The African wild dog is a medium-sized canid in sub-Saharan Africa. African wild dogs are most easily identifiable from domestic dogs and other wild dogs because they have brightly colored mottled fur and their Latin name aptly means "painted wolf". The African wild dog is said to be the most sociable of all canids, living in groups of about 30. Sadly, however, this highly intelligent and sociable animal is seriously threatened in most of its natural habitat.
The fur of African wild dogs is red, black, white, brown and yellow. It is also considered a camouflage that can help African wild dogs blend into their surroundings. African wild dogs also have large ears , a long muzzle and long legs , each with four toes. This is one of the biggest differences between African wild dogs and other canines, and they also have a large stomach and a long large intestine, which helps them absorb water from food more efficiently.
It is thought that African wild dogs have been found in nearly 40 different African countries, but today the number is much lower, and now most African wild dog populations, mostly confined to national parks in southern Africa, African wild dogs need large territories to support the survival of the dog population, and as their home area shrinks, so does the number of dogs.
African wild dogs are highly social animals with a strict class system. They're the best group in the world, and they do everything together. African wild dogs communicate with each other through touch, movement, and sound, gathering before hunting, licking each other with their noses while wagging their tails and making shrill sounds. African wild dogs live a twilight lifestyle, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk.
In African wild dog populations, there is usually only one pair of breeding, the dominant male and female members. After about 70 days of gestation, female African wild dogs give birth to 2 to 20 cubs in their nests, relying on other members of the dog group for food. African wild dog pups leave their nests at 2 to 3 months of age and are fed and cared for by the entire dog herd until they grow up to be able to stand on their own and join another African wild dog herd.
African wild dogs are carnivorous predators that hunt large animals in groups on the African plains. African wild dogs prey mainly on large mammals, such as warthogs and species of antelope, and supplement their food with rodents, lizards, birds and insects. They even hunt large herbivores that become vulnerable due to disease or injury, such as wildebeest. While african wild dogs' prey is usually much faster, the killing chase can last for several kilometers, and it is the endurance and perseverance of the wild dogs that allow them to successfully hunt, and hunting in groups also means that African wild dogs can easily surround their prey.
The population of African wild dogs is declining rapidly in southern African countries, where they are often hunted by farmers. Although most African wild dog populations today are confined to national parks, they often require larger territory, and humans hunt them when they leave these protected areas Today, African wild dogs are listed as endangered by the IUCN because the number of African wild dogs has been declining rapidly, especially in recent years. The population in sub-Saharan Africa has fallen to 5,000, and hunting, habitat loss and the impact of disease transmission are the main causes of the loss of wild dogs in Africa.