Gray Wolf Vs African Wild Dog

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Learn about African wild dogs in our expert guide, including why the species is endangered and ongoing conservation work.

Where do African wild dogs live?

African wild dogs are found in a number of sub-Saharan Africa, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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African wild dogs are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (last assessed in 2012), due to a range of factors including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, being caught in snares as bycatch by poachers hunting for meat, and infectious diseases like canine distemper and rabies.

African wild dogs used to range across 39 countries, with population numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Currently, there are fewer 6,000 individuals are left in the wild, forming fewer than 700 packs.

Gray Wolf Vs African Wild Dog

African Wild Dog:

The wild dog is also referred to as the name African wild dog or African hunting dog. The binomial name of the African dog means a painted wolf. These dogs have a colorful spotty coat, large ears, and hairy tail.

African Wild Dog vs. Wolf: Bite Force

A wolf has a bite force of 406 pounds per square inch, compared to the 142 pounds per square inch of an African wild dog.

The wolf also has larger canine teeth than the African wild dog, which explains why it can kill the latter relatively quickly. However, defeating the wild dog is not easy because they are highly cunning and can readily identify their foe’s weak points.

FAQ

What is the difference between a wolf and an African wild dog?

Are African wild dogs wolves or dogs? African wild dogs are neither wolves nor dogs, despite their common English names, and the fact that their scientific name, Lycaeon pictus, translates to ‘painted wolf’. Like wolves and dogs, African wild dogs do belong to the Canidae family.

Are African wild dogs related to wolves?

The wild dog is neither wolf nor dog.

The wolf lineage split and evolved into today’s domesticated dogs while the Lycaon lineage evolved into the present-day painted dog.

Are wolves and wild dogs the same?

The wild dog is neither wolf nor dog.

The wolf lineage split and evolved into today’s domesticated dogs while the Lycaon lineage evolved into the present-day painted dog.

Is a painted wolf the same as an African wild dog?

The wild dog is neither wolf nor dog.

The wolf lineage split and evolved into today’s domesticated dogs while the Lycaon lineage evolved into the present-day painted dog.