Wolves Have Taken Over a Marine Ecosystem

[@machfassett5749]

There's also a population of wolves on Vancouver Island who have done a similar thing! About 80% of their diet is made up of sea life, largely salmon and shellfish.

[@zadtheinhaler]

I was just gonna post that, wolves are so damn awesome.

[@MrTuneslol]

iirc they also have displayed some rapid evolution, Ike the webbing between their feet becoming more pronounced already. I'm not positive on the actualities but I seem to recall some sort of differences in their morphology already. Evolution can and does happen fairly fast sometimes depending on the relative pressures. There's a cool case study of bird living inside underpasses and we were able to observe their evolution in only a couple decades, developing shorter tail feathers so that they can better dodge oncoming vehicles. Super cool stuff. Also, in the case of the wolves, if they literally need to eat the marine life because they decimated the rest of their prey, then that's a pretty strong pressure to see adaptation in a relatively short amount of time. Can't hunt in the water? Don't eat. Simple as that!

[@sapphirII]

​@MrTuneslol I am bummed I will never get to see canine-based cetacean-like mammals. (If their population managed to evolve into fully aquatic animald)

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

++

[@Myhouseisfullofweirdos]

Thank you for noting this! I'm a born Islander, been here my whole life.

[@Illumina_Blade]

give 'em 3 million years and we'll have bona fide seawolves.

[@Cobbido]

Could take way less time than that. Grizzlies and Polar bears only diverged a few hundred thousand years ago.

[@pasta-and-heroin]

@@Cobbido gills tend to take a little longer this was a joke, please stop telling me about dolphins & whales you are very smart and i believe you

[@Reverae]

Or they would turn into crabs. Everything eventually turns into a crab.

[@orbislame]

Seabears too. That’s how Polar Bears are gonna survive climate change.

[@orbislame]

@@pasta-and-heroinGills? Where they’re going they don’t need gills. Source: I am a whale

[@akpsyche1299]

Finally, the University of Alaska Anchorage's seawolf mascot has some representation.

[@jennytweet7602]

Good job University of Alaska.

[@aamirrazak3467]

They were ahead of their time w the choice of mascot

[@Abdega]

UAK Anchorage: Oh yeah! It’s all coming together

[@bobabandit]

Also, Stonybrook University's

[@kameronmatthews1156]

I literally go to UAA, and this was my first thought lol

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

Ecosystems can be so complex. Who are we disallow wolves from evolving into the sea? Nobody stopped the whales from transitioning back to the sea. Maybe the sea dogos and otters can evolve to live together.

[@pasta-and-heroin]

exactly!! this is why fighting against climate change & forest destruction is so important. if the trees decided to evolve & transition from the oceans to living on land, then it is wrong to cut them down.

[@Nicolas-v1z4i]

@@pasta-and-heroin yeah that argument won't hold up if you say it to a republican, sadly they lack neurons

[@geoffzuo9831]

@@pasta-and-heroin A question lies in preserving biodiversity: If cats and rats and hogs are evolving into new forms in the outback, should we encourage new species forming in front of our eyes, or should we shoot on sight to preserve existing wildlife species?

[@js66613]

@@geoffzuo9831 Yeah, they'll give the dogs the benefit of the doubt, but not a cat, rat or hog, and never question the impacts on biodiversity caused by the wolves beyond the immediate ones that don't account for things over the long term...

[@chrismeandyou]

your mindset would let chaos and terrible things happen to the only important species on the planet

[@6Nem6]

When he went “that’s an apex predator” I never even doubted it might have been the squirrel. Those little sh*ts are vicious. So that clarification was definitely needed 😆

[@jackielinde7568]

You've heard it here, Folks. Squirrels are apex predators, and your dog never stood a chance. Now, if we can just figure out where the squirrels are hiding their spaceships, armored suits, and cache of polished skulls.

[@kitefan1]

Sometimes they are aliens, too. They run along my fence rail on the underside. There aren't any hawks or anything. Why?

[@jackielinde7568]

@@kitefan1Mostly to avoid spy sats.

[@TamarLitvot]

And do they always pair up with moose?

[@lukehennessy3006]

You gotta learn to Listen, Lou.

[@lilolmecj]

I know you are being facetious, but squirrels are opportunists, and only limited by their size. They are rodents after all. I saw one attack one of my full grown chickens , being territorial over the chicken food. They will eat chicks, given the opportunity.

