Did you know there are so many types of wild dogs out there? By definition, wild dogs are all types of wild-living dogs. These dogs are free-ranging and undomesticated.
Common types of wild dogs include: African Wild Dog, Coyote, Bush Dog, Dingo, Grey Wolf, Maned Wolf, Red Wolf, Artic Fox, Red Fox and Jackals
And by the way, domestic dogs can also be regarded as wild dogs when they are left unsupervised and untended to. That aside, in this article we are focusing on the different types of wild-living, undomesticated dogs that exist on the planet.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
These are the 13 types of wild dogs that are found in the world today.
1. Culpeo
Culpeos are a South American fox species and the second largest native canid on the continent, following the Maned wolf.
They have a coat of grey and reddish with a white chin and reddish legs. Their necks and shoulders range from tawny to rufous in color, their upper back is dark and their tail has a black tip.
This type of wild dog weighs 11 to 30 pounds with an approximate length of 37 to 52 inches. It has a life expectancy of 11 years.
Culpeos are solitary creatures and will only be found together during the mating season.
They are either nocturnal or diurnal depending on where they live. Those found in Argentina, Magallanes, Peru highlands, and the Chilean desert are active at night while those in central Chile are active during the day. [1]
Their mode of communication is mainly mixed growls and screams.
2. Bush Dog
This wild dog is quite rare and was first discovered in Brazil where its fossils were found. Though rare, they can be found in Panama, South America, north-eastern Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, south Brazil, and Peru.
Their habitat includes lowland forests, semi-deciduous forests, seasonally flooded forests, tropical savannas, and wet savannas. They live close to sources of water. They mostly hunt in packs and rarely hunt individually. [2]
It’s interesting to know that they are sometimes called zorro due to their similarity to the fox. Also, vinegar dog is a term used to refer to them because they smell like vinegar.
3. African Wild Dog
The African wild dog is also known as the African hunting dog or painted dog and is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. This dog can live up to 11 years and is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). [3]
The African wild dog is one of the strongest dog in the wild, but how does it compare to the Dingo? Find out in this video
4. Dingo
The Dingo originated from Australia and is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of the wolf.
Their structure and habits are similar to those of a domestic dog.
They have short fur, a bushy tail and erect pointy ears. Adult Dingos stand at a height of about 24 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh around 43 to 44 pounds. The females weigh less than the males.
Their fur ranges from brown, yellowish to red with white underpants, paws, and a white tail tip. Some unique distinguishing features of this dog from domestic dogs include; their larger ears, longer muzzle, longer and more slender canine teeth, and massive molars.
Their average lifespan is 10 years but the longest living Dingo ever known lived for 18 years and 7 months. [4]
5. Dhole
This wild dog is common in Asia. It is also known as the red dog or whistling dog because of their coat color and famous communication skills.
They can produce different sounds such as whistles, screams, clucks, and growls to communicate with each other. Dholes can be found in dense jungles, alpine savannas, grasslands, deciduous and evergreen forests.
There are eleven different subspecies of this wild dog found across India, Korea, China, Russia, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Dholes usually weighs around 22 to 44 pounds and grows to 55 inches in height. Generally, the males are larger than the females.
Their fur color varies based on their habitat as it acts as a camouflage. The colors range from brown, beige, and grey among others with the inner part of their ears and chest being white and a darker colored tail.
This wild dog is quite different from normal dogs in the sense that it has a unique number of teeth. Their muzzle is structured differently and can only accommodate 40 teeth in contrast with the 42 teeth that ordinary dogs have. [5]
Dholes have been on the brink of extinction due to habitat destruction, diseases, and hunting. Consequently, they are listed as endangered species.
They can live for up to 10 years.
6. Short-eared Dog
The short-eared dog is native to the Amazonian basin and is famous for its short ears as the name suggests.
It has a short and thick coat which can be dark, red-grey, coffee brown, dark