The Canidae is a relatively samll but homogeneous family of generalized hunters, but it counts among its members such species as the wolf, fox, coyote and domestic dog. The wild dog family contains 35 different species, ranging in size from the tiny fennic to the little studied bush dogs of the Amazon Basin.
Canids are the most vocal of the carnivores, having a variety of barks, howls and whines.
Those members of the family that hunt in packs can bring down large animals, but the solitary hunters usually live on small rodents, insects, birds and berries when hunting is poor. The canids are specifically adapted to running, and to maintaining a trot or galloping gate for great distances. The skeletal structure of all members is remarkably consistent, largely a reflection of a lack of specialization in terms of lifestyle. The most notible feature of the canid skeleton, when compared with other carnivores, is the relative length of limbs compared to body size. Most canids stand tall and upright on elongate and semi-rigid legs which end in four well developed distinctive paws, having five toes on each forefoot and four, with nonretractable nails, on the hind foot.