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Wild
dogs were once widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan
Africa. Today viable populations exist
in only a few countries (as shown in red above; the
yellow circle towards the top indicates probably extant).
Habitat
fragmentation and encroachment, persecution (conflict
with livestock and game farmers), accidental deaths by snares
set for game, speeding vehicles, and infectious diseases
(rabies and distemper) are the main causes for their decline.
On
a global scale, the needs of a growing
human population place ever-increasing pressure on finite
natural resources, shrinking the living space for wildlife,
making conflict inevitable, and contributing to biodiversity
loss. Biodiversity loss is also exacerbated by climate change.
These two
interrelated problems threaten life on Earth. Overconsumption
is another major threat. It has been estimated that we are
currently overusing our planet's natural resources by at
least 75% or the equivalent of living off 1.75
Earths!
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Taxonomy
|
Order: |
Carnivora |
| Family:
|
Canidae |
| Genus/Species: |
Lycaon
pictus |
Description |
Coloration: |
mottled
coat of yellow, black, white, and brown |
| Head
and Body Length: |
76–123
cm |
| Weight: |
17–36
kg, avg. 25 kg |
| Shoulder
Height: |
61–78
cm |
| Miscellaneous: |
longitudinal
black mark on forehead; large, round ears; bushy,
white-tipped tail |
Reproduction |
Time
of Mating |
in
southern African usually around June, more variable
in East Africa |
| Gestation
Length: |
69–72
days |
| Litter
Sizes: |
avg.
approx. 8 |
| Age
of Sexual Maturity: |
1
year, but usually sexual suppression results in later
age of reproduction |
Home
Range |
Size
and Movement: |
423–1318
km²; except when denning, packs are nomadic,
covering large areas; many live in unprotected areas
or range outside park boundaries |
Habitat |
Preferences: |
woodland
and dense bush to open plains |
African
wild dogs are not domestic
dogs gone feral or closely related to wolves.
In fact, they are in their own genus, Lycaon.
Learn more about their evolutionary
relationship to other canids on a phylogenetic
tree.
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