Interesting facts about: Wild Dogs

Wild dog at Mala Mala

• The dog's Latin name means "painted wolf," referring to the animal's irregular, mottled coat, which features patches of red, black, brown, white, and yellow fur. Each animal has its own unique coat pattern, and all have big, rounded ears.

• Wild dogs have bushy tails with white tips that may serve as a flag to keep the pack in contact while hunting 

• Wild dogs live mostly in arid zones and in the savanna. They also are found in woodland and montane habitats where their prey lives.

• They usually hunt in the early morning and again in late evening, prettying on gazelles and other antelopes, warthogs, wildebeests calves and rat and birds

• They can run long distances, at speeds up to about 35 miles per hour.

• These long-legged canines have only four toes per foot, unlike other dogs, which have five toes on their forefeet. 

• African hunting dogs are endangered. They are faced with shrinking room to roam in their African home. They are also quite susceptible to diseases spread by domestic animals.

• Once a year the pack occupies a den for 2 - 3 months, to bear young. The den is usually an abandoned aardvark hole

• Within the wild dog pack all the males are related to each other, and all of the females to each other but not to the males. Females migrate into the pack, whereas males usually stay with their natal pack.

• Only the highest-ranking male and female normally breed, and they inhibit reproduction by subordinates

• They have a submission-based hierarchy, instead of a dominance based one.

• Nearly 80% of all wild dog hunts end in a kill compared to only 30% of lion kills.

• The African Wild Dog hunts in packs and are cursorial hunters, meaning that they pursue their prey in a long, open chase.

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