African wild dog | |
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African wild dog in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa | |
Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | Caninae |
Tribe: | Canini |
Genus: | Lycaon |
Species: | L. pictus |
Binomial name | |
Lycaon pictus (Temminck, 1820) | |
African wild dog range in red |
The African wild dog or painted dog (Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family. In past centuries it had a wide distribution in Africa.
The African wild dog is very social, living in packs. They hunt antelopes, which they catch by chasing them to exhaustion. Like other canids, the African wild dog regurgitates food for its young, and other adults. Their natural enemies are lions and hyenas: the lions kill the canids where possible; hyenas frequently steal their kills. view more...