[@Wizard_Pepsi]

Charles Darwin: (wipes away a tear) “It’s beautiful.”

[@iamjustsaying4787]

@Wizard_Pepsi This is adaptation not evolution.

[@Wizard_Pepsi]

Darwin talked about how animals adapt to new environments and that these adaptation, given time, can describe the process of evolution. (if I got that wrong, please feel free to correct me)

[@dwaynekeenum1916]

@@iamjustsaying4787and ur religion doesn’t support either

[@deanfirnatine7814]

@@iamjustsaying4787 "Well aaaaactually", lol.

[@GaryM67-71]

they will never evolve into fish though, evolution is a myth.

[@themadsamplist]

Well, that's how whales started

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

Seems like it's working fairly well for them.

[@parkerdixon-word6295]

Why are people using whales as their examples of marine mammals in this thread? Seals Exist! Something a lot like this has happened before in *the same branch of mammals!*

[@magentamonster]

@@parkerdixon-word6295 Whales are kind of more dramatic. Also, does it really matter that they're even-toed ungulates rather than carnivorans? After all, their ancestors were land carnivores, like carnivorans.

[@sandpiperr]

@@parkerdixon-word6295 Why not? What are you a seal? Why are you so offended that whales are the favorite example?

[@mariobenedicto3582]

@user-sp1fn2le5e Wanna hear a mouse howl at the moon?

[@AaronSaysSKOL]

Imagine you're on some Alaskan cruise and see a whole ass wolf pack in the ocean.

[@noelht1]

And then you sue the cruise line because you’ve had paid to see a pod of whales. #America!

[@MidnightWonko]

What's an ass wolf?

[@osonhouston]

An unintentional consequence of wolves hunting sea otters is wolves making their way on orcs' menu. Simular to how moose are preyed on by orca when they dive to eat sea weed.

[@PariahSojourner]

​@@MidnightWonko Hmmm..., ASSWOLF. A personalized license plate idea?

[@jra5]

@@MidnightWonko Assinara Wolf (Canis Oceanus) Commonly referred to as the Ass Wolf, the Assinara Wolf, scientifically classified as Canis Oceanus, is a unique and elusive species purportedly dwelling in the expansive Alaskan region. Boasting remarkable adaptations for both land and ocean habitats, the Assinara Wolf has been an integral part of the culture and religious practices of aboriginal communities in the region since pre-historical times. However, its existence remains relatively unknown to the outside world, primarily due to the remoteness of the location, adding an air of mystery to the tales preserved by these local communities. This distinct wolf species is recognized for its exceptional swimming prowess, often observed hunting in coordinated packs along the Alaskan coastline. Particularly notable is their adeptness at navigating frozen ice patches during the winter months. This strategic behavior provides the Assinara Wolf with extended access to marine hunting grounds, making their presence occasionally visible to fishermen and cruise ship passengers. With a sleek and weather-resistant coat, the Assinara Wolf seamlessly blends into its surroundings. Its intelligence and cooperative hunting strategies have allowed it to thrive in the challenging Alaskan ecosystem. Locally, the species is colloquially referred to as the "Ass Wolf," derived from the aboriginal-inspired name "Assinara." The term "Assinara" is thought to derive its meaning from the indigenous language, symbolizing a connection to water and the northern regions. This interpretation adds depth to the cultural significance of the Assinara Wolf, aligning its name with the aquatic environments where it excels.

[@emanueldumea8217]

It's sad that wolves got so much hate from humans and it was almost too late when we found out how important they are.

[@pcka12]

Something to do with the wolves representing a danger to human babies?

[@zzipkis]

@@pcka12more like livestock I think

[@ModMastersHub]

We weren't able to domesticate them into extinction enough! This is why we need to have MORE diverse doggos!

[@Jgosse]

It was too late for some species. The newfoundland wolf was its own species, but regrettably, my ancestors wiped them out.

[@pcka12]

@@zzipkis both

[@hueypautonoman]

I'm just imagining the first wolf to taste an otter and then going home to tell its friends and starting a whole trend.

[@EJD339]

That’s so fascinating too.

