Dingo - description, habitat, lifestyle

By dingo is meant a single dog of the second feral type. It belongs to the genus of wolves and representatives of the canine family. To date, these animals are considered one of the most popular living in Australia. Dogs are highly intelligent and quick-witted. They have a deep historical background, which we will analyze in detail. In this article, we consider the main characteristics associated with wild dogs.

Description

1. Individuals attributed to the wild breed, practically do not differ from the self-similar. They are quite large, famous for their taut and powerful body. The head is wide, the ears are erect, the tail is moderately fluffy, large fangs. If we compare these family members with the hounds, they have a lot in common, with the exception of furry. A characteristic feature is a fit and athletic physique.
2. By dingo is meant a medium-sized individual. At the withers, it grows to 60 cm, although there were also larger representatives. As for body weight, these indicators vary depending on food, gender and even age. As a rule, dingos weigh about 15-20 kg. The length of the body varies in the range of 90-115 cm, this is taking into account the head. In addition, the tail length is added, which grows to 40 cm.
3. Males are larger than females. There are several dingos, including Australian representatives and Asian dogs. The individuals are endowed with thick and dense fur. It is pigmented brown-red or light red. The head and abdominal section are always pigmented light, whether white or beige.
4. Dogs are often colored red, but black, spotted or whitish representatives of the species are very rare. These individuals can be crossed with domestic dogs, so their external data changes. Purebred dogs do not bark, they howl or growl.

Habitat

1. The largest distribution area of ​​individuals occurs precisely on the Australian continent. Animals live throughout the mainland. Most of these dogs are found in the western, northern and central parts of the country.
2. In addition to this, individuals can be found in other places, only in smaller numbers. Dingo live in Southeast Asia. But still, such individuals are considered animals of Australia. They lead mainly a nocturnal lifestyle.
3. Often on the Australian continent, individuals prefer to live in eucalyptus thickets, forests and semi-deserts. Such dogs even have their own den. Often dingoes equip caves.
4. Less often, individuals inhabit the indentations between the roots of trees and empty holes. In any case, the home is almost always located near water bodies. An interesting fact is that in Asian countries, individuals live almost next to humans. Thus, they consume food waste.

Lifestyle

1. It is worth noting that animals live in packs. Offspring are turned on only by the pair that dominates everyone. If suddenly another female brings puppies, the dominant will kill them. Otherwise, when the main pair brings offspring, the whole flock begins to look after him.
2. Individuals living in Australia breed young animals only once a year. It is also interesting that such dogs are monogamous. As for the mating season, it begins in early spring. Individuals living in Asia begin to breed in late summer.
3. Dingoes reach puberty at the age of about 2 years. For 3 months, the female carries offspring, after which she gives birth. A healthy individual can bring up to 8 puppies at a time.Young growth appears completely blind, but with hair. Both parents are engaged in upbringing.
4. As soon as the puppies turn 1 month old, they gradually begin to leave the den. Soon, the female stops feeding babies with milk. At only 2 months of age, such individuals become completely independent and begin to live with adult dingoes.
5. But up to 3 months old adult dogs try to help young animals, bringing them prey. Absolutely all members of the pack help puppies. At 4 months old youngsters are already learning to hunt. They set off with adult dogs to train. In the wild, animals survive for 10 years. In captivity, this figure is slightly larger.
6. An interesting fact is that in the natural habitat, domestic individuals and wild dogs are often crossed. Therefore, in the wild you can observe hybrids. Exceptions include those that live in a protected area in Australia's national park.
7. It is worth noting that hybrids obtained from wild and domestic dogs grow with a decent amount of aggression. Therefore, they are a huge threat. In addition, non-purebred individuals bring offspring twice a year. Purebred dingos breed puppies only 1 time per year.

Historical reference

1. The emergence of representatives of the breed group is shrouded in legends. There are many theories regarding how they came about. According to some reports, a small number of individuals were brought to Australia by immigrants from Asian countries. Others, on the contrary, believe that these dogs were descended from domestic animals of Chinese breeds. Still others claim that dingo is a descendant of wolves. A lot of books have been written about dogs, including the novel by R. Fraerman.
2. Historical background includes many inconsistencies. The most likely version of breed formation is the very first (individuals were brought by immigrants from Asian countries). These were fishermen who sailed from Asian countries more than five thousand years ago. Representatives of the breed group quickly spread, thereby helping the Australian aborigines. They acted as faithful helpers in the household and on hunting, guarded houses. People left animals, so they became wild.
3. When the owners of the animals began to massively refuse them, the dogs were broken into groups and sent to the development of the mainland. They independently obtained food, settled in the area, studied survival. Due to favorable climatic conditions, these individuals soon began to breed and spread throughout Australia, as well as nearby territories. Today, on the mainland, these dogs are the main predatory type mammals that take on important environmental tasks. In Australia, there are many rabbits that kill crops. And the dogs control their livestock.
4. At the beginning of the 19th century, the full-scale development of sheep breeding began in the country. But wild dogs killed sheep, so they began to be considered a threat. For them set traps, shot, poisoned. However, at the end of the same century, construction began on the so-called dog fence, which was a circle and was interrupted only in the highway area. Thus pastures were protected. At the moment, the length of the fence is more than 5 km. It is designed to separate the arid areas from the fertile. Those animals that penetrated the fence die. The fence is supported and patrolled.
5. It is generally accepted that wild-type animals do not attack humans. However, tragic cases did happen, especially with young children. A situation was recorded when an adult starving individual dragged a small nine-month-old girl with her. This happened in the late 1900s. It should be mentioned right away that it is not customary to keep this breed at home. In some countries this is completely prohibited by law.
6. However, people do not always follow the rule, successfully contain dingoes and tame.They argue that these dogs are much more unpretentious and smarter than self-similar. Dingoes practically cannot exist in captivity. But if you get a puppy dog, educate along with other animals and constantly communicate with her, you will be able to get a faithful and obedient pet. But forget that these individuals are predatory, not worth it.

Dingoes prefer to eat rabbits, wallabies and kangaroos. Dogs also often prey on birds, insects and reptiles. Dingo did not even mind eating carrion. As mentioned earlier, dogs often attacked livestock, so they are now being shot.

Video: Dingo (Canis lupus dingo)