Page 8 - Dog

What is a dog?

The dog family, called Canidae from the
Latin canis meaning “dog,” includes
approximately 37 species of wolves, jackals,
foxes, and wild and domestic dogs. All members
of the dog family, or canids, are carnivores
(meat eaters) and have special adaptations for
hunting. Their teeth (pp. 8–9) are used for
PRAYING FOR PREY
St. Hubert, patron saint of hunters, is killing prey, chewing meat, and gnawing bones
shown with his hounds by German – and sometimes for fighting each other. Their
painter Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528).
highly developed senses of sight, sound, and
smell (pp. 14–17) – with their large eyes, erect ears, and sensitive noses –
mean they can track prey successfully, whether they are social or solitary
hunters (pp. 18–19). All wild dogs, except for the South American bush
dog (pp. 32–33), have long legs adapted for running fast in pursuit of
prey. All canids are “digitigrade” (they walk on their toes) and have
distinctive feet, with five claws on the front foot and four on the hind. In
domestic dogs, there is sometimes an extra, fifth claw (dewclaw) on the
hind foot. Wild dogs have long tails, and their dense fur is usually a
solid color without spots or stripes (pp. 12–13). Canids mate once a
year, and after two months’
development in the womb, a litter of
pups is born (pp. 20–21). Like all
mammals, the mother suckles her
young after they are born and cares
North Europe
America Asia for them for several months, with
Africa help from the rest of the family.
South Coat is
America Australia multicolored
and distinctive
DISTRIBUTION OF DOGS Ears are small,
Wild canids originally lived in erect, and rounded
every continent of the world,
except Australasia, where they
have been introduced by humans
(pp. 36–37), and Antarctica.

THE JOVIAL JACKAL
There are four species of jackal
(pp. 24–25) – the golden, the
side-striped, the black-backed,
and the Simien. All of the
species live in Africa, but the
Bushy golden also lives in parts of
tail, or Golden jackal Europe and Asia. Jackals live
brush and hunt in pairs and usually
stay together for life.

RED SOLITAIRE
The red fox is a solitary hunter of rabbits
and rodents. The fox is the only canid
that does not hunt in a pack (pp. 28–29).
The most characteristic part of the fox is
Red fox its bushy tail.

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.