The African wild dog, also called the painted dog and Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. The African wild dog, one of the world’s most endangered mammals, has recently gained a great deal of attention. Their numbers have spiraled downward so severely that drastic conservation efforts have been put into place.
It is estimated that there are around 6,600 adults (including 1,400 mature individuals) living in 39 subpopulations, all threatened by habitat fragmentation, human persecution and outbreaks of disease. As of now, there are only about 6,600 left in the wild.
To see a pack of African wild dogs is indeed a very lucky sighting! Botswana’s northern region, in particular the Okavango Delta, is probably the best area in the world to see them; however, they are so elusive and nomadic that the chances of observing these amazing dogs, even in Botswana, are only around one in 10.
Physical Characteristics
African wild dogs, also called painted dogs, are members of the canid family and have mottled coats of yellow, black, and white. Each individual dog has a unique coat pattern that can be used to tell them apart. They are long-legged and slender with a relatively large tail that is often tipped in white. Unlike other canids, African wild dogs do not have dewclaws on their front feet and have coats that only consist of guard hairs with no undercoat.
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Adult African wild dogs are approximately the size of a Labrador retriever, but slimmer and sinewier for their size. They weigh an average of 55 pounds. All have brindled coats of brown, black, khaki and white, and similar black facemasks and white-tipped tails. Each dog has distinctive patterning besides these common traits.
They have large bat-like ears and a bushy tail with a white tip, which may serve as a flag to keep the pack in contact while hunting. Their rounded, oversized ears help them hear great distances. They have extremely sharp teeth for shearing flesh, including unique, three-pronged knives called tricuspids.
Painted dogs earn their name from their unique patchwork splotches of color. Their mottled brown, black and white coloring is unique to each individual, like a human fingerprint. Painted dogs have a unique dental characteristic that distinguishes them from other canids: all of their teeth are sharp and designed for shearing, as opposed to being sharp and flattened like those of other canids. This allows dogs to quickly shred a carcass. They’re also the only canids with four instead of five toes on their front paws.
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). On average, dogs from East Africa weigh around 20-25 kg (44-55 lb). By body mass, they are only outsized amongst other extant canids by the wolf species complex. Females are usually 3-7% smaller than males. Compared to members of the genus Canis, the African wild dog is comparatively lean and tall, with outsized ears and lacking dewclaws. The middle two toepads are usually fused.
The fur of the African wild dog differs significantly from that of other canids, consisting entirely of stiff bristle-hairs with no underfur. Colour variation is extreme, and may serve in visual identification, as African wild dogs 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.
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Habitat and Behavior
Wild dogs are typically found in savanna, grassland and woodland. Their habitats range greatly, and they have even been observed at altitudes of 18,480 feet in the snow of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, and in the heat of deserts. These dogs are most active in the early morning and evening, lying in shade during the day.
The African wild dog is a specialized hunter of terrestrial ungulates, mostly hunting at dawn and dusk, but also displays diurnal activity. It captures its prey by using stamina and cooperative hunting to exhaust them. Its natural competitors are lions and spotted hyenas: the former will kill the dogs where possible whilst the latter are frequent kleptoparasites. The African wild dog inhabits mostly savannas and arid zones, generally avoiding forested areas. This preference is likely linked to its hunting habits, which require open areas that do not obstruct vision or impede pursuit. It travels through scrubland, woodland and montane areas in pursuit of prey.
Wild dogs are incredibly vocal creatures. Chirps and squeaks reminiscent of bird calls are frequently heard when dogs greet each another. Agitated dogs will bark, and anxious pups sometimes give an owlish “hoo” call. Lions largely disregard wild dogs, but if they come across dogs’ kills they may attempt to chase the dogs off and feed on the carcasses.
The African wild dog have strong social bonds, stronger than those of sympatric lions and spotted hyenas; thus, solitary living and hunting are extremely rare in the species. 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.
African wild dogs are social and live in packs, with the average pack size being between 5 and 20 dogs. Within the pack, there is one dominant male and dominant female, called the alpha pair. The pack works as a group to hunt and take care of the young.
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Wild Dog Society
Wild dog packs generally comprise of five to six adults with their pups, including a dominant breeding pair. With litters averaging 10 pups and females capable of delivering up to 18, this could bring a pack to 50 members. This actually occurred in the mid-1990s at the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana-a pack of 46 dogs formed and were so formidable, that they almost chased away all of the other predators in the area.