[@st3vorocks290]

Hipster Wolf was into eating otter before it was cool

[@eavyeavy2864]

Buzzword

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Wolf: Hey guys, i found a new squeak toy! It sounds like rrrrrreeeeeeeeheheheheheeeeeeeee weeeee weeee weeee ehhhhh. It tastes like a mix of skunk and mink, ima call it a skink! The pack: does it spray the juice? Wolf: nope not at all! The pack: interesting The alpha: come fuckers, we are sea wolves now!

[@ysgramorssoupspoon2261]

The way things are going wolves might join moose on orca's diet

[@brandonhoffman4712]

And humans. Oh wait shamoo was just serial killer right? Did you see the orcas swim with the person in norway. Shes lucky they werent hungry.

[@meow5043]

​@@brandonhoffman4712 ... what

[@brandonhoffman4712]

@@meow5043 So did you not know killer whales in captivity have murdered humans? some more than 1, making them serial killers. Or are you questioning whales swimming with people in the wild? Which has happened without the murdering, until it doesnt. I'll toss in more for fun! Did you know Orcas are attacking boats off the straight of Gibraltar, ripping off their rudders?

[@kyleohanian1437]

Pleasant Island is the perfect name for a place with all terrain wolves lol

[@vcheekv]

One of my favorite examples of evolution. They likely prefer the fattier meat of the otters especially in such a cold climate. Anyone who's eaten deer knows it's very lean meat. They're also cross breeding with coyotes. There's a great documentary about it. I think it's called Meet The Coywolf. They've learned how to hunt and eat salmon and avoid parasites by watching bears (in Canada if I'm recalling correctly.) They're even developing webbed feet. I friggin love them 💕

[@mainsidequest5203]

Developing ? Some wolves already have webbed feet. I have Czechoslovakian wolfdog and even is feet are webbed from is Euroasian wolf side of the family.

[@kevinneutzling8267]

There was also once a pride of lions that got trapped in some flooded wetlands. They adapted to eating Cape buffalo since it was one of the only food sources available and got huge.

[@intpintpintp]

Hey, what about Dingoes on Fraser island? They also feed predominantly on sea creatures.

[@gingermcgingin4106]

Dingos are a subspecies* of Canis familiaris, not lupus *There's actually some taxonomic controversy if dingos are a breed, subspecies, or full species, but seeing as they are direct descendants of the common dog, diverged only a few thousand years ago, are genetically distintic from & can readily interbreed with them, I'm going with subspecies.

[@intpintpintp]

@@gingermcgingin4106 What I'm talking about is that these Alaskian wolves are not the only land-based predators sit atop a marine food web.

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

Dogs 🐕 are a subspecies of Canis Lupus, the wolf species. Dogs are much more closely related to wolves than the overwhelming majority of humans are to the hunter gatherer San people. @@gingermcgingin4106

[@Sirri_Wolf]

Vancouver Island has a wolf population as well. They made a pretty cool documentary about them called "Island of the Sea Wolves". I haven't even heard of the sea wolves in Alaska before until my friend sent it to me. So I was very much shaking my head a bit when this guy said something along the lines of "research saying these are the only wolves that are known to eat sea otters." Haha

[@jpe1]

@@Sirri_Wolf do the wolves on Vancouver island eat sea otters? I was under the impression that they ate salmon and perhaps other fish, and shellfish, but not sea otters

[@christigmc]

I heard once in a nature documentary that wolves are extremely adaptable. I guess this just proves it more.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Do you think they are adaptable enough to befriend the smartest animal on earth and become so lazy they enjoy belly rubs and give you kisses like a long lost love? Then flip the script and evolve into an alaskan klee kai (miniature husky) and develop crowds of human around it to look @ it, pet it, and shower it with affection. (My moms dog) Shes even vocal like a husky, but in the cutest way!

[@tquist61]

Fascinating video! As a side note, our German Shepard dog was successful in catching a few squirrels when they ventured too far from the safety of trees. That said, the vast majority of her efforts to catch squirrels were unsuccessful.

[@TamarLitvot]

Many years ago, we got a dog and began taking him to a nearby park every weekend. He would run into the park and the squirrels would race away and up into the trees. He wasn't fast enough to catch them. Within a few weeks, the squirrels had figured this out and when he arrived in the park, they would calmly keep doing what they had been doing until he got close then coolly swarm up a tree. It was so disrespectful! (Squirrels are pretty damn smart).

