Dingo (Canis lupus dingo)

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family:    Canidae
Size:    Length:  34  to 48 inches (86 to 122 cm)
Weight: 20 to 53 pounds (9 to 24 kg)
Diet: Rodents, rabbits and other mammals, carrion, insects and vegetation
Distribution: Australia
Young:  4 to 8 pups, once per year
Animal Predators:  Unknown
IUCN Status: No special status
Terms: Young: Pup
Lifespan: Up to 20 years

 

Facts/Trivia:

·       Dingoes will wade in water but do not like to swim.

·       Some people believe dingoes evolved from the Indian Wolf about 6000 years ago.

·       Wild dingoes can yelp and howl, but do not bark. 

·       Unlike domestic dogs, which breed twice a year, dingoes can only breed once per year.

·       It is believed that the dingo is the ancestor of all domestic dog breeds.

·       The dingo is Australias largest living terrestrial carnivore. 

·       Through the ages, Aborigines have enjoyed dingoes for companionship and hunting purposes.  

 

Description

Dingoes are medium-sized dogs with yellow or orange eyes and erect ears. Their fur is usually coloured yellow-ginger, but may also include black and white. Most wild dingoes have white fur on their feet. 

 

Habitat

They live in forests, grasslands, and sometimes deserts, as long as there is access to drinking water. Although the origin of where dingoes originated is a topic of debate, they now exist solely in Australia. 

 

Feeding Habits

Dingoes eat a variety of food, including rodents, carrion, insects and vegetation. At one time they hunted kangaroos, but now stick to smaller game such as rabbits and sometimes sheep, making them unpopular with farmers.

 

Reproduction

Research shows dingoes are monogamous, choosing a mate when they reach maturity and forming a lifetime bond. Mating season is from March to May and pups are born two months after conception, between June and August, in their parents’ den. Both the male and female take part in raising the pups. They are weaned at two months and from two to four months they eat regurgitated food from their mother. By four months they begin learning to hunt and will eat solid food. The pups and their parents have close relationships and the youngsters stay with them for up to three years. 

 

Behaviour

Dingoes usually hunt alone at night. They live in small family groups of a male, a female and their offspring. Dingoes share their ranges with other dingoes and are fairly social, sometimes joining together to hunt down large prey. They are intelligent and affectionate animals.

 

Conservation

Dingoes are not considered a conservation concern. 

 

Sources

http://www.bioc.unsw.edu.au/anw/dingo.html

http://www.wwwins.net.au/dingofarm/001.html

http://www.anhs.com.au/dingo.htm

http://www.lostkingdoms.com/facts/factsheet58.htm

http://www.dingosanctuary.org/dingo.html

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/canis/c._lupus_dingo$narrative.html