The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus pictus) is also called the African Hunting Dog or African Painted Dog. It is a mammal, and a canid.
The African Wild Dog looks like a dog with large round ears. It has black, white, and yellow-brown fur in patches. Its face is black with a tan forehead. It has dark eyes. Its tail is white and bushy.
It does not have dewclaws which other dogs have. Dewclaws are small structures, like a digit, at the back of each leg, above the foot. Unlike other dogs, it has no under-fur; it only has stiff bristle-haired fur on its body.
African Wild Dog
It grows to 60-75 centimetres (24-30 centimetres) to shoulder height. Its tail is 30-40 centimetres (12-16 inches) long.
The African Wild Dog is native to east Africa and southern Africa. It prefers semi-deserts, arid savannahs, montane grasslands, and moorlands.
It is diurnal, active during the day. It eats antelopes. It hunts in packs, and the pack chases the antelopes until their prey are exhausted. When the antelopes are tired, the dogs bite their legs and attack. It also eats warthogs, rodents, hares, and birds.
The African wild dog is a social animal, living in packs of 2-27 individuals. They live in dens. Females are pregnant for 69-73 days, before giving birth to 6-16 live young, called pups. The mother looks after the pups, and will regurgitate food to feed them. The pups become independent after 8-10 weeks.
African Wild Dog
African Wild Dog
African Wild Dog
African Wild Dog
African Wild Dog
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM