Dogs in nature exist both domestic and wild. The predatory representatives of this genus are hyena-like dogs. They are also called differently: hyena, African wild. The name comes from the Greek word "Lycaon", which in translation sounds like "wolf" and from the Latin - "pictus", which means "motley". If you look at the photos of these animals, you will immediately understand why they were called that.
This predator resembles a wolf in size and is a close relative of the red wolf. The color of the coat is extremely variegated, it seems as if nature, with its invisible brush, put 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, the hyena and the hyena-like dog. There is a small difference, which one, you can find out by reading the description of this amazing motley beast. In addition, the article tells about how these amazing animals live in the wild.nature.
Gien-like dogs: description
The hyena dog has a slender, strongly built body. The legs of a predator are long and strong, it is not in vain that people say that the legs feed the wolf, because this beast is also from this kind. The tail is fluffy and long. On the front paws there are only four fingers, this distinguishes the beast from other dogs, but not from the hyena, which also has four fingers.
The big head looks like a dog's. The muzzle is broad and blunt with long nasal passages. The jaws are powerful with sharp teeth. Thanks to their large, wide, oval ears, which are almost completely hairless, African dogs are very reminiscent of hyenas.
The fur of the wild dog is short, coarse and so sparse that black skin can be seen in places. The color of six is unusually variegated and bright, black, white and yellow-brown colors are combined in it in disorder. 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 differently.
The body length of an adult hyena dog is 75-105 cm, but there are animals and 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, otherwise they are similar in almost everything. Weight depends on how the animal eats, whether it is full or constantly walking around 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
Gien-like dogs live inAfrica, from the Sahara and from sea level to the forest upper limits in the mountains. In the past, the range of the African dog extended from Algeria and Sudan to the southern border of the continent. Nowadays, it has become mosaic, covering national parks and those places that have not yet been touched by a human hand.
Haiena dog habitats:
• Transvaal.
• Namibia.
• Swaziland.
• Botswana.
• Zimbabwe.
• Tanzania. • Mozambique.
Lifestyle
Gien dogs are active during 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 smell it, so they need a good view during daylight hours.
The African dog runs great, even at long distances it can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h. If there is one short 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 with the whole flock, because they need to feed the adult members of the flock and about a dozen babies every day. Dogs can walk up to 15-20 kilometers in search of food.
In the natural environment, under normal living conditions, colorful animals can live 9-10 years.
Reproduction
The pack is dominated by a pair of alpha male and alpha female. They govern and set the laws, they also produce offspring. None of the lower females has the right to become a mother. If this happens, then the puppies die of starvation or are torn apart by the alpha female.
The main pair is formedonce and for all life. When the female is ready for the mating season, the male 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 puppies in burrows, bringing from 2 to 20 babies at a time. In captivity, there are always fewer cubs; in the wild, on average, a 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. The mother stays with the children during the first month. At this time, the father of the family brings them food. Babies stop drinking milk at five months of age.
The whole flock guards the growing youth. At 8-9 weeks, puppies leave the burrow 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.
Gien Dog: population size
It would seem that quite recently these motley predators lived in huge flocks, numbering a hundred or more heads. Today, the wild dog, whose population has declined sharply, gathers in groups of no more than 20-30 animals. The reason for this was infectious diseases, human habitation of habitual habitats of animals 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, there are 500-1000 packs in nature with a total of 3500-5500 dogs.
Gien dog and human
The uncontrolled shooting of African wild dogs cannot be explained by the value of the beast as a hunting trophy, or the great industrial value of these animals. It’s just that at one time the local population considered them very harmful animals that destroyed livestock and were carriers of various infections. In our time, opinion about these dogs has changed for the better. They began to be treated with care, they are under protection, as one of the smallest large African predators.
Watching how the motley beast hunts, one gets the impression that he is bloodthirsty and cruel. This is quite true, but by observing their behavior in the pack, you can see that they can be caring and affectionate. If you take a small puppy into the house, then a completely domestic hyena dog will grow out of it.
Taming this wild beast is quite possible, but only from a young age. This animal is able to become a true devoted friend, just like an ordinary domestic dog.
