studying their vocal behavior.



The five species (or subspecies) that we study are the grey wolf (Canis lupus), the red wolf (Canis rufus ), the coyote (Canis latrans), the New Guinea Singing Dog (Canis lupus familiaris dingo) and the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Although they are sometimes hard to tell apart, these animals have very different behavior, and all are important to understand and conserve.



As part of this project, you will listen to the enchanting, haunting, sounds of wolves, coyotes and dogs, and help scientists better to understand and conserve these species. By having hundreds, even thousands, of volunteers giving their own analysis of the canid howls, the project’s organizers can investigate the role of these sounds, and understand more about the social behavior of the whole range of canid species and breeds.