Koab

The Koab is a wild dog only native to Shmakalaka. The Koab is a mammal and is a part of the Canidae and the Caninea subfamily. The Koab average weight when fully grown is 28 kilograms. The approximate life expectancy is 13 years old. The Koab is listed as Endangered but the population is on a steady rise with the current population being 570 individuals.

# Etymology

The name Koab comes from the Shmakalakan native tribe called the Calomans. The Calomans called the wild dog Koab so the newly arrived Europeans decided that it would be appropriate to call it that rather than having to make another name. Other Caloman words include the Penstos and the state of Travira.

# Behaviour and Preadators

The Koab is one of the least aggressive wild dogs in the Americas. It's diet includes rodents, birds, berries, wild fruit and often have been seen eating monkeys and fish. The dog hunts during the day and is not an nocturnal animal. The Koab usually chases the prey and then bites it in the neck so that it's unable to move. The Koab's are often solitary animals but are quite social animals and it is not an uncommon sight to see them in groups of up to 6 members. Koab mating partners stay together for a further 6 months and the pups stay with there mother until they are about 9 months old. There are currently 12 Koabs in captivity, 4 in Porto Azul, 2 in Palmero, 2 in Georgetown and 2 at the San Diego Zoo. The Koabs at the San Diego Zoo have become very special and important to the zoo and are seen as one of their newest stars. The Koab does have predators. The jaguar and puma are their only major predators and have been seen killing Koabs. Jaguars and pumas like to avoid Koab's. The Koab also have been in fights against the native cat called the penstos. The Koabs in different regions have slightly different behaviors based on their environment. The islands with more competition, the Koabs tend to scavenge more but the islands with less prey and competition, they will hunt most of their food.

# Biology and Ecology

The Koab has an average weight when matured of about 28 kilograms. Female Koab's have a gestation period of about 2 months. Koab's can reproduce up to 5 pups. The average amount of pups is 2-3. The Koab has a black fur coat which helps it camouflage in the forest floor at night and the forest floor is also dark during the day with all the tree cover so the Koab can be very difficult to find at any time of the day. The Koab has facial features similar to that of a African Wild Dog but the Koab has floppy ears which droop down. The Koab is said to have evolved from a dog unknown but was found in North America and the dog was on the Shmakalakan territory that drifted away from the North American continent. The Koab evolved from a once smaller ancestor. It evolved to be bigger because it was dangerous for the dog to remain small because they would have less chance against competition like jaguars and mountain lions.

# Range

The Koab is located in almost every state of Shmakalaka. The Koab is found every state apart from the state of Soresta in which a Koab hasn't been seen there in over 50 years. There is a possibility of the Koab being reintroduced to Soresta but that plan hasn't gone past the planning stage as yet. The Koabs in different regions have slightly different behaviors based on their environment. The islands with more competition, the Koabs tend to scavenge more but the islands with less prey and competition, they will hunt most of their food. The state of Ilha Grande has the mosts Koabs with 302 Koabs calling the island home. This is because the island is the largest and the least touched by humans.