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The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), also known as the painted dog or Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus Lycaon, which is distinguished from Canis by dentition highly specialised for a hypercarnivorous diet and by a lack of dewclaws.
The wild dog is one of the world’s most endangered mammals. The largest populations remain in southern Africa and the southern part of East Africa (especially Tanzania and northern Mozambique). Wild dogs are social and gather in packs of around ten individuals, but some packs number more than 40.
What is the African wild dog? The African wild dog is known by many names, including Cape hunting dog or painted dog. Its scientific name, Lycaon pictus, means “painted wolf,” referring to the...
Jun 27, 2024 · African wild dog, (Lycaon pictus), wild African carnivore that differs from the rest of the members of the dog family (Canidae) in having only four toes on each foot. Its coat is short, sparse, and irregularly blotched with yellow, black, and white.
The African wild dog, sometimes referred to as the African painted wolf, painted dog or the cape hunting dog, is a medium sized pack-hunting dog found only in Africa. These striking animals are known as one of the most efficient and specialised hunters in the habitats in which they are found.
What is an African wild dog? The wild dog — also sometimes called the hunting dog or African painted dog — has a colorful, patchy coat; large bat-like ears; and a bushy tail with a white tip that may serve as a flag to keep the pack in contact while hunting.
African wild dogs are highly specialized for a carnivorous diet. They hunt gazelles and other antelopes, warthogs, wildebeest and their calves, ostrich, and calves of African buffalo. They also hunt smaller prey such as dik-dik, hares, spring hares, insects, birds, and cane rats.
African wild dogs are Africa’s second most endangered large carnivore, occurring in only 14 African countries, and with viable populations left in only eight (Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana and Kenya).
The African wild dog is the largest canid in Africa and is classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Apr 3, 2019 · The African wild dog, or painted dog, is a fierce predator found in the open plains to dense forests of sub-Saharan Africa. The Latin name, Lycaon pictus , means "painted wolf" and refers to the animal's mottled coat.
