In the wild: African Painted Dogs live in packs of 30 or more. Whatever you call them, join us in supporting the conservation of these highly endangered wild animals by raising awareness of the species and those who work on their behalf. However, when you take a moment to learn more about them, you come to realise what special creatures they. Lycaon Pictus aka Painted Dogs, Painted Wolves, African Wild Dogs, African Hunting Dogs, Lobo Pintado, Afrikanischer Wildhund,, Iganyana. The African Wild dog, (aka Painted dog or Painted Wolf) is a highly endangered species and one that is very often poorly understood. The pack will settle down for several weeks while the pups are growing, going out to hunt twice a day and bringing food back in thier bellies which they will regurgitate for the mother and pups to eat.Īt some point, however, in a strange twist, the mother will join in the hunts - being the Alpha female with lots of experience- and several designated 'babysitters, usually males, will stay behind.īecause the entire pack contributes to the raising of one large litter of puppies a year, African wild dog puppies catch on quick, and may be seen out hunting with the pack by the time they are 6 months old. Diet: African Painted Dogs are carnivores and hunt large prey like wildebeest, zebra and impala. This is an amazing painting by Justin Mashora, a very talented South African artist. African dogs have four toes and 40 teeth instead of five toes and 42 teeth of other canid species. The first original canine Miacis which resembles something that looks like a cross between a cat and a weasel, is a direct ancestor of the African painted dog. The African painted dog’s ancestry can be traced back to 40 million years ago. This is a highly endangered species, and because it ranges over wide areas it is also one of the most difficult species to plan to see. Painted dogs have the biggest litters of any canid, 2 20 pups at a time, with twice as many males as females born 6. These dogs are the Wild Dogs, or Painted Dogs, of Africa. It is thrilling to find and follow the dogs, and fascinating to observe their pack behavior. With a holistic approach to conservation, DSWF Fights, Protects and Engages on behalf of painted dogs and other endangered species. In the world of wild dogs it is the submissive animal who can most fervently beg that tends to eat first.įood is distributed to the youngest pack members and sometimes the Alpha pair are actually be the last dogs to eat. African Wild Dog (Painted Wolf) This active, gregarious species is a favorite of our guides and biologists. Painted dogs are one of the most endangered mammals on the planet and DSWF is committed to addressing the threats faced by this iconic species and offering them a sustainable future in the wild. Correctly known as the African Painted Dog but also known as Cape Hunting Dog, African Hunting Dog, Painted Wolf or originally as the African Wild Dog. The entire pack helps in the rearing of this one litter. Within the pack generally only the dominant male and female, called the Alpha pair, will reproduce.Īfter a six week pregnancy the Alpha female will find a safe place, often an abandoned aardvark den, where she may deliver up to 20 puppies in a single litter - the most in the canine kingdom!

Painted wild dogs