African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus

Conservation Status

Endangered

Mammalia · Carnivora · Canidae

About

The African wild dog, also called painted dog and 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.

Fun Fact

African wild dogs have the highest hunting success rate of any large predator (60–90%), and they vote on group decisions by sneezing — the more sneezes, the more likely the pack moves to hunt.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Savannas and open woodlands

Diet

Carnivore

Lifespan

10-12 years

Threats

Wildfire
Small Population Size
Deforestation
Genetic Bottleneck

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

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