[@YeeSoest]

I wish I could say that about my cat back in the day. Squirrel, Pheasant, Neighbor's Carp...😮

[@alexturnbackthearmy1907]

@@YeeSoest Cats do be like that. You let him outside for 5 minutes, and they come back with a whole bird. Unfortunately my dog is also like that, let it be unobserved for literally half of second and it already found and eaten a mole somehow (even on a leash).

[@swordofallah1129]

I had a GS named Akbar he loved the squirrel hunt. We even had a caveman dance and noise just between me and him when we would go hunt squirrels.

[@antifableach]

I'm going to share this video with my father. He's a big fan of wolves anymore.

[@adriandiaz-cabrera1733]

Ok.

[@antifableach]

​@@adriandiaz-cabrera1733it's great.

[@EmyN]

That’s so sweet lol

[@nahalolsa946]

@antifableach: Did you really share the video?😮 How does it feel? Did your father thank you? Please share your experience in detail!

[@antifableach]

@@nahalolsa946yes I shared this video. Nobody cares about the wolves anymore.

[@Nightriser271828]

My son was obsessed with all kinds of sea creatures for a moment, and for a segment of that time, it was sea wolf this, sea wolf that. Cool to see that it's a real thing.

[@ericfern8869]

I have seen wolves and sea otters the same day in Nootka Sound on multiple occasions, so their ranges obviously overlap there too. Been like that for years. What a howler, SciShow!

[@Searogue2000]

I saw the same thing on several visits to the W. coast of Vancouver Island from 1995 - 2008

[@ericfern8869]

I watched this video a couple times, and think the science is weak, the writing is poor, and the jokes are so incredibly lame. 7.8 million subscribers are not being well-served, but they lap up this sort of tripe.@@Searogue2000

[@jeanne-marie8196]

Thanks!

[@lovelylipbonesouwwwwwwwolv2198]

This brings me so much joy to hear that sea wolves are thriving! ❤🐺🐺🐺

[@kizznethkizura6322]

oh... I thought this would be about the actual sea wolves on Vancouver Island and areas surrounding that subsist off fish and swim between the islands.

[@dw620]

You're not the only one. ;p~ (Also TIL young wolves are called "cubs". ; )

[@micah1848]

if I had a nickel for every time an island population of wolves started eating marine animals...

[@gabrielford3473]

@@dw620 No, young wolves are pups.

[@dw620]

@@gabrielford3473 And here's me thought a ;p~ and a ; ) were sufficient. Maybe I should've added a as well! ^^

[@viticabo1524]

@@dw620 i dont understand

[@wintersnowcloud]

My favorite line of the video, "when two Apex predators meet... there becomes one Apex predator..."

[@jakobraahauge7299]

I think that we underestimate the consequences of culture in groups as conscious as both sea otters and wolves - life at such levels of comprehension and mere slaves of evolution in the biological sense, but also consequences of this wonderfully fluent thing called learning and being social. To a sociologist - this looks like whole lot like social adaptation in the "strict" sense the word "culture". " Lots of love from a very old fan, from a very old place, having followed you for a very long time - and being so happy to see you looking very fine ❤🤗 what a long and odd trip it's been! Happy to see you back here on yt! Lots of love from Denmark and may this new year be as good to you, as it is seeing you back here 🌿

[@johnmillerpere_grin6371]

Now this implies that wolves may evolve into a new type of sea mammal after the porpoises! I wonder what they'd look like.

[@pompe221]

Yeah, there's a few ways they could go -- large upper bodies and strong tails but no hind limbs like whales and porpoises, or lose the tails and turn the hind limbs into flippers (like pinnipeds) or say "screw it, I want to be a sea-wolf-giraffe" and turn into mammalian plesiosaurs.

[@njlkerins]

Excellent episode, as always. Good to se you back.

[@justicar347]

A little bit of irony is that I often describe giant river otters as aquatic wolves.

[@jer103]

This reminds me of Charles Darwin going to an island to observe Natural selection. That the dynamics between predators and prey directly effect the Natural selection on an island.

