The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), also known as the Chinese raccoon dog, Asian raccoon dog, mangut (its Evenki name), neoguri (its Korean name) or the common raccoon dog, is a canid that is found in mainland East Asia and northern Vietnam. It is one of two extant … [Read more...]
Canids (Canidae)
Canids are a family of mammals that includes dogs, wolves, foxes and jackals. They are all carnivores, and most are predators. They have sharp teeth and strong jaws that allow them to kill prey.
Canids have long legs and flexible bodies that help them run fast and catch prey. They also have thick fur coats that protect them from the cold and keep them warm in the winter.
Canids are found all over the world, in every continent except Antarctica. They live in a variety of habitats, including forests, deserts, mountains and grasslands.
Some species, such as the domestic dog, have adapted to living in close proximity to humans.
Canids are generally social animals that live in packs.
The pack consists of a group of related individuals, such as a family, that work together to raise young and defend their territory.
The pack leader is the Alpha Male, who controls the pack through aggression and intimidation. The other members of the pack maintain their hierarchy through a system of dominance and submission.
Domestic dogs are further divided into different groups such as the hunting dogs, working dogs and herding dogs.
The hunting dogs include the hound dogs, which are used to track and chase prey, and the terriers, which are used to kill small animals.
The working dogs include the sled dogs, which are used to pull sleds, and the guard dogs, which are used to protect property.
The herding dogs include the sheepdogs, which are used to herd sheep, and the cattle dogs, which are used to herd cattle.
Canids communicate with each other through body language, vocalizations and scent marking. Body language includes postures and facial expressions.
Vocalizations include barks, howls and whines. Scent marking is used to communicate information about territory, social status and reproductive readiness.
Eastern Wolf
The Eastern Wolf (Canis lupus lycaon), also know as Eastern Canadian Wolf or Eastern Canadian Red Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf.Sometimes it is also viewed as a result of historical hybridizations between grey wolves and red wolves or coyotes. The Eastern Wolf is … [Read more...]
Ethiopian Wolf
The Ethiopian wolf (Canis Simensis) is known by many names in its range. Locally it is known as 'ky kebero', which means red jackal. The Ethiopian Wolf is one of the rarest and most endangered of all canids.The numerous names reflect previous uncertainty about their … [Read more...]
Eurasian Wolf
The Eurasian Wolf (Canis lupus lupus), also known as the Common Wolf, European Wolf, Carpathian Wolf, Steppes Wolf, Tibetan Wolf and Chinese Wolf is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus). Currently, it has the largest range among wolf subspecies and is the most common in … [Read more...]
Grey Wolf
The Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus), also known as the 'Timber Wolf' is the largest of the wild dog family. Grey Wolves were once in abundance and distributed over North America, Eurasia and the Middle East.However, because of human-related activity such as destruction of habitat and … [Read more...]
Italian Wolf
The Italian Wolf (Canis lupus italicus) also known as the Apennine Wolf, is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy. It was first described in 1921 and recognised as a distinct subspecies in 1999. Recently due to an increase in population, the … [Read more...]
Maned Wolf
The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest canid in South America. The Maned Wolf resembles a large dog with reddish fur. The Maned wolves distribution includes southern Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia east of the Andes. The Maned Wolf is an endangered species … [Read more...]
Mexican Wolf
The Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the rarest, most genetically distinct subspecies of the Grey Wolf in North America. Until recent times, the Mexican Wolf ranged the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico and central … [Read more...]
Red Wolf
The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus) is the rarest and most endangered of all the wolf species. It is thought that the Red Wolfs original distribution included much of eastern North America, where Red Wolves were found from Pennsylvania in the east, Florida in the south and Texas in the … [Read more...]
Tundra Wolf
The Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus albus) is a subspecies of Grey Wolf that can be found throughout northern Europe and Asia, primarily in the northern arctic and boreal regions of Russia. Although Tundra Wolves were eliminated from some of the Arctic islands north of Siberia, they … [Read more...]