Nothing symbolizes a cold, moonlit night like the howl of a wolf. The haunting sound can travel for miles. And if you live around wolf territory, you might especially notice it tonight. There’s a full Moon – the Frost Moon, Moon After Yule, or Wolf Moon. Despite what you might think, though, the wolves aren’t actually howling at the Moon.

Many cultures have associated wolves and the Moon – ancient Moon goddesses often were depicted hanging with wolves. And biologists say that wolves may howl more around the time of the full Moon. But that’s only because they’re creatures of the night, so they’re more active when there’s more moonlight.

Wolves communicate with each other in many ways besides howling. They growl, bark, and whimper. Each method conveys a different type of message.

And howls can have different meanings, too – conveyed through changes in pitch, duration, and frequency. The howls help them attract mates, coordinate their hunting, and warn members of other packs to stay away. There’s even a “lonesome” howl when a wolf gets lost.

Wolves do tilt their heads up when they howl – as though they were talking to the Moon. But there’s a practical reason – the sound carries farther. So if you happen to hear the lonesome howl of a wolf under the light of the full Moon, enjoy the serenade – just don’t think the wolf is howling at the Moon.

Script by Damond Benningfield