[@mr.figgles]

It just occurred to me (maybe not for the first time) that wolves are very similar to early pre-humans. They hunt in packs, using strategy and stamina to drain their prey rather than killing it outright. While they establish territories, they sometimes travel, pushed out by competing tribes, and are able to quickly adapt to changes in their environments and prey. It makes me think that it makes a lot of sense how dogs developed. Wolves had a naturally very similar lifestyle to ourselves, from hunting style to social interaction. Really makes me wonder what it would’ve been like to see a pack of wolves back then, if it would’ve really been much different to seeing a different tribe of humans.

[@Manj_J]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@mattwilliams4222]

Wolves are like "Welcome back, otter" I'm so sorry

[@trevinbeattie4888]

You’re also so old. And so am I for getting that reference. 😅

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@trevinbeattie4888 Hah! I get that reference. Hello fellow oldsters.

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

​​@@trevinbeattie4888 Me too! 😂

[@TamarLitvot]

@@trevinbeattie4888 me too.

[@karma_monkey]

Wolves eat 'em a lot, now they live in this spot, welcome back.

[@TristanBehrens]

There's a netflix documentary on a similar case happening on Vancouver island.

[@vickieviera3504]

So nice to see you Hank.

[@ReiC-B]

HEY HANK AND SCISHOW CREW!! Super excited for the stuff I got from your store to come in March, hoping you can see this. I love your content and merch.

[@rabies6418]

It’s kind of amazing to think this is how a new organism evolves

[@MST406]

My heeler has successfully caught exactly one squirrel in her ongoing six-year hunt. Took her forever and was an overall pretty abysmal performance, if I'm being honest.

[@B2WM]

The only one my golden caught was a baby, probably not even out of the nest from the lack of fur and closed eyelids. That includes two adult squirrels already in a havahart cage on two separate occasions. One bit her through the bars and the other ran away when she flipped the trap. This dog also brought me a hawk leg with no injuries or sign of blood on her. My foxhound has caught dozens of moles and mice but no squirrels. The tree rats are just harder.

[@TamarLitvot]

@@B2WM When I lived in St. Louis, my dog once caught an opossum. Having always failed at catching squirrels, he didn't know what to do. The opossum did the "play dead thing" and my dog dropped it and came back to us. I kept watching and quite soon the opossum go up and waddled away.

[@Almugavar]

My terrier has caught exactly zero garbage trucks, thankfully.

[@Iceman_Cool]

​@@B2WMvegan rats are prey for birds more than mammals, they are far too quick

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Your supposed to train your dog to scare them to your side of the tree so you can daze it. Then the doggo gets to have fun. Hunting is a team sport! This is training for coon season Reminds me of the time my dads dog was sniffing @ a pipe. So my dad is like, whats going on here? He lifted and shook the pipe, a baby rabbit popped out. BAM! SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK SILENCE. wagging tail Whos a good boy!

[@ThomasSchannel]

I'm Glad sci show exists , nice comfy bite sized science lesson :)

[@aamirrazak3467]

Interesting. I guess when you add one apex predator to another, you end up 1 apex predator. Good to know the otters won’t go extinct, and Good to see you back Hank!

[@johnferradino]

Omg! How cute are those sea otters rubbing their little faces!

[@perplexingHodgepodge]

Hank I get so excited about how excited you get about stuff

[@Bombay1618]

Hank, you look really good. I mean actually even better than before. Welcome back.

[@weirdredpanda]

When Hank asked who else is also thriving, I expected him to say, "Me!" Judging by his hair, this video was made a little while ago, but it's good to know that he is also thriving.

[@Kastley]

Thank you for adding sources!! No one does this anymore so its hard to believe any story unless there is a source!

[@BertoxolusThePuzzled]

But... How are they CATCHING them? Do the otters just float there as a wolf slowly doggy paddles up to them from the shore way off in the distance? I mean they are very fast and agile swimmers and can dive very deep, if anything I'd think a determined otter could easily drown a wolf it caught out in the open water...

[@pasta-and-heroin]

90% of ocean drownings among children are committed by determined - and very hungry - otters, this is due to the effort involved in drowning a fully-grown wolf

[@caracatoacacepe]

Came looking for answers, left with more questions. Disappointing.

[@a-goblin]

wolves attack while the sea otters are on land (typically for resting or cleaning) or in very shallow water. of course not every hunt goes well.

