Dingo, wild form of the domestic dog, found in Australia. The existence of the dingo dates back at least 3450 years, but the origin of the dingo is unknown. The dingo probably competed with and took over the ecological niche of the smaller Tasmanian wolf, a carnivorous marsupial, and may have contributed to its disappearance from Australia. Their large prey changed from kangaroo and wallaby to rabbit and sheep since the arrival of Europeans. They hunt singly, in pairs, or as a family group, but seldom in packs.
Evidence exists of strong pair bonding among dingos.
The litter numbers four to eight, and the male and female cooperate in the care of the young, which stay with the parents for one to three years. Dingos are sometimes captured young by Australian aborigines and kept as hunting companions. It is classified as Canis familiaris.