Lycaon pictus is a canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf. The scientific name "Lycaon pictus" is derived from the Greek for "wolf" and the Latin for "painted".
It is the only canid species to lack dewclaws on the forelimbs. This is the largest African canid and is the world's second largest extant wild canid, behind only the gray wolf,. Adults typically weigh 18-36 kilograms (40–79 lb). A tall, lean animal, it stands about 75 cm (30 in) at the shoulder, with a head and body length of 75–141 cm (30–56 in) plus a tail of 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in).
Animals in southern Africa are generally larger than those in eastern or western Africa. Little sexual dimorphism is shown, though judging by skeletal dimensions, males are usually 3-7% larger. It has a dental formula of 3.1.4.23.1.4.3 for a total of 42 teeth. The premolars are relatively large compared with those of other canids, allowing it to consume a large quantity of bone, much like the hyena.
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| African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) |
The heel of the lower carnassial M1 is crested with a single cusp, which enhances the shearing capacity of teeth and thus the speed at which prey can be consumed. This feature is called trenchant heel and is shared with two other canids: the Asian dhole and the South American bush dog.
The African wild dog lives and hunts in large packs. Like most members of the dog family, it is a cursorial hunter, meaning it pursues its prey in a long, open chase. These chases may occur at great speeds of up to 66 km/hr for 10 to 60 minutes, and over great distances (at about 50km/hr for 5.6km). Lycaon pictus is the only extant species in the genus Lycaon.
