Lycaon pictus
African wild dog

At one time the distribution of Lycaon pictus was throughout the non-forested and non-desert areas of Africa. Their current distribution is more fragmented. African hunting dogs are now found in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, parts of Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and the Transvaal. (Kingdon, 1997)

African hunting dogs are found in grasslands, savannahs and open woodlands. They are widely distributed across the African plains and are not found in jungle areas. Their habitat also includes semi-desert to mountainous areas south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. (Canadian Museum of Nature, 2003; Nowak, 1999; Zoological Society of Philadelphia, 2004)

The African hunting dogs' scientific name, Lycaon pictus, reflects the color of their pelage. Lycaon pictus literally means "painted or ornate wolf." The fur appears to be painted with brown, red, black, yellow and white areas. The pattern of colors is different on each animals coat, much like the stripes of zebras. The fur of L. pictus is short, with little or no underfur, and the blackish skin is sometimes visible where fur is sparse. Typically there is dark fur on the head and a white tip on the end of their bushy tail. They have large, rounded ears, a thin body, and long, muscular legs with four toes on each foot. The body length of Lycaon pictus is between 75 and 110 cm, the tail is between 30 and 40 cm long, and they range in weight from 18 to 36 kg. Males and females tend to be approximately the same size. (Nowak, 1999; Stuart and Stuart, 1995; Zoological Society of Philadelphia, 2004)

African hunting dogs are gregarious animals that form packs of up to 40 members. Before the recent population decline of African hunting dog packs of up to 100 animals had been recorded. An average pack size, currently, is 7 to 15 members. The pack has an alpha male and alpha female, which are the dominant pair. There are separate dominanace hierarchies for males and females. On average the pack has more males than females. Females have a much higher rate of emigration from their natal group than do males. Females usually leave the pack at 2 1/2 years or older to join other packs that have no adult females. Approximately half of young males will stay with their father's pack, the rest will leave to form a new pack together. Within the pack these animals have unique social concerns and structure. They cooperate in caring for the young, as well as wounded or sick pack members. When the dogs return from a kill they feed regurgitated food to the young, wounded, and sick, as well as any adult that was not able to go on the hunt. Another unique feature of African hunting dogs is the general lack of aggression between pack members. An exception to this is the occasional fight between a dominant female and a subordinate female over breeding rights.

These animals are cooperative hunters, they hunt in packs led by the alpha male. African hunting dogs are primarily diurnal, hunting in the morning and early evening. They will hunt at night if there is a bright moon. L. pictus uses sight, not smell to find prey. Once they locate prey they begin to chase it. The chase can last for several kilometers and reach speeds up to 55 km/hour. The dogs chase the prey until it tires, and at times they will disembowel the prey while it is still running. Once the prey tires they tear it to pieces. African hunting dogs tolerate scavengers at their kills, except for spotted hyenas. They drive off hyenas, sometimes injuring or killing them.

African hunting dogs are not territorial animals. This is reflected in the lack of territorial urine marking, which is observed in most canid species. Occasional urine marking is seen in the alpha male and female, but not for territorial purposes. (Canadian Museum of Nature, 2003; Estes, 1991; Kingdon, 1997; Nowak, 1999; Wildlife Africa CC, 2002; Zoological Society of Philadelphia, 2004)

Home Range

Because African hunting dogs are non-territorial and do not have exclusive ranges, their home ranges can vary in size from 200 to 2,000 square kilometers. (Estes, 1991; Kingdon, 1997; Nowak, 1999)

African hunting dogs tend to prey on mammals that are about twice their weight. At times they will kill larger animals, and they will also take smaller prey individually. Some of the animals they prey on include small antelope such as impala (Aepyceros melampus) and bush duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia), and old, sick or injured larger animals such as wildebeest (genus Connochaetes) and zebra (genus Equus). On occasion some of the food they get from larger kills may be cached, though very often they never return to the cached food. For the most part Lycaon pictus does not eat plants or insects, except for small amounts of grass. Also African hunting dogs will never scavenge, no matter how fresh the kill is. (Estes, 1991; Kingdon, 1997; Nowak, 1999; Wildlife Africa CC, 2002)

Lycaon pictus occasionally kills livestock and important game animals. (Nowak, 1999)

Lycaon pictus is listed as endangered by the IUCN and the United States Endangered Species Act. Habitat loss and diseases that are spread by domestic animals jeopardize the remaining African hunting dog populations. (Nowak, 1999)