African Wild Dog

by: ELIJAH K

Taxonomy

kingdom: animalia
phylum: chordata
Class: mammalia
family: canidae
Order: Carnivora
Genus: lycaon brookes, 1827
Species: lyacon pictus (Temminck, 1820)

Evolution

subspecies: west african wild dog, somali wild dog, and the chadian wild dog
how long the species has existed: for about 200,000 years
closest relative to this species: wolves are the closest relative
3 ancestors: only have 1, the wolf

description

about the animal: these animals are very endagered and their population is decreasing. the largest populations remain in southern africa and in southern east africa. these animals are very social and like to gather together in packs of ten indivudals, sometimes more than 40. these wild dogs are also very fast, they can reach speeds of more than 44 mph.
key points and characteristics of the speices: thye can be identified by there large rounded ears, long legs, bushy broadly white tipped tail, a hairy coat with blotches of black, and yellow/white.
size: 30 to 40 inches
weight: 40-70 pounds
life span: 10 years
male and female differences: males tend to be lagrer than females in all regions. females are typically 3-7 percent smaller than males.

social structure

living in packs: african wild dogs are very social animals and gather in packs of 10, sometimes up to 40. when they hunt they usually go in groups or packs of 6 to 20 or sometimes more. this is not as common anymore because their species has become endangered so their packs are not as large anymore.

roles within the community: The african wild dogs benefit from protected wildlife corridors. these corridors protect conservation groups that work on intiatives that reduce conflict between humans and wild dogs. The wild dogs also become apart of this by playing an importnat role of killing sick and weak animals. this will help maintain natural balance and imporve prey for species.
male and female groups: male and female wild dogs usually live in packs with 5-20 dogs. the packs consist of one dominant male and also one female, this is called an alpha pair. each pack works as a group, they do this so they can hunt and protect their young.
individuals that make up the group: these packs are made by a monogamous breeding pair. the pack size can range anywhere between 2 and 40 individuals. a succesful pack avergaes about 7-15 memebrs witin that group. the groups then become composed of related sexes. when a new pack forms, it is becuase subgroups from the same sex, and sibilings, disperse and join a group of the other sex.
how the dogs interact: The dogs are very social and share food when a member is ill or weak. they interact in many ways such as communications like, touch, actions, and vocalizations. they have a complex communication system that includes vocalizing and scent marking. dominant pairs mark their territory with feces and urine. members of packs use quiet but high frequency noises to communicate like, whines, tweets, ands yelps that are similar to birdcalls.

Reproduction

how often the dogs mate: they actually don't have a set particular season for breeding. although their mating season can increase during rainy months like march and june. the gestation period usually lasts about 70 days for the female. after that period, the female will give birth to a litter of 10 pups and only a few survive because of predators.
how many mates the dogs have: mate sizes often vary. 2-20 is considered a normal mate count for the wild dogs. smaller litter sizes have been recorded from animals in captivity. a female who breeds will give brith to their litters in grass-lined burrows, sometimes an abonded aardvark hole. the pups will stay in a den with their mother between 3 to 4 weeks. after the pups are released from the den, they are now considered a responsibility of the entire pack.
time of the year the dogs mate: between april to july is when the dogs will mate. during the season of breeding the aplha male will protects other males like brothers. they do this becuase it will ensure he is only mating with the alpha female. the mating of the wild dog is a very short affair and doesnt last too long. the dogs will mate for about a minute or so, and if succesful the female dog will enter the gestation period for about 2 months. the female will then give birth to the pups in an underground den and stay there to protect her litter.
mating rituals: their behavior is very timid and oftenly they do not stray into urban areas unless they feel like doing so. wild dogs are known to be very attracted to open places where they can find and scavenge food. these animals are unique among any canid sepcies because of there strong social bonds between their packs.
amount of offspring produced at a time: they have litters starting from 2-20. the average litter is about the size of ten making it the largest of any canid. The alpha female will usually give birth to 10-12 pups per litter. some litter pups can range up to 21 pups which is why it makes it the largest of canids.
unique characteristics of their mating: sometimes when the dogs mate they are often heard by their loud howling during their breeding season. these animals are unique because of how sociable they are. they like to stick together and help each other out when one falls. their communciation skills is very top notch which helps them to survive. when a predator is near, they are able to communicate to alert other members of the pack that danger is near, they do this to protect each other and also let the other members of the pack know that danger is nearby.

