WILD DOG

Facts

The African Wild Dog is the bulkiest and most solidly built of African canids. The species stands 60 to 75 cm (24 to 30 in) at the shoulders, measures 71 to 112 cm (28 to 44 in) in head-and-body length and has a tail length of 29 to 41 cm (11 to 16 in). Adults have a weight range of 18 to 36 kg (40 to 79 lb). Females are usually 3–7% smaller than males. The middle two toepads are usually fused. The skull is relatively shorter and broader than those of other canids.

The fur of the African Wild Dog differs significantly from that of other canids, consisting entirely of stiff bristle-hairs with no underfur. Adults gradually lose their fur as it ages, with older individuals being almost naked. Colour variation is extreme, and may serve in visual identification, as African Wild Dog can recognise each other at distances of 50–100 m (160–330 ft). Some geographic variation is seen in coat colour, with northeastern African specimens tending to be predominantly black with small white and yellow patches, while southern African ones are more brightly coloured, sporting a mix of brown, black and white coats. Much of the species’ coat patterning occurs on the trunk and legs. Little variation in facial markings occurs, with the muzzle being black, gradually shading into brown on the cheeks and forehead. A black line extends up the forehead, turning blackish-brown on the back of the ears. A few specimens sport a brown teardrop-shaped mark below the eyes. The back of the head and neck are either brown or yellow. A white patch occasionally occurs behind the fore legs, with some specimens having completely white fore legs, chests and throats. The tail is usually white at the tip, black in the middle and brown at the base. Some specimens lack the white tip entirely, or may have black fur below the white tip. These coat patterns can be asymmetrical, with the left side of the body often having different markings from the right.

The African Wild Dog have strong social bonds, stronger than those of sympatric Lion and Spotted Hyena; thus, solitary living and hunting are extremely rare in the species. It lives in permanent packs consisting of two to 27 adults and yearling pups. Males and females have separate dominance hierarchies, with the latter usually being led by the oldest female. Males may be led by the oldest male, but these can be supplanted by younger specimens; thus, some packs may contain elderly male former pack leaders. The dominant pair typically monopolises breeding. The species differs from most other social carnivorans in that males remain in the natal pack, while females disperse (a pattern also found in primates). Furthermore, males in any given pack tend to outnumber females 3:1. Dispersing females join other packs and evict some of the resident females related to the other pack members, thus preventing inbreeding and allowing the evicted individuals to find new packs of their own and breed. Males rarely disperse, and when they do, they are invariably rejected by other packs already containing males. The species does have an extensive vocal repertoire consisting of twittering, whining, yelping, squealing, whispering, barking, growling, gurling, rumbling, moaning and hooing.

African Wild Dog populations in East Africa appear to have no fixed breeding season, whereas those in Southern Africa usually breed during the April–July period. During oestrus, the female is closely accompanied by a single male, which keeps other members of the same sex at bay. The oestrus period can last as long as 20 days. The gestation period lasts 69–73 days, with the interval between each pregnancy being 12–14 months typically. The African Wild Dog produces more pups than any other canid, with litters containing around six to 16 pups, with an average of 10, thus indicating that a single female can produce enough young to form a new pack every year. Because the amount of food necessary to feed more than two litters would be impossible to acquire by the average pack, breeding is strictly limited to the dominant female, which may kill the pups of subordinates. After giving birth, the mother stays close to the pups in the den, while the rest of the pack hunts. She typically drives away pack members approaching the pups until the latter are old enough to eat solid food at three to four weeks of age. The pups leave the den around the age of three weeks and are suckled outside. The pups are weaned at the age of five weeks, when they are fed regurgitated meat by the other pack members. By seven weeks, the pups begin to take on an adult appearance, with noticeable lengthening in the legs, muzzle, and ears. Once the pups reach the age of eight to 10 weeks, the pack abandons the den and the young follow the adults during hunts. The youngest pack members are permitted to eat first on kills, a privilege which ends once they become yearlings. African Wild Dog have an average lifespan of about 10 to 11 years in the wild.

When separated from the pack, an African Wild Dog becomes depressed and can die as a result of broken heart syndrome.

Sneezes are characterized by a short, sharp exhale through the nostrils. When members of dominant mating pairs sneeze first, the group is much more likely to depart. If a dominant dog initiates, around three sneezes guarantee departure. When less dominant dogs sneeze first, if enough others also sneeze (about 10), then the group will go hunting. The African Wild Dog is a specialised pack hunter of common medium-sized antelope. It and the Cheetah are the only primarily diurnal African large predators. The African Wild Dog hunts by approaching prey silently, then chasing it in a pursuit clocking at up to 66 km/h (41 mph) for 10–60 minutes. The average chase covers some 2 km (1.2 mi), during which the prey animal, if large, is repeatedly bitten on the legs, belly, and rump until it stops running, while smaller prey is simply pulled down and torn apart.

African Wild Dog adjust their hunting strategy to the particular prey species. They will rush at Wildebeest to panic the herd and isolate a vulnerable individual, but pursue territorial antelope species (which defend themselves by running in wide circles) by cutting across the arc to foil their escape. Medium-sized prey is often killed in 2–5 minutes, whereas larger prey such as Wildebeest may take half an hour to pull down. Male Wild Dog usually perform the task of grabbing dangerous prey, such as Warthog, by the nose. A species-wide study showed that by preference, where available, in Southern Africa, it targets Impala, Reedbuck, Kob, Lechwe and Springbuck and smaller prey such as Common Duiker, Dik-Dik, Hare, Springhare, insects and cane rats. Staple prey sizes are usually between 15 and 200 kg (33 and 441 lb). In the case of larger species such as Kudu and Wildebeest, calves are largely but not exclusively targeted. African Wild Dog rarely scavenge, but have on occasion been observed to appropriate carcasses from Spotted Hyena, Leopard, Cheetah, Lion, and animals caught in snares.

Hunting success varies with prey type, vegetation cover and pack size, but African Wild Dog tend to be very successful: often more than 60% of their chases end in a kill, sometimes up to 90%.

Unlike most social predators, African Wild Dog will regurgitate food for other adults as well as young family members. Pups old enough to eat solid food are given first priority at kills, eating even before the dominant pair; subordinate adult dogs help feed and protect the pups.

Lion dominate African Wild Dog and are a major source of mortality for both adults and pups. On occasion, packs of Wild Dog have been observed defending pack members attacked by single Lion, sometimes successfully.