Ussuri Dhole

“ According to the largest dhole population, dhole packs were bigger—roughly 17 animals—where tigers were rarer and smaller—roughly six individuals—where tigers were more common. ”

– Eostre

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Cuon

Species: Cuon alpinus

Subspecies: Cuon alpinus alpinus

Descendants: †Canis majori

Named by: Peter Simon Pallas

Year Published: 1811

Size:

Head-body length: 35.2–45.2 in
Tail length: 16.4–20 in
Shoulder height: 18–22 in
Weight: Males weigh 33–44 lb, females weigh 22–28.6 lb

Lifespan: 10 to 16+ years

Activity: Diurnal 🌅

Thermoregulate: Endotherm

Type(s):

Synapsids
- Mammals (Canines)

Title(s):

Wild Dog
American Jackal

Pantheon(s): Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳

Time Period: Pleistocene–Holocene ~ Chibanian–Meghalayan (200,000–0 years BCE)

Alignment: Reactive

Threat Level: ★★★★

Diet: Omnivorous 🥩🌿

Elements: none

Inflicts: none

Weaknesses: Fire 🔥, Water 🌊, Rock 🪨, Air 🌬️

Casualties:

PAPRIN

- nn

TROQA

- others

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Endangered (EN) – IUCN Red List

The Ussuri Dhole (Cuon alpinus alpinus), also known as the Eastern Asiatic dhole and the Chinese dhole, is the nominate subspecies of the dhole (Cuon alpinus) wild dog native to Asia.

Etymology

The etymology of "dhole" is from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary theorizes that it may have come from the Kannada: ತೋಳ, Romanized: tōḷa, lit. 'wolf', 'wild dog'.

Singular: Dhole
Plural: Dholes

Physical Appearance

The largest subspecies is the Ussuri dhole. Its cranium is small and it has a vivid red coat. Similar to the Tian Shan dhole, the Ussuri dhole has a thicker mane in the winter and a woolly coat with white underfur. Conversely, the summer coat is thinner and coarser. The Sumatran dhole is the most common species in southern Asia, where it has darker, coarser, thinner hair with almost visible red underfur.

The Ussuri dhole's dimensions are determined by its body length (~90–110 cm), tail length (~40–50 cm), and weight (~18–25 kg).

Abilities

The dhole is a highly coordinated pack hunter that can defeat considerably larger animals. It is feasible to have a strong dhole pack. It may grab a kill from a tiger or defeat a 1,500-pound gaur. Dholes can leap seven feet vertically and are agile. They can swim rather well and have a lot of endurance to pursue tired prey.

Although super-packs of up to 30 have been documented, the dholes typically live in packs of five to twelve members. A dominant breeding pair leads their cooperative packs of dholes. In contrast to many other canids, including wolves or coyotes, dhole pack members share food and assist in the communal rearing of pups.

Dholes are strong swimmers, adept at negotiating icy or wooded areas, and excellent endurance runners who rely more on endurance than speed. Instead of the usual canine howls, dholes use complex vocalizations including whistles, chirps, and screams for long-distance communication. Bergmann's rule makes the dhole in northern regions cold-resistant; their thick coat and cooperative nature enable them to withstand subarctic winters.

Ecology

The primary food source for dholes, who are obligate carnivores, is medium- to big creatures, such as deer, antelopes, rabbits, squirrels, wild boar, gaurs, wolves, crocodile pups, catfish, and snakes. They are opportunistic feeders that occasionally eat fruits or insects in addition to smaller prey, rodents, and birds. Dholes employ a cooperative hunting approach that relies more on teamwork and stamina than on stealth, frequently pursuing prey into open areas or water. They have the ability to kill animals much bigger than themselves, including young buffalo and sambar deer.

Depending on whether tigers or leopards are around, the dholes either act as semi-apex predators or as mesopredators. They assist people in fighting pests in farmlands, national parks, and preserve areas by controlling numbers of herbivores and smaller carnivores, preventing overgrazing or overexploitation, and even protecting endangered animals. Although they frequently steer clear of direct confrontation, they compete with other predators such as tigers, leopards, and wolves. Dholes are important to the ecosystem because their kills assist scavengers and lesser carnivores, who also clean up the mess and remove the carcasses.

