Dhole

Dholes are quite a bit more wild and free compared to the domesticated dog.

• Dholes are a medium sized mammal native to a variety of habitats in the wilderness of Asia, in the southern and eastern parts of the continent.
• Dholes have the scientific name Cuon alpinus, and are from the family Canidae, the family of dogs, and they have an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years.
• ‘Dholes’ are also known as ‘Indian wild dogs’, ‘red wolves’, ‘red dogs’, ‘whistling dogs’, ‘mountain wolves’, and ‘Asiatic wild dogs’.
• The length of dholes range from 75 to 110 centimetres (29.5 to 43 inches) and weigh around 12 to 20 kilograms (26 to 44 pounds).
• The fur coat of dholes can be grey, red or brown in colour, according to their environment, with white, tan, gold or black highlights.

Dhole
Image courtesy of Neil McIntosh/Flickr

• Dholes generally live in small groups of around five to twelve, but up to forty members, and they will usually hunt in groups from early morning.
• The diet of dholes consists of mammals including goats, deer, boar, buffalo, and rabbits; and they will usually rip open their prey.
• Dholes are listed as an endangered species, due to a combination of diminished numbers of prey and habitat loss, as well as other factors.
• Sounds made by dholes vary from growls, yaps, screams, chatters, whines and most notably, whistles.
• Five to twelve pups are born to a female dhole at one time, with both parents and others in the pack looking after the pups; and they start hunting with adults when they are around six months old.

Bibliography:
Dhole, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/dhole/

Dhole, 2015, San Diego Zoo Animals, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/dhole

Dhole, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Dhole