African wild dog [EN]
Lycaon pictus
[Scientific name]
Wildehond
[Afrikaans]
Mbwa mwitu
[Kiswahili]
Lekanyana
[Setswana]
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is a large, lightly built species formerly distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, except for countries in West and Central Africa. They are famed for their high levels of sociality, with complex “sneeze-voting” behaviours that guide pack decision-making. Wild dogs are generalist pack predators, primarily hunting antelope and other ungulates, with specialisations for hypercarnivory. This species has very large litters for their body size, averaging 10-11 pups, up to a maximum of 21, though are generally found at lower densities within confined ranges.
POPULATION TREND
DECREASING
HABITAT & ECOLOGY
Desert • Forest • Grassland • Savanna • Shrubland