Dogs in nature exist both domestic and wild. Predatory representatives of this genus are hyenoid dogs. They are called in another way: hyena, African wild. The name comes from the Greek word "Lycaon", which in translation sounds like "wolf" and from Latin - "pictus", which means "motley". If you look at the photos of these animals, you will immediately understand why they were so named.
This predator in size resembles a wolf and is a close relative of the red wolf. The color of the coat is extremely variegated, it seems that nature, with her invisible brush, created spots of different colors and different sizes on the animals. They are very similar to each other not only in name, but also in appearance of a hyena and a hyena-shaped dog. There is a slight difference, which one, you can find out by reading the description of this amazing motley beast. In addition, the article talks about how these amazing animals live in the wild.
Hyenoid Dogs: Description
A hyena dog is distinguished by a slender, tightly built body. The legs of the predator are long and strong, it is not for nothing that people say that the legs are fed the wolf, because this beast is also of this genus. The tail is fluffy and long. On the front legs there are only four fingers, this distinguishes the beast from the rest of the dogs, but not from the hyena, which also has four fingers.
The big head is like a dog’s. The muzzle is wide, blunt with long nasal canals. Jaws are powerful with sharp teeth. Thanks to the large wide oval ears, which are almost not covered with hair, African dogs are very similar to hyenas.
The fur of a hyena-shaped dog is short, coarse and so rare that in some places black skin can be seen. The color of six is unusually colorful and bright, black, white and yellow-brown colors are mixed in it. A similar pattern in several predators can only be on the back of the head and head. Otherwise, it is impossible to find exactly the same animals. Each individual is colored in its own way.
The body length of an adult hyena dog is 75-105 cm, but animals are found and are much more than 1.4 - 1.5 meters in length, forty centimeters fall on the tail. The height at the withers is 70-80 cm. The male is larger than the female, but otherwise they are similar in almost everything. Weight depends on how the animal eats, whether it is full or constantly walks with an empty stomach in search of food. A hyena-like dog can eat a piece of meat weighing 9-10 kg in one sitting.
Area
Hyenoid dogs live in Africa, from the Sahara and from sea level to the forest upper borders in the mountains. In the past, the range of the African dog spread from Algeria and Sudan to the southern border of the continent. Today it has become mosaic, it covers national parks and those places that have not yet been touched by a human hand.
Hyena Dog Habitats:
• Transvaal.
• Namibia.
• Swaziland.
• Botswana.
• Zimbabwe.
• Tanzania.
• Mozambique.
Lifestyle
Hyenoid dogs are active in the daytime. They get their own food, hunt in the morning and in the evening. They are more likely to see their prey than to sniff, so they need a good overview in the daytime.
The African dog runs perfectly, even at long distances it develops speeds of up to 55 km / h. If there is one short-term jerk, then the speed reaches 65 km / h.
Almost every hunt of these predators ends successfully due to the fact that they do it together as a whole flock, because they need to feed adult members of the flock and dozens of kids every day. In search of food, dogs can walk up to 15-20 kilometers.
In the natural environment under normal conditions of life, motley animals can live 9-10 years.
Breeding
In a flock, a pair of alpha males and alpha females dominates all. They lead and establish laws; they also produce offspring. Not a single female from the lower ones has the right to become a mother. If this happens, then the puppies die of hunger or they are torn apart by an alpha female.
The main pair is formed once and for a lifetime. When the female is ready for the mating season, the male at this time does not leave her for a second, no one else has the right to even approach her.
Pregnancy lasts an average of 70-75 days. Females whelp in burrows, bringing from 2 to 20 babies at a time. In captivity, there are always fewer cubs; in the wild, on average, the brood consists of 10-12 puppies. They are born completely helpless, blind and deaf. In the third week they open their eyes, but they leave the den when they start eating solid food. Mother stays with her children for the first month. At this time, the father of the family wears food. Babies stop drinking milk at the age of five months.
Young people are guarded by the whole flock. At 8-9 weeks, the puppies leave the hole and begin to get acquainted with the outside world. At the same time, a beautiful yellow color will be added to their black and white color.
Hyena-like dog: population
It would seem that quite recently these motley predators lived in huge packs, numbering a hundred or more heads. Today, a hyena-shaped dog, whose population has declined sharply, is collected in groups of no more than 20-30 animals. The reason for this was infectious diseases, human settlement of habitual animal habitats and uncontrolled hunting. Now people have come to their senses, and this unusually colored creature is listed in the Red Book with a mark of a species that is on the verge of extinction. Now, according to researchers, in nature there are 500-1000 schools with a total number of dogs 3500-5500.
