The Painted Dog
Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus) ) The Species and their Conservation Issues The Painted Dog is a unique and beautiful animal. Its Latin name (Lycaon pictus) literally means painted wolf. The species is now the focus of many studies and conservation efforts in response to the many threats which have resulted in them becoming at risk of extinction. Portrait Painted Dogs certainly appear dog-like in form, with a patchwork coat and over sized ears, but the species separated from the rest of the dog family over 3 million years ago. Interestingly, Painted Dogs have only 4 toes, whereas other canids have 5 (including a dewclaw). They are highly recognisable. Standing at 65 75 cm tall, they appear lean and tall. Their coat is made up of brown, black and white markings which are unique to each individual. id It has been suggested that dogs can recognise each other from over 50m away, their coat pattern may play a role in this. Patterns on their face are similar for all Painted Dogs, with a black muzzle shading to brown on the cheeks. Some dogs have a brown teardrop shape on the muzzle, below their eyes. Their hair is sparse, with youngsters having a thick coat which gradually gets thinner with age. Old dogs can become almost hairless, with most hair loss occurring on their head. Painted Dogs have some of the largest pre-molar teeth of all carnivores other than hyenas. This suggests that they eat bone regularly. This is also evidential from their dung, which sometimes appears white due to the high calcium content. Every Painted dog has a unique coat pattern 1
Social Organisation Painted Dogs live in packs which on average number between 5 and 15 adults, plus juveniles. Within a pack, there is a clear dominance hierarchy in both the males and females. The dominant female is usually the oldest female in the group. Old dominant males, however, can lose their rank to younger males and packs containing a number of ex-dominant males are not unusual. Normally, it is only the dominant female that breeds, with reproduction largely involving the alpha male. Pups of a single litter can, however, have more than one father. The simplest pack structure consists of related females alongside related males but with no, or a distant, genetic relationship between males and females. This can become complicated if pups are recruited into the pack, or if there is immigration. Group work is vital for Painted Dogs, with all members of the pack helping to raise a litter of pups. Subordinates of both sexes in a pack help to raise the young, mostly through providing food. For the first 3 months of their life, pups are confined to their den. Most of the pack leave to hunt twice a day, with one or two dogs (including the alpha female) staying behind as guards. On their return, rn the hunters regurgitate rgitate meat for the guards and the pups. Painted Dogs work together as a pack to hunt prey and to bring up pups After 3 months, the pups are able to leave the den and begin to venture out with the pack. During hunts, the pups are often hidden, and later collected. When they are taken to the kill, it is the pups which are allowed to eat first, followed by dogs from the previous litter, then the adults. Painted Dogs rely on the prey which they kill, they are not common scavengers. Important dietary mammal species include impala and wildebeest. 2
Conservation Issues Painted Dogs have disappeared from much of Africa, with their largest populations remaining only in South Africa and the Southern part of East Africa. Estimates are that between 3000 and 5000 Painted Dogs remain in the wild. As with most species at increased risk of extinction, there are a variety of threats which act together to make a species more vulnerable. Habitat loss affects many threatened species, but its effects are particularly acute for the Painted Dog as they range so widely. Typically y a pack will use more than 100km2 as their range. This means that only the largest of protected areas can support viable populations of this species. Even within large areas, Painted Dogs occur at low densities. Such small populations are more vulnerable to extinction processes, for example a disease outbreak. Painted Dogs also have to compete for limited prey resources. They are known to avoid areas with high populations of lions and hyenas, as they can be killed by these larger predators. Painted Dogs need large areas of natural habitat to survive For most carnivores, conflict with a growing human population is the main driving force behind their endangerment. The Painted Dog is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red list (www.redlist.org). Their main threats are conflict with humans and canine diseases particularly those carried by domestic dogs. These threats are exacerbated by habitat loss and fragmentation. E.Astbury Large predators such as lions and hyenas are a threat to Painted Dogs 3
Conservation Action Painted Dogs are legally protected across much of their range. This protection is, however, difficult to enforce. Protection of large expanses of habitat with natural prey is critical for their future. In some areas, education campaigns have helped to reduce deliberate killing of Painted Dogs, and some populations have been vaccinated against canine diseases. There are more than 300 Painted Dogs in captivity in zoos and private collections, some of which are part of managed captive breeding programmes. There have also been some successful reintroductions of captive born dogs after mixing them with wild individuals prior to release. Summary Painted Dogs are unique and charismatic Painted Dogs are an endangered species They are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans and canine diseases They need large areas of natural habitat to survive References Creel.S, Creel.N.M (2002) The African Wild Dog: Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation. McNutt, J.W., Mills, M.G.L., McCreery, K., Rasmussen, G., Robbins, R. & Woodroffe, R. (2008). Lycaon pictus. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Fitting Painted Dogs with radio collars can give scientists insights into their daily lives and provide valuable information for their conservation 4