Dingo

## Description

The dingo (Canis familiaris, Canis familiaris dingo, Canis dingo, or Canis lupus dingo ) is an ancient (basal) lineage of dog found in Australia. Its taxonomic classification is debated as indicated by the variety of scientific names presently applied in different publications. It is variously considered a form of domestic dog not warranting recognition as a subspecies, a subspecies of dog or wolf, or a full species in its own right.

The dingo is a medium-sized canine that possesses a lean, hardy body adapted for speed, agility, and stamina. The dingo's three main coat colourations are light ginger or tan, black and tan, or creamy white. The skull is wedge-shaped and appears large in proportion to the body. The dingo is closely related to the New Guinea singing dog, or the New Guinea Highland wild dog: their lineage split early from the lineage that led to today's domestic dogs, and can be traced back through the Malay Archipelago to Asia.

The earliest known dingo fossil, found in Western Australia, dates to 3,450 years ago. However, genomic analysis indicates that the dingo reached Australia 8,300 years ago but the human population which brought them remains unknown. Dingo morphology has not changed over the past 3,500 years: this suggests that no artificial selection has been applied over this period.

The dingo's habitat covers most of Australia, but they are absent in the southeast and Tasmania, and an area in the southwest (see map). As Australia's largest extant terrestrial predators, dingoes prey on mammals up to the size of the large red kangaroo, in addition to birds, reptiles, fish, crabs, frogs, insects, and seeds. The dingo's competitors include the native quoll, the introduced European red fox and the feral cat. A dingo pack usually consists of a mated pair, their offspring from the current year, and sometimes offspring from the previous year.

The first British colonists who settled at Port Jackson in 1788 recorded dingoes living with indigenous Australians, and later at Melville Island in 1818, and the lower Darling and Murray rivers in 1862, indicating that dingoes were under some form of domestication by aboriginal Australians. When livestock farming began expanding across Australia in the early 19th century, dingoes began preying on sheep and cattle. Numerous population-control measures have been implemented since then, with only limited success. The dingo is recognised as a native animal under the laws of all Australian jurisdictions.

The dingo plays a prominent role in the Dreamtime stories of indigenous Australians; however, it rarely appears depicted in their cave paintings when compared with the extinct thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian wolf or Tasmanian tiger.

## Appearance

The Dingo is a wild dog, found primarily in Australia. As compared with domestic dogs, the dingo has longer canines and a longer, tapered muzzle. The body shape of this dog is quite lean and the tail is bushy. Dingo has also pricked ears, which help the animal to hear well. The color of their body usually ranges from sandy-yellow to red ginger, though some individuals can be white, black, or black-tan. Dingoes have brown, almond-shaped eyes. In addition, these dogs can be identified by white markings on their chest, feet, and tip of the tail.

## Distribution

Dingoes are found in most of Australia, but they are absent in the southeast and Tasmania. They live in a wide variety of habitats including the temperate regions of eastern Australia, the alpine moorlands of the eastern highlands, the arid hot deserts of Central Australia, and the tropical forests and wetlands of Northern Australia.

## Behavior

Generally, dingoes are sociable animals, gathering in packs to mate and socialize. However, some individuals prefer living a solitary life. Dingo packs normally contain 3-12 animals, including dominant male and female, that are determined through fierce stand-offs. When gathering, these animals howl, scent mark, and come into conflict with each other. They are most active at sunrise and sunset when their prey is also active. These dogs are very territorial animals. They choose the territory not according to the size of their pack but depending on characteristics of the environment such as prey availability or terrain texture. They don't tend to bark, but they are known to howl, especially at night, attracting their pack members or scaring away intruders.

## Diet

They are carnivorous animals, consuming a wide variety of food from water buffalo to insects. Dingoes are opportunistic feeders, hunting different species from mice to wallabies and kangaroos, from rats to rabbits, geese, and lizards. They can also scavenge carcasses of dead animals. In addition, dingoes feed upon plants and fruit.

## Reproduction

Dingoes are monogamous, mating for life. The dominant pair of the pack breeds in the group, where other members of the pack help them in bringing up their pups. The mating season of Australian dingoes lasts from March to April whereas in southeastern Asia they mate in August-September. The period of gestation lasts about 63 days, yielding 4-5 babies on average. The female gives birth in a den. After 3 weeks, the pups start venturing out of the den. At the age of 8 weeks, the young are fully weaned. By this time, they leave the den and start living with the pack. Then, between 3 and 4 months old, the pups begin to accompany adults during the hunt. And finally, at 3 years old, dingoes mate, staying together throughout their lives.

## Population

### Population threats

One of the major threats to the dingo population is human persecution: in agricultural lands and pastures, these animals are frequently poisoned, trapped, and shot. Another serious threat is interbreeding between the dingo and the domestic dog. The urban development throughout coastal and outback areas of Australia promotes contacts between these two, leading to dilution and potential extinction of their gene pool. These animals are sold in food markets of some Asian countries, where their meat is an important source of protein for indigenous people. Also, in Indonesia and the Pacific islands, the canine of the dingo is used as a decoration.

### Population number

Presently, the dingo is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated.

### Ecological niche

This dog is the primary mammalian carnivore of Australia. Dingoes control populations of prey species such as the European rabbit, which is a pest throughout Australia. Dingoes compete with foxes and feral cats when preying on small animals. However, when hunting on large species during times of drought, they are more successful than foxes or feral cats. Due to this, their population is high, though they are responsible for the loss of many medium-sized Australian mammal species such as rat-kangaroos, bandicoots, and macropodids.

## Fun Facts for Kids

Wrists of dingoes are very flexible and able to rotate. Due to this ability, the paws act like hands, allowing the animal to even turn a door handle. Along with the wrists, the head of the dingo is extremely agile, turning 180 degrees in each direction.

According to research, conducted at Sydney's University of New South Wales, the dingo is likely to be the oldest breed of dog in the world.

They usually hunt at night, able to travel up to 37 miles per night in search of food.

The habit of hiding remains of their food under the ground makes dingoes quite similar to dogs.

Tamed dingoes served the early Aboriginals as living bottles with hot water, keeping them warm at night.

There's a recorded case of a female dingo, moving 6 pups one by one over 9 km distance in a single night, thus making a journey of 180 km in just one night.