[@alexhooijschuur5131]

Yeah felt this is an important question. I wasnt able to find a direct answer, but from what I gather wolves are surprisingly strong swimmers, which isn't well explained in this video. Sea Otters spend almost all of their time in the water, unlike other Otters, but nonetheless, they spend some time on shore, which doubtlessly is the prime oppertunity. Even without that theres the fact that Wolves are pack hunters, it's likely that they could corral Otters either into other Wolves or onto the shore for easier hunting. Wolves also are predisposed to target already weakened or young prey, so it stands to reason that this behavior is also the case when they hunt Sea Otters-- this is helped by he fact that Sea Otters don't learn to swim on their own until they are two months old-- until then they spend most of their life balanced on top their mothers.

[@hueypautonoman]

Wolves are pretty smart and so are otters, so it's probably like a cartoon with elaborate traps, great escapes, more traps, etc.

[@stephenmartinez1]

I love the cute wolves. They are such beautiful critters.

[@dishevelleddev]

Don't be fooled by sea otters. They're mustelids. Every species of mustelids is a carnivore and every one is some version of crazy.

[@DoggosAndJiuJitsu]

My huskies wouldn’t survive an afternoon outside.

[@skeepodoop5197]

Haida people: "Hey, I've seen this before it's a classic!" Everyone else: "What do you mean, this only happened recently?"

[@Crodmog83]

I love Scishow. Been watching the channel for years

[@gunnar699]

Wolves has always eaten otters. I remember tracking wolfs over 10 years ago and back then they usually walked onto the frozen ice and walked where the otters had been earlier. Wolves eat them because they are hungry and food is food. Pretty simple....

[@brandonhoffman4712]

I had wolves track me in yellowstone. They kept to 100+ yards. Despite my howls of brotherhood!

[@ericstorm4613]

It's great to see Hank again!

[@kitefan1]

Thanks for that! I was thinking I would ask about coydogs (aka coywolves) but you sort of did that in 2019.

[@thenaiam]

Whoever chose that sea otter clips knew what they were doing. Those otters are sooo cuuute! 😍

[@indyreno2933]

There's already a dog species known as the sea wolf, which would be Canis crassodon, which is native to Western Canada, the Sea Wolf (Canis crassodon) is most closely related to both the Eastern Wolf (Canis lycaon) and the Red Wolf (Canis rufus) and has three confirmed subspecies: the Columbian Wolf (Canis crassodon columbianus), the Vancouver Island Wolf (Canis crassodon crassodon), and the Archipelago Wolf (Canis crassodon ligoni).

[@mildlymarvelous]

Canis lupus crassodon is a SUBspecies of the Grey Wolf, not its own species.

[@Vexinsight]

​@@mildlymarvelous This guy will still treat you as the same species, and in case he answers you maybe he will repeat the comment again or just restate what he has already said, even if it is obviously wrong.

[@mildlymarvelous]

@@Vexinsight That’s pretty rude of you to assume. Just because they haven’t responded doesn’t mean they would behave like that. Maybe they have notifications disabled.

[@tehkaihong5328]

​@@mildlymarvelous they behave like that across many KZbin comment sections, always on quirky videos with a species of mammal.

[@mildlymarvelous]

@@tehkaihong5328 Ahhh I see

[@erents1]

This is fast, becoming my favorite, KZbin channel!

[@LearningFunCC]

I totally agree 😊

[@liriodendronlasianthus]

Wolves and lions have started treading water to hunt, it's actually pretty awesome

[@zackerybartlett8050]

You're looking good my brother! We love you!

[@stevejohnson3357]

Similar on islands off the BC central coast.

[@krunkle5136]

Great to see Wolves Inc. expand to new territories.

[@JalenJaguar]

Yes, I am extremely intrigued by the maritime wolves, but also just happy to see Hank with his hair again 💚💛🧡❤️🩷

[@chaosopher23]

One difference between wolves and dogs is that wolves will taste their food with a couple of chews before gulping it down. A dog will just hoover up a hunk of meat half their size in half a bite.

[@bluestormpony]

things that make me wish i could time travel hundreds of years in to the future to see if they evolve in to something

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

There used to be feral pigs on three of the sizable off-shore islands around North Island New Zealand. They spent a lot of their time going along the water side and beaches and they totally changed the ecology in dozens of ways. One of the things that happened was many of the endemic insects were wiped out and replaced with European sea-lice/sand hoppers. Every time you walked on the beach, you would be astounded at the swarm of hoppers. When the government eradicated the pigs on each island, the European sand hoppers died back so far than you mostly can't find them unless you dig around in the sea-wrack.