Reproduction

In temperate countries, the breeding season typically lasts from winter to spring; in tropical regions, the dry season is linked to the winter season. Dholes typically give birth to four to six puppies during their 60–63 day gestation period. Raised in dens, the dhole pups frequently reuse stony holes or abandoned burrows. All pack members provide regurgitated meat to pups and nursing females, which is unique among canids.

Breeding season:

Usually late winter (January–March).

Gestation:

~60–63 days.

Litter size:

4–6 pups on average.
Packs cooperate in raising pups — only the alpha pair breeds, but the entire group helps feed and protect the young.
Pups are born in dens or rocky burrows and emerge at about 3–4 weeks old.

Behavior

Dholes have amazing athleticism. They can swim very well, run quickly, and jump quite high. When the pack is hunting, these abilities are essential. They coexist in some protected areas alongside tigers and leopards. Dholes, wolves, dogs, and coyotes are extremely intelligent and talented.

Packs of five to twelve, and occasionally up to twenty, make up the dhole's social system. Instead of being overtly dominant, the hierarchy is cooperative and less hostile than wolves. Coordinated chases are the primary hunting tactic; they divide food equitably and communicate continuously. Dholes have an intelligent, inquisitive, and group-loyal temperament.

Important umbrella species, dholes help to safeguard a variety of other forest and grassland species and even regulate the number of grazing animals and pests.

Generally cautious and secretive, the dhole avoids human interaction and is seldom hostile unless it is cornered or defending young. They can tolerate human presence in less persecuted places, but they are still cautious. Although attacks on humans are almost nonexistent, they have historically been mistaken for cattle raiders.

Conservation

They listed as Endangered (IUCN Red List).

Threats:

Habitat loss and fragmentation from agriculture and logging.
Decline in prey populations due to hunting and competition with livestock.
Disease transmission (rabies, canine distemper) from domestic dogs or foxes.
Persecution by humans or larger creatures, often due to livestock predation or attack pets or children, or attacked by tigers, leopards, hyenas, pythons, crocodiles, or adult gaurs. While official records are sparse, it's possible there could be unreported incidents of young or vulnerable individuals being attacked by a dhole pack.

Distribution and Habitat

The Ussuri dhole is most likely found in isolated populations in the Russian Far East and is believed to be either regionally extinct or extirpated throughout the most of its historical range in China. Ussuri dhole is indigenous to China, as well as portions of Manchuria, the Korean Peninsula, Mongolia, and the Amur River. Alpine tundra, steppes, savannahs, plains, and forests are among the Ussuri dhole's habitats.

In the 2600s and 2700s, during The Recollections of Queen Arianna (TROQA) saga, the "Sky People" or Terrans from Earth brought the dhole to two exoplanets that resembled Earth: Reinachos from Cygnus and Berbania from Ursa Major. Despite the fact that our world is almost extinct, conservation efforts are helping this species recover from endangerment or near extinction. Human interactions for game hunting and rewilding produced this species, but they backfired when the dhole became an invasive species. In two exoplanets that resembled Earth, the dhole lived in a similar environment and climate.

Movement Pattern: Full Migrant/Random
Individual Type: Solo/Pack
Population Trend: Decreasing
Population: 949-2,215
Locomotion: Terrestrial
Habitat: Tundra; Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Mushroom Forests; Mushroom Fields; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain; Radiated Citadel; Volcano; Warm Ghost Town; Cold Ghost Town; Ruined Skyscraper.
Earth:
- Extant (Resident): Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal; Thailand
- Possibly Extinct: Viet Nam
- Extinct: Afghanistan; Kazakhstan; South Korea; Kyrgyzstan; Mongolia; Russia; Singapore; Tajikistan; Uzbekistan
- Presence Uncertain: North Korea; Pakistan
Berbania:
- Extant & Introduced (Resident): worldwide
Reinachos:
- Extant & Introduced (Resident): worldwide
Sawintir:
- Extant & Introduced (Resident): worldwide