Each pack includes up to 20 members and is led by a dominant breeding pair (the alpha male and alpha female) with the rest of the members working as subordinates. The most unusual part is that the females (rather than the males) migrate to new packs after reaching maturity.
Pack members communicate with each other through a variety of touches, tail wags, and vocalizations. They have strong collaborative relationships, working together to hunt for food and taking care of all pups as a pack. They rarely fight amongst themselves or try to usurp the dominant position. They also look after injured, ill, or elderly members of the pack by sharing food, even when the weak individual can’t participate in the hunt.
Although arguably the most social canid, the species lacks the elaborate facial expressions and body language found in the wolf, likely because of the African wild dog's less hierarchical social structure.
Feeding Habits
Packs normally hunt once a day, but will hunt more often if the group is large or if there are pups to be fed. Prey size also influences the number of hunts-a wildebeest obviously will satisfy more dogs than will a gazelle. Wild dogs will prey upon a wide array of animals but are best at hunting small to medium-sized antelopes, such as the red lechwe. In bushed and wooded habitats, they will take down warthog and even young kudu. Such species constitute most of their kills, though given the chance they will also catch antelope fawns, hatchlings, hares and other small animals. Large antelopes, such as eland, are rarely taken, and only by very large packs.
African wild dogs 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.
The African wild dog is an opportunistic predator that will hunt a variety of small and medium-sized prey items but their preference is medium hoofed animals such as Thomson’s gazelle and impala. As cooperative hunters, they use vocalizations and body language to work as a team, resulting in a very high hunt success rate (60-90% of chases result in a kill compared to lions and hyenas which have closer to 25-30% success rates). African wild dogs can pursue prey over long distances at sustained speeds of 35 miles per hour (mph) and can sprint at up to 44 mph. African wild dogs can typically outlast their prey because of their long legs and large lung capacity.
African wild dogs are opportunistic predators that hunt a wide variety of prey, including antelopes, warthogs, wildebeest calves, rats, and birds. African wild dogs have a success rate of around 80% when hunting, which is higher than other predators like lions and leopards. This high success rate is largely due to their teamwork. A pack of wild dogs will hunt together to capture prey.
A species-wide study showed that by preference, where available, five prey species were the most regularly selected, namely the greater kudu, Thomson's gazelle, impala, Cape bushbuck and blue wildebeest. More specifically, in East Africa, its most common prey is the Thomson's gazelle, while in Central and Southern Africa, it targets impala, reedbuck, kob, lechwe and springbok, and smaller prey such as common duiker, dik-dik, hares, spring hares, insects and cane rats. Staple prey sizes are usually between 15 a...
Dogs will also kill until all dogs, young and old, sick and healthy, have eaten. They communicate within the pack by making high-pitched vocalizations or squeaks, which sound like a tennis shoe rubbing on a gymnasium floor! If a dog gets lost or separated from the group, it makes a sound, like a bell, called a "hoo" call. They can also signal pack mates by moving their very large ears to show what direction to go or what to do. Unlike wolves and domestic dogs, African painted dogs do not howl.
African painted dogs hunt twice a day, usually at dawn and dusk. Their disruptive coloration makes the pack look much larger than it really is. This confuses prey and helps the dogs hunt with more success than other African predators. In fact, African painted dogs are one of the most successful hunters in all of Africa, catching prey 70 to 90 percent of the time. (In contrast, lions are only successful 30 to 40 percent of the time.) Thomson's gazelles, impalas, and puku antelope are the main items on the dogs' menu.
The dogs have to eat their kill quickly, before the competition-lions, hyenas, and vultures-get to it. A painted dog pack can finish a full-grown gazelle in as little as eight minutes!
Breeding
Like their hunting behavior, the breeding system for wild dogs is an example of remarkable cooperation. In each pack, only the dominant pair breeds while the other dogs help to rear their offspring. This is done for the good of the pack, since all of the dogs are related. Only the strongest genes are passed on.
During estrus, the female is closely accompanied by a single male, which keeps other members of the same sex at bay. The estrus period can last as long as 20 days. The copulatory tie characteristic of mating in most canids has been reported to be absent or very brief (less than one minute) in African wild dog, possibly an adaptation to the prevalence of larger predators in its environment.
Breeding takes place in the middle of winter in the Okavango Delta, and this is the only time that dogs become sedentary. The gestation period lasts approximately 10 weeks, and the dominant female whelps in a den. For the first two weeks, the female suckles the litter, spending long periods underground with the pups. After those two weeks, the pups make their first unsteady foray outside, and begin to feed on meat regurgitated for them by all of the pack members. Within six weeks or so, the pups feed on their own with the rest of the pack.
