Some have taken to calling this feisty Black Lamar Canyon Female, “Spitfire.” And therein lies the rub – who gets to name a wolf?
Researchers reserve the right to name radio (or GPS) collared wolves alphanumerically – e.g., 832F.
Uncollared wolves often get tagged with nicknames from the general public – e.g., Casanova, Puff, Spitfire.
Currently there is some bickering online as to whether or not we should be “allowed” to call this beautiful wolf, Spitfire.
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked.
If a “rose is a rose is a rose” that would smell as sweet by any other name, then perhaps a wolf is a wolf is a wolf who will continue to intrigue us and get into mischief no matter what.
🙂 🙂 🙂
A wolf doth something every week to keep him from Church on Sunday
– olde english proverb
What a thriller. Totally exquisite animal, color, look, purpose, mischief, spirit, you caught it all in such incredible photographs. I vote for Spitfire. What idiots are worried about the politically corrected authority of who does naming. Holy moley it’s the wilds! The very landscape for spontenaity and imagination. That officials have dumbed it down to numbers is bad enough, Jack London must be rolling in his grave. Resist!!
Proper naming notwithstanding, if you look up ‘lethal’ or ‘dangerous’ in the dictionary this would be the picture aside the words. Maybe ‘brilliant’, too. What a creature.
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Spitfire it is, then! And how you can not like this rogue warrior even if she does snatch a coyote pup now and then? In much of Xty wolves are either agents of God sent to punish sinners, or agents of the Devil sent with God’s blessing to harass true believers to test their faith. Either way, I’m on Spitfire’s side!
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Nice!! Oops, today is Sunday??
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Yep, and Spitfire didn’t make it to Church again today. 🙂
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The almost lightning white highlights to her coat make “Spitfire” seem a pretty good name. She is so elegant, though, long and lean and those grey eyes could go stone cold on you, which is just thrilling to look at. She does look like she could give you what for if you bothered her, but then, most ladies can!
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If the eyes are windows to the soul, then Spitfire is a force to be reckoned with! Thanks, Martha…
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Ahhh, maybe you can remember this in Espanol: “All love begins and ends in the eyes.” Don’t know if it was attributed to any one Spaniard, but whoever said it knows the truth. Marthaxx
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Always an interesting debate… oh how we do like to anthropomorphize! Speed, agility, built for the kill, … glad she’s imbued with characteristics of WW2 aircraft – rather that than bear a person’s name.
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Yes, nicknames can be frivolous, comical, or right on the money. ‘Spitfire’ seems to fall into the latter category.
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I’m thinking the wolves probably have names for us, too – and they aren’t as boring as 832F!
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I thought I heard one call oopsjohn “dinner”.
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Well, I’m pretty sure I heard a Japanese bear call that busload of tourists from Texas a “bunch of fat butter-stinkers.” (That’s Japanese talk for how they think fat white people smell, lol).
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🙂
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There’s also the phrase said of those Japanese who have strayed from traditional values toward Westernization as “smelling like butter.”
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Funny thing, this morning Spitfire did indeed approach to within about 20 yards of me, salivating all the while. That will be another blog as soon as I get the images edited. 🙂
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Not to worry. ESP is not my strong suit!!
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ha!
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