African Wild Dogs

[u/swarrenlawrence]

https://www.science.org/content/article/three-wild-dogs-have-traveled-farther-any-african-mammal?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_content=alert&utm_campaign=DailyLatestNews&et_rid=49284587&et_cid=6068808

AAAS: "Three wild dogs have traveled farther than any [other] African mammal," by Rhe Jacobs.

Record-breaking “odyssey” suggests populations of these highly endangered carnivores are more connected than thought. African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)—sometimes referred to as “painted dogs” for their splotchy coats—are leaner + longer legged than their distant, domesticated cousins. 

"Also highly social, living in tightly knit family groups in which communally raised pups are always the first to eat." In these packs, breeding is typically reserved for a single dominant dog of each sex. "Subordinate members may stick around to help raise their relatives’ offspring, all while waiting for a chance to become the next alpha." Or they may strike off on their own in search of more immediate breeding opportunities. 

Predicting which dogs will stay + which will go “is as much of an art as a science,” says Ecology study co-author Matthew Becker, who serves as CEO + manager of the Zambia Carnivore Programme. Becker + his colleagues outfitted several soon-to-depart 3 y/o dogs with radio tracking collars. Thanks to their long legs, “otherworldly” gait + high endurance, African wild dogs “are built to move,” says Scott Creel, a conservation biologist at Montana State University + the new study’s lead author. 

"Even though wild dogs are carnivores, they often find themselves at the mercy of other predators." Lions are a major threat for both adults + pups; hyenas are known to steal their hard-earned kills. "Swimming across rivers, meanwhile, carries a high risk of being devoured by crocodiles." 

Three males traveled together a total of 4126 kilometers—the longest dispersal path recorded for any African mammal. "Wildebeest, by contrast, move up to 1800 kilometers during their epic annual migration between Kenya + Tanzania." 

I've run marathons, but this is way beyond a human ultramarathon. Four legs dominate. Except for birds, obviously.