KidZone Animals
Wolves: Sleep
© DLTK's Inc.
Since all wolves travel in packs, they must choose special sleeping territories for the large group.
Wolves are nocturnal, meaning that, as opposed to humans, they are awake at night and sleep all day long!
They scout an area (either a den, cave, or open space) suitable for sleep, and when they have found one just right for the size of the pack and offspring, they settle for the days to come--however, wolves rarely stay in one place for a long period of time, so each sleeping territory is temporary!
Wolves are very territorial, with the average pack's designated territory spanning hundreds of square miles--despite popular belief, wolves have more than one designated area for sleeping and not all these areas are dens (actually, they rarely are!).
Basically, wolves need multiple "vacation homes" to stay since they are always on the move, travelling long distances. Oftentimes, wolves sleep right out in the open in a circle. They circle an area before settling down--the alphas always choose first!