African wild dog
- Class: Mammals (Mammalia)
- Order: Carnivores (Carnivora)
- Family: Canids (Canidae)
- Genus: Lycaon
- Species: Lycaon pictus
Size
The African wild dog weighs between 20 and 40kg.
Ecology
The wild dog is a pack-living carnivore and also one of Africa’s most efficient hunters. It inhabits the savanna, plains and open forest. There are separate dominanance hierarchies for males and females in the pack, and on average the pack has more males than females.
Food habits
The wild dog is the only canid species that feeds only on meat, and its prey varies in size from zebras to gnus. Members of the pack all hunt co-operatively and also assist in feeding the pups of the dominant male and female pair. The pups are fed with meat regurgitated by the adults. Longevity Wild dogs live for 10 to 12 years.
Reproduction
African wild dogs live in packs of 10 to 20 individuals led by a dominant male and female, this being the only breeding pair of the pack. Wild dogs are able to breed at any time of the year. Gestation lasts approximately 10 weeks, and although between 2 and 16 pups are born, pup mortality is usually very high.
Conservation status
Extensive hunting disease and habitat loss has dramatically reduced the African wild dog population, and today it is one of Africa’s most endangered species.
IUCN Threat Category:
Endanger