[@ramonarjona4928]

Wolves, bringing balance to the Force. I mean forest.

[@kitefan1]

I heard that too, but I wasn't sure I heard correctly.

[@poonyaTara]

I've never owned a dog that didn't catch a squirrel at least once in its lifetime. The first was a terrier who was so surprised to have succeeded that she walked to a tree trunk and released the squirrel. The other was a poodle who was surprised when a small squirrel wrapped itself around his muzzle to get away from the boxer and German shepherd that were chasing it. The squirrel's mother waited in a cherry tree while the poodle returned the baby squirrel to the tree's trunk. In all, my limited experience of dogs catching squirrels is that the dog's impression is that its squirrel toy is broken and needs to be repaired, but that might be because I've never owned a hunting dog before.

[@nicklanders5178]

Cetacean/pinniped lore

[@macekreislahomes1690]

So, the Wolves are waiting for the deer to get back to 100% population, and help another ecosystem simultaneously. Good on them.

[@ladysilverwynde]

Looks like these wolves are fans of surf and turf. 😂 I'll show myself out.

[@giladpellaeon1691]

Now picturing an apex predator squirrel, my day has improved.

[@nottelling7438]

The squirrel is also related to all known apex predators, but not very closely.

[@ROLtheWolf]

Sea otters squeak when they are killed, which is esthetically very pleasing to the wolf ear. Really enhances the kill-meal!

[@IIIC3YLOCO]

The otters are like wolves of the sea. This is very interesting. I wonder if they’ll be a new species of wolves or maybe a new kind of aquatic mammal due to the pressure from the wolves on the otters. 😊

[@TamarLitvot]

Maybe otters developing so they need very little time on land.

[@IIIC3YLOCO]

@@TamarLitvot yeah that’s what I was thinking also. It’s so cool due to the chance to witness the evolutionary pressure come into play. This is so interesting.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

As my friend Terry used to say, "Every dog, no matter how small, has a wolf within them!"

[@Aragorn7884]

*"Let them fight..."* 😅

[@wifi-kun9486]

Glad to see hank is getting his hair back. Nice job man.

[@trinacogitating4532]

It would be fascinating to know what old stories the Alaskan natives might have; on wolf/otter interaction.

[@AllTheHappySquirrels]

I didn't think i could love wolves more, but here we are. 😍

[@terramater]

Wolves are so awesome, and they're so brave! Our crew got on camera a pack of wolves simply trying to get a bite of a brown bear hunt in Scandinavian. As expected, it started an intense battle of giants.

[@SirMethos]

You could say they found an otter food source ^^ ... I'll see myself out.

[@graham1034]

This video confuses me. Vancouver Island, off the coast of British Columbia, famously has "sea wolves" that have a large percentage of their diet coming from tidal areas and have been observed doing so for decades. There are also a lot of otters in the same area. EDIT: According to Wikipedia, the subspecies is the Vancouver Coastal Sea Wolf: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Coastal_Sea_wolf They range up into Alaska, so potentially this video is talking about them? I wonder if the real news is just that they're spreading into a new area and it was just misinterpreted here.

[@dmacpher]

Yeah - one even lives alone on a tiny island off Victoria, long story about it being lonely.

[@graham1034]

@@dmacpher en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takaya:_Lone_Wolf Apparently the wolf was shot by a hunter not long after the documentary came out

[@dmacpher]

@@graham1034 a ffs, that’s brutal.

[@mildlymarvelous]

Subspecies, not species

[@graham1034]

@@mildlymarvelous thanks for the correction, I've updated my comment

[@themrrandomname1251]

really gives a new meaning to wolfpack

[@caspenbee]

I wonder if the local Alaskan Native nations know whether this relationship existed in the past? If anyone would, it'd be them. Hopefully researchers think to ask (or better yet, some researchers come from the local nation)!

[@CanadianFitted]

Historically there were many “Island Wolves”. I love the comeback 👍

[@TheGahta]

"we have no otter choice man" 😂

[@Under_Sky_Third_Gaia]

No!

[@royrogers3133]

This is probably how seals evolved.

[@geoffzuo9831]

Orca probably feel great about this new food source, and sea lions are probably relieved about that. Also tigers would like to have a word about the whole apex predator thing.

