Tag canid

A glimpse of the Corsac Fox

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The Corsac Fox at the Paris Zoo is rarely seen because it is nocturnal – active at night and sleeping during the day. Fortunately, I got a glimpse of the Corsac Fox.

The Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac) is a medium-sized mammal in the Canidae family of carnivorous dogs, wolves, foxes, and jackals. It is also known as the Steppe Fox and the Sand Fox. 

The Corsac Fox has yellowish-brown fur with paler underparts. It has pale markings on its mouth, chin, and throat. It has pointed ears with excellent hearing and small eyes with excellent vision. It has small teeth. Its feet have sharp claws. 

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CREATURE FEATURE: Bush Dog

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The Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) is a rare canine mammal in the Canidae family of dogs. It is most closely related to the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) or the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus). 

The Bush Dog has soft, long, brown-tan fur with a lighter reddish colour on its head, neck, back, and tail. It has a bushy tail. It has short legs. It has a short snout (nose) and small ears. It has 38 teeth. It has partially webbed toes, which enables it to swim. 

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Alaskan Wolf

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The Alaskan Wolf (Canis lupus pambasileus) is a mammal and subspecies of the Grey Wolf in the Canidae family of dogs, wolves, and jackals. It is a canid or canine mammal. It is also known as the Yukon Wolf.

The Alaskan Wolf is dog-like with thick tawny grey or rusty-tan fur with a mixture of black hair. It has a triangular-shaped face with a wide forehead and medium-sized ears and brown eyes.

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Golden Jackal

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The Golden Jackal (Canis aureus aureus) is a canid wolf-like mammal in the Canidae family. It is also called the Persian Jackal. It is related to the Coyote (Canis latrans) and the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus). 

The Golden Jackal can vary in colour from pale-yellow to dark-beige. Its underbelly is pale brown to pale grey. It has large pointed ears and a pointed snout (nose). It has pale legs.

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Steppe Wolf

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The Steppe Wolf (Canis lupus campestris) is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf. It is a canid or canine mammal. It is also known as the Caspian Sea Wolf. 

The Steppe Wolf is dog-like with thick light-grey fur, and a rusty-red-grey or brownish back with a mixture of black hair. It has a triangular-shaped face with a wide forehead and medium-sized ears and brown eyes. Its tail does not have much fur. 

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Iberian Wolf

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The Iberian Wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf, a canid or canine mammal in the Canidae family. It is also known as the Spanish Wolf. 

The Iberian Wolf is dog-like with thick, grey fur and a white stroke on its cheek that joins its white throat. It has white marks on its upper lips. It has a triangular-shaped face with a wide forehead, medium-sized ears, and dark orange-brown eyes. It has a reddish snout (nose). Its tail is long with dark markings. It also has dark markings on its front legs (signatus means ‘marked’). It has orange-brown eyes.

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African Wild Dog

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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.

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Maned Wolf

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The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest canid of South America. It is not a wolf. It is not a fox. It is not a dog, or a jackal. It is a unique mammal, often called a golden dog. The Maned Wolf has a distinctive smell, and is often called a skunk wolf.

The Maned Wolf is reddish-orange brown with long, thin, black legs, and a black mane. Its fur, called a coat, is long, with a white tuft at the tip of its tail, and a white patch under its chin.

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CREATURE FEATURE: East African Black-Backed Jackal

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The East African Black-Backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas schmidti) is a canid in the Canidae family. It is related to the Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus).

It looks like a fox or dog, but with large pointed ears, and a pointed snout (nose). Canis means dog, and mesomelas means middle black. It has reddish fur, a white chest, and a distinct black back from neck to bushy tail. The Black-Backed Jackal trots nimbly on its long legs. It rests in holes in the ground, rock crevices, or tall grass.

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Dingo

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The Dingo (Canis dingo or Canis lupus dingo) is mammal, and a wild (non-domesticated) canid – a member of the canine or dog family. Therefore, they are similar to dogs, but they have a longer nose, longer canine teeth, and a flatter head than most dogs.

Unlike dogs that have many colours, the dingo only has sandy coloured fur with white patches. Its fur is soft and short. They have a bushy tail. The hotter their habitat, the bushier their tail.

Dingoes are native to Australia, where they live in a range of habitats, such as deserts, grasslands, and forests.

They are the largest terrestrial predator in Australia, and they are the size of a medium-sized domestic dog.

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