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Fast Facts:

Other names for the African hunting dog are African wild dog or Cape hunting dogs.
Only the dominant female and male of each pack reproduce.
The gestation period for female wild dogs is only 10 weeks.
Litter sizes range from 2-21 pups, but average is 10 pups.

African Hunting Dog

Scientific Name:	Lycaon pictus
Classification:	Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Carnivora, Family Canidae, Genus Lycaon, Species pictus
Status:	Endangered
Habitat:	Prefers open woodlands and plains
Range:	Found today in isolated populations south of the Sahara
Diet:	Preys primarily on small to medium-sized antelope such as Thomson's gazelle, kudu, reedbuck, impala and wildebeest. They will also eat small prey, such as hares, lizards and eggs. These animals account only for a small part of their diet, however.
Size:	The average adult measures about 30 inches at the shoulders
Weight:	40-80 pounds
Location:

Special Features:

Each hunting dog has its own unique markings of black, yellow, brown, and white. Their color patterns are as unique as our fingerprints, no two are alike!
African hunting dogs have very large ears.
Many people mistake African hunting dogs for hyenas, but, in fact, hyenas are a completely different species.
African hunting dogs are only distantly related to other canids.
Wild dogs are able to pursue their prey at speeds of 25 miles per hour. Their top speed can reach 35 miles per hour with short bursts.
Wild dogs communicate through scent marking, visual cues and vocalizations.

Social Structure & Behavior:

Habitat:

African hunting dogs are diurnal, which means they have two main periods of activity each day. As soon as the sun rises and sets, the pack routinely gathers, greets and starts off through its home range in search of prey. They are basically nomadic and seldom stay settled in one place for more than a day or two at a time. Their home range varies throughout different parts of Africa from 175 square miles in the Okavango in Botswana to nearly 800 square miles in the Serengeti.

Enemies:

Predators of the African hunting dog include lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles, with lions posing the greatest threat. Humans are also a significant threat to these animals due to commercial cattle ranching. In Africa, farmers are allowed by law to kill any dogs that threaten their stock; for this reason, wild dogs are also shot, snared, poisoned and killed by road traffic.

Breeding:

Female hunting dogs will select an abandoned underground den to raise her pups for the first three months of their life. Many of the other pack members act as "babysitters" because both sexes will help to care for the young pups. While the pups are being watched, the mother or dominant female of that pack will go out and hunt for food for her pups. She will feed her pups by the process of food regurgitation. Once the pups are 3-4 months old, they will hunt with the pack and eventually they will leave the pack and be on their own by the age of 2.

Territorial:

Wild dogs have no need to be territorial due to their nomadic nature. They are constantly on the move, so there is no reason for them to protect a specific area of land. If surrounded by predators however, they will in fact become defensive or flee. Even in a pack, the wild dogs are gentle with each other because there is an understanding of which dogs are the dominant ones.