African Wild Dog Totally Explained

Everything about The African Wild Dog totally explained

The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family, found only in Africa, especially in scrub savanna and other lightly wooded areas. It is also called the African Hunting Dog, the Cape Hunting Dog, the Spotted Dog, or the Painted Wolf in English, Wildehond in Afrikaans, and Mbwa mwitu in Swahili. It is the only species in the monotypic genus, Lycaon.

Anatomy and reproduction

The African Wild Dog has a pelage with an irregular pattern of black, yellow, and white, distinctive for each individual. The scientific name Lycaon pictus is derived from the Greek for "painted wolf". It is the only canid species to lack dewclaws on the forelimbs.
   Adults typically weigh 17-36 kilograms (37-79 pounds). A tall, lean animal, it stands about 30 inches (75 cm) at the shoulder, with a head and body length averaging about 40 inches (100cm) and a tail of 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm). Animals in southern Africa are generally larger than those in the eastern or western Africa.
   There is little sexual dimorphism, though judging by skeletal dimensions, males are usually 3-7% larger. It has a dental formula of for a total of 42 teeth. The premolars are relatively large compared to other canids, allowing it to consume a large quantity of bone, much like hyenas. The heel of the lower carnassial M1 is crested with a single cusp, which enhances the shearing capacity of teeth and thus the speed at which prey can be consumed. This feature is called trenchant heel and is shared with two other canids: the Asian Dhole and the South American Bush Dog.
   A study established that the African Wild dog had a Bite Force Quotient of 142, the highest of any extant carnivorous mammal. The BFQ is essentially the strength of bite as measured against the animal's mass.
   The African Wild Dog reproduces at any time of year, although mating peaks between March and June during the second half of the rainy season. Litters can contain 2-19 pups, though 10 is the most usual number. The time between births is usually 12-14 months, though it can also be as short as 6 months if all of the previous young die. Pups are usually born in an abandoned den dug by other animals such as those of the Aardvark. Weaning takes place at about 10 weeks. After 3 months, the den is abandoned and the pups begin to run with the pack. At the age of 8-11 months they can kill small prey, but they're not proficient until about 12-14 months, at which time they can fend for themselves. Pups reach sexual maturity at the age of 12-18 months. Females will disperse from their birth pack at 14-30 months of age and join other packs that lack sexually mature females. Males typically don't leave the pack they were born to. The species is also unusual in that other members of the pack including males may be left to guard the pups whilst the mother joins the hunting group, the requirement to leave adults behind to guard the pups may decrease hunting efficiency in smaller packs.
   A captive breeding and translocation program at Mkomazi Game Reserve, the first of its kind in East Africa, was founded in 1995 to provide dogs for a multinational effort to stabilize their numbers and to reintroduce the species to its traditional homeland. The dogs are allocated to four breeding compounds to maximize genetic diversity. An extensive veterinary program has been set up to improve their immunity to disease.

Hunting

The African Wild Dog hunts in packs. Like most members of the dog family, it's a cursorial hunter, meaning that it pursues its prey in a long, open chase. During pursuit, it may reach speeds of up to 45 mph. Nearly 80% of all hunts end in a kill. Members of a pack vocalize to help coordinate their movements. Its voice is characterized by an unusual chirping or squeaking sound, similar to a bird.
After a successful hunt, hunters regurgitate meat for those that remained at the den during the hunt, such as the dominant female and the pups. They will also feed other pack members such as the sick, injured or very old that can't keep up.
The African Wild Dog's main prey varies among populations, but always centers around medium-sized ungulates such as the Impala. While the vast majority of its diet is made up of mammal prey, it sometimes hunts large birds, especially Ostriches..

Rasmussen is one of the founders of Painted Dog Conservation. He advocates using the name "Painted Dog."

Subspecies

There are five recognized subspeices of this canid:

Lycaon pictus pictus
Lycaon pictus lupinus
Lycaon pictus manguensis
Lycaon pictus sharicus
Lycaon pictus somalicus

Further Information

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