[@glebeldionrayparcon1008]

Wolves are as much of an apex predator or top order carnivore, like how the painted dogs and lions despite the size difference.

[@geoffzuo9831]

@@glebeldionrayparcon1008 Wolves are top order carnivores, like painted wolves, lions, and tigers. There's a fine but not inconsequential difference between the two terms that stems from the fact that apex is a giant buzzword used to describe the biggest and meanest predators. From its repeated usage, apex predator more refers to animals that, unless sick, wounded, or otherwise weakened, have no natural competitors that will regularly engage in intraguild predation or superpredation. If you're familiar with monster hunter, Unnatural history channel made a video on Anjanath where he briefly discusses the difference between the two terms. Wolves are both apex predators and top order carnivores in most of their range, but not in the Near East or India, where tigers will frequently reduce packs to single individuals or eliminate them completely. There, they are still top order carnivores, but not "apex predators" per say. Of course, this is mostly semantics.

[@SgtSupaman]

The term 'apex predator' is a regional thing. Many different kinds of animals can be apex predators, as long as they are at the top of the food chain in their current ecosystem. As was pointed out in the video, these otters used to be the apex predators, until the wolves moved in.

[@Artuor.Morgan]

Yeah, the largest tiger subspecies in the world that depresses populations of tiny east siberian wolves, So impressive. Let's just ignore how Canadian north american wolves match large brown bears for apex status.

[@gigachad1643]

The wolves that are in the part of Russia Far East that tigers inhabit, are the same size (sometimes even smaller) than African wild dogs. That’s like saying tigers are not apex predators because Sumatran tigers are dominated by saltwater crocodiles in Southeast Asia. Big cat fans never fail to show how delusional and misinformed people can be.

[@bryanrolland2967]

Dude! you look good. I'm so happy for you.

[@markanderson3870]

Interesting, but kind of disappointing. I was hoping to hear a story of wolves swimming into the open sea to catch otters, developing webbed paws, catching fish...

[@neutral_positron]

Yup

[@mainsidequest5203]

Wolves already have webbed feet, are super good swimmers and catch fish. But no land creature will swim into open sea and will be able to catch fish.

[@jjthefish446]

It’s pretty clear that the wolves and sea urchin have formed an unholy alliance.

[@randoir1863]

This has happened along BC coasts as well . As in British Columbia, Canada!!

[@maggikrissi6526]

Hank Green always make me happy

[@Anon-zv3my]

I so want to see Apex Predator Squirrels. I would totally watch the heck out of that B movie. 😍

[@TamarLitvot]

They may not the apex predator in terms of eating birds, but they can certainly outsmart humans in stealing all the seed from the bird feeders. If you enjoy squirrels, watch Mark Rober's videos on his backyard squirrel obstacle courses. They are absolutely hilarious.

[@dark_galaxyy]

Soon, as the wolves evolve to catch otters, we shall have mer-puppies

[@ozwalled2007]

I thought I'd read that there was even a genetic split for these "sea wolves" in that they have some distinctions for other wolf populations? Is there any truth to that?

[@twonumber22]

I believe that's true for brown bears.

[@samkirchner8133]

Glad to see you're healthy again

[@Benni777]

The fact that wolves are now hunting on an island called “Pleasant Island” doesn’t sound like a “pleasant island.” It sounds like another version of the Hunger Games, only instead of ppl killing each other, it’s wolves killing otters. Which, honestly would be harder to watch bc I’d TOTALLY be on the Otters’ team. Like, how could u eat something that’s just so gosh darn cute!?!? 😍😫

[@twonumber22]

it's interesting that a wolf pup is pretty darn cute but at some point they look like demon creatures

[@cachorrovinagre2979]

Don't surprise it all. Jaguars catch fish, hunt otters and caymans. Mammal apex predators have no fear and can be very creatve.

[@TIGERZY2K]

Why doesn't USA export 30% of their Alaskan white wolves to Britain? By doing this USA can not only control disappearance of otters in near future but also they can help Britain in controlling the population explosion of different species of herbivores in the Scottish Highlands.

[@zhengmingfan2635]

Wolf is a versatile and adaptive species. They can thrive in any type of biome which includes desert, grassland, mountain, Taiga forest and tundra. Living off-coast and rely on seafood is a very unique adaptation to the environment.