development

stages of development: wild dogs are typically able to develop and grow fast after birth. they grow about up to the size of a medium or large sized dog. they are fully grown when they reach anywhere between 40-80 pounds and they grow to be 30-43 inches tall at shoulders length. wild dogs only have 4 toes on their feet instead of 5, this is what makes them different from other dogs. they have big shaped ears, and long skinny legs, with a long tail.
age before sexual maturity: after about 12-18 months they usually reach their maturity. after they reach maturity they typically dont mate until later on. every wild dog pack has their own dominant breeding pair, this is also known as the alpa pair with subordinate females to take care of new pups who have just been born.
activities and envrionment of stages: when wild dogs become fully grown, they are able to hunt and become a member of its pack. wild dogs are known to be very opportunistic predators that like to hunt which is why they are very succesful at finding food. they usually go after medium sized animals that they will be succesful in catching such as ruminants, and gazelles. during the day the wild dogs like to sleep on the ground usually in a group close with each other and pack memebers. they like to to rest and sleep during the day which makes them very unique nocturnal animals. they usually stay near shady bodies of water, and they do this so they can avoid hot temperatures and cool their body down.
male dog and female differences: male and female wild dogs have alot in common, but they also have some differences as well. female wild dogs usually put in more work and effort to raise their new young and pups, male wild dogs usually put in more work by protecting it and caring for its needs. females usually appear bigger in size becuase the mother reproduces more for the female rather than the male. a female wild dog is able to give birth every 11 months , litter sizes are about 10 to 11 pups but sometimes there can be more.

death causes

predation: lions typically go after wild dogs, making these animals a threat to the wild dog sepcies. these animals are often hunted by farmers to be killed for their livestock. sadly, no action has been taken to put these endagred animals in a safe happy home.
sexual competition: female wild dogs like to compete for access to males that can help improve offspring quality. Male wild dogs outweigh females by a factor of two to one, they only have one dominant female that is able to rear pups.
diseases: rabies has been a popular known disease to be knocking out the african wild dog sepices. it has been a major factor in recent extinctions and infections caused from domestic dogs putting them at risk. conservation efforts are trying to focus on coexistence, and for a plan to prevent this disease to be resolved among them.
their have been no other known causes to be found. human conflict between the wild dogs has had an effect on them because farmers and hunters have been found in killing these animals for their livestock.

competition

inter species: african wild dogs are not known to have inter species. although they dont have a specific ineterspecies, they do compete against large conviores like lions and spotted hyenas. wild dogs typically dont like these animals, specifically lions. wild dogs have been found to be very vulnerable to interspecific competing, this is becuase of their denning period that ranges across their territory.

intra species: lions, panthers, and hyenas have had a big effect on wild dog populations. about 50 percent of wild dog deaths account from these animals. wild dogs have very inferior competitive capabilities and abilites making them not the best competitors, this is a very serious limiting factor among these animals.

what they compete over: African wild Dogs have been reported to be the msot endangered mammal species. these animals do not have lots of land to live on. everyday they continue to fight and compete for their space to survive. human activity has been a common cause in reducing wild dog habitats. as the wild dogs continue to compete for food, water, and space it is forcing them to live closer and near to humans which is increasing their risk of inspection from domestic dogs who are spreading rabies.
affect of invasive species: as of right now there have not been any reported invasive species among african wild dogs.

IUCN rating

Rating status: Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
population: only 1,409 african wild dogs remain in the wild
population trends: very few remain in the savanna forests and deserts. their population is declining with very little to none across south africa and in botswana.

impact of humans

impacts that have occured: accidental targeted killings specifically caused by humans. diseases and habitat loss is a main factor on the wild dogs caused from humans.
future impacts: habitat fragmentation along with animal mrotality could possibly continue to decrease the african wild dog species and cause them to die out.
how long humans have interacted with wild dogs: for many years. these animals have been found to be killed time after time by farmers and hunters.
efforts made to minimize impacts: taking action and speaking up for the animals like a psa or talking to an animal wildlife center. you can aslo request to adopt a wild dog and donate to the costs to care for the animal. you can also be recognized with a certficate stating that you saved a wild dogs life.

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