Full Wolf Moon to include eclipse

Wolves are a hot topic in Sanders County. Despite the conflict they have caused between sportsmen, naturalists and wildlife managers in the area, on January 20, Canis lupus will be honored with the rise of a full moon – a Full Wolf Moon.

January’s full moon is the Full Wolf Moon and will host a visible lunar eclipse as well, making the 2019 moon doubly spectacular. The event will begin at 7:36 p.m. on January 20 (with maximum totality at 10:12 p.m.) and will continue until 12:48 p.m. on January 21, according to timeanddate.com.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Native Americans named full moons to help them track the seasons based on the lunar month rather than the solar month followed in current times. For millennia Native American Tribes, as well as Europeans, named months based on Northern Hemisphere seasonal characteristics. These names have been converted to full moon names as Colonial Americans adopted them, applying them to the current day calendar system.

Although scientists are certain that the moon phase does not determine how often or how long a wolf howls, wolves are nocturnal, so they are more active at night. To increase the chances of being heard, wolves point their faces to the sky to exemplify the acoustic range their howl can travel, giving the appearance that they are howling at the moon.

Wolves howl to communicate; “I welcome you,” or “stay away from here.” The seasons do have an impact on howling behaviors according to wildlife biologists. In the spring and early summer, wolves are denning and only communicate within their pack. Howling is very limited to not give their location away to potential predators at this time. When late summer and early fall begins, they tend to talk more with neighboring packs and potential enemies.

At the beginning of the year, during breeding season (January to March), wolves are quite vocal. A typical howl of a single wolf is three to seven seconds long. But this time of year, when a whole pack can get into it, a chorus can be heard from 30 to 120 seconds. Which is the reason the January full moon is called the Full Wolf Moon.

The Algonquin tribes, who lived in regions from New England to Lake Superior, had given names to each full moon. These names have been adopted by The Old Farmer’s Almanac.