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.
An alpha female typically gives birth to 10 to 12 pups per litter with some litter sizes up to 21 pups, the most of any dog. She gives birth to these pups in a den, typically an underground burrow of another animal, such as a warthog. After giving birth, the hunters of the pack bring food to her and her newborns while she takes care of them in the den. When the pups reach about four weeks old, pack members feed them by regurgitating solid food. When they are about eight weeks old, they are warned, and by 16 weeks old, they leave the den. During the time near the den, the pack hunts nearby to help feed and take care of the young. When the pups are old enough to follow the adults to a kill, the hunters step back and watch for other predators while the young eat first. The pups reach maturity at around 18 months.
Packs of African wild dogs have a high ratio of males to females. This is a consequence of the males mostly staying with the pack whilst female offspring disperse and is supported by a changing sex-ratio in consecutive litters. Those born to maiden females contain a higher proportion of males, second litters are half and half and subsequent litters biased towards females with this trend increasing as females get older.
Conservation Status and Threats
African wild dogs have suffered unfair persecution in the past. There was misconception that they are cruel creatures and even vermin; however, in reality, wild dogs are the most efficient of all African predators and the most social of all mammals. Single living dogs simply would have no chance of survival. Their success depends on the sociality of the pack.
Are African wild dogs endangered? African wild dogs are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and have been since 1990. Their numbers continue to decrease due to a range of factors, including habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, and infectious diseases.
Throughout their range in Africa, wild dogs are shot and poisoned by farmers who often blame them for killing their livestock. Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation are also major threats to the species. Habitat fragmentation increases human-wildlife conflict and localized, small population extinction due to epidemic disease. African wild dogs are listed as Endangered by the IUCN’s Red List.
Because the African wild dog largely exists in fragmented, small populations, its existence is endangered. Inbreeding avoidance by mate selection is a characteristic of the species and has important potential consequences for population persistence. Inbreeding is rare within natal packs.
Once found in most parts of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, African painted dogs are now gone from 25 of the 39 countries in which they were found a mere 50 years ago. Packs of 100 or more dogs used to be fairly common, but now these African predators are considered the second-most endangered carnivore (after the Ethiopian wolf) in Africa. Many factors have contributed to the catastrophic decline in painted dog numbers over the last century.
Europeans often regarded painted dogs as pests, and most colonial governments established long-term extermination programs that offered bounties in exchange for painted dog tails. Between 1945 and 1949, as many as 5,000 painted dogs were killed in such a program in Zambia, a number equal to the total populations left in Africa today.
Another problem for painted dogs is habitat loss and fragmentation, as people are moving into more and more of the dogs' territory. Unfortunately, most national parks in Africa are not large enough for even one painted dog pack, and family groups living outside protected areas are still killed by farmers and ranchers. The dogs are also susceptible to diseases carried by domesticated dogs (such as rabies, canine distemper, and parvovirus) and can suffer devastating epidemics if exposed to one of these diseases.
Predators, like African wild dogs, are important in maintaining the natural balance in healthy habitats. Like most predators, African wild dogs need a lot of space to find what they need to survive.
Conservation Efforts
Conservation groups are working to protect wild dogs through the creation of protected areas and the protection of major wildlife corridors. The World Wildlife Fund works to protect important wildlife corridors between major game reserves in southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. WWF also works to reduce conflict with humans.
To help conserve this endangered species, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports the Northern Rangelands Trust. This community-led conservation program in Kenya promotes the collective management of ecosystems to improve human livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and rangelands management.
Since 2015, the Saint Louis Zoo has participated in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Program for painted dogs by supporting a pack at the Zoo. With this group, scientists at our Zoo have conducted behavior observation studies, an extensive echocardiogram study and a hormone assessment to further knowledge about this species to assist conservation efforts.
| Fact | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lycaon pictus ('painted wolf' in Greek and Latin) |
| Other Names | African painted dog, Cape hunting dog |
| Family | Canidae (dog family) |
| Number of Toes on Front Paws | Four (unique among canids) |
| Average Pack Size | 5-20 dogs |
| Gestation Period | 69-73 days |
| Litter Size | Average 10 pups (can range from 6-16) |
| Hunting Success Rate | 60-90% (among the highest in African predators) |
| Conservation Status | Endangered |
| Major Threats | Habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, disease |
