Wolves will get stuck together when mating because of the “tie”, which happens when the male’s sexual organ expands and the female’s vulva contracts, causing the two animals to get stuck together.
This tie is expected to last anywhere between 15-30 minutes before they get unstuck.
This process is also called coitus entrapus in latin and it’s typical for animals with the bulbus glandis at the base of their reproductive organs.
After the male wolf has deposited the genetic material into the female, the male’s organ will start to shrink. Only then will the two be able to separate from each other. This process can be quite painful for both the male and the female, which is why wolves often whine as they mate.
Why Do They Get Stuck?
When two wolves mate, the male’s penis will expand and the female’s vulva will contract, causing the male’s organ to get stuck inside the vulva.
You might have already seen this with dogs or other animals where the mating mechanism is largely the same. This is how it looks like when two wolves get stuck together when mating (skip video to around 3:15):
There’s a clear purpose to this process which Mother Nature has designed to help wolves with breeding.
When the male’s penis gets stuck inside the vulva, it will release semen so that the female can bear pups and continue their heritage. When they are tied together, the penis will keep releasing the fluids until all of them are released.
And only when all the genetic material has been released will the penis begin to shrink, which is when the tie will end.
The purpose of this is to release as much fluid as possible near the cervix, which is responsible for accepting the semen and enabling the female to get pregnant.
When two wolves get stuck, they will sometimes try to get unstuck, which will look like they’re each running in their own directions. This can be quite painful for the wolf, which is depicted by whining and howling as they are tied.
Read More: Can Wolves and Foxes Mate?
How Do Wolves Get Stuck?
They get stuck together physically because of the enlargement of the penis and the contraction of the vulva, causing the two animals to be stuck together physically.
That’s why you’ll see two wolves walk or run together when they finish mating, a process which might continue for several minutes after breeding.
Even though this physical bonding can be quite painful, the wolves will continue to have an amicable relationship and might repeat the process if the breeding was not successful.
When the male releases his fluids for the first time, this tie will continue and the two will end up end to end to each other, and often trying to move into separate directions in order to stop the tie.
During this time, they might drag each other along the ground and try to run around, while also “kissing” each other and showing affection. They will only get unstuck when the male’s penis shrinks and the vulva of the female opens up, allowing the male’s sexual organ to get unstuck and the two separate.
Read More: How do Wolves Mark Their Mates?
Do Wolves Always Get Stuck When Mating?
The tie will happen almost always as two wolves mate, although the process will sometimes be longer than other times, and it depends on how quick the male can release his fluids.
Rarely will it happen that they don’t get stuck. Sometimes, the tie will be much shorter than with other wolves, which will depend on individual wolves and how prepared they are for mating.
There are no real indicators that can predict how long the tie will last for a specific wolf, though. This tie happens automatically and it’s not something the wolves can control, as they just have to wait for nature to do its wonders.
Read Also: Are Wolves Monogamous or Polygamous
What Other Animals Get Stuck When Mating?
Wolves are not the only species that get stuck when mating, as there are other animals that also do that, including:
- Dogs
- Foxes
- Other canid species
Coitus entrapus is often seen with canid species that have the bulbus glandis on their reproductive organs. You might have already seen this happen if you own a dog and you let it mate.
However, it’s not typical to see this behavior with humans or other mammals when breeding. That’s mostly because they don’t have the same reproductive organs as canids, which have the bulbus glandis which is the bulge at the tip of their penis which causes them to get stuck as they mate.
Dogs, for example, will also get stuck when mating although the tie will not be as long as it is with wolves. The tie will only be as long as it takes for the last ejaculation to occur for the male, which is when the tie is released.
For dogs, this process can also be quite painful, although not as painful as it is for wolves. That’s because dogs won’t move around as much during this phase and will often not fight it as vigorously as wolves do.
It’s important to note that if you do experience this with your dogs that you don’t interfere into this behavior. Human intervention can cause discomfort and pain, and even injuries, which has been reported on numerous occasions.
Foxes and other canid species also experience this when mating.
Read Also: Does a Fox-Wolf Hybrid Really Exist?
Final Thoughts
When wolves get stuck when mating, it can be quite an odd sight to look at. For some people, it might look as though they’re stuck together permanently, which is why many wonder if this only happens to wolves, and why it happens.
It turns out that this process called the “tie” is completely normal for wolves and other canid species. It can be a painful process for the animals, but there’s nothing to worry about – just Mother Nature taking care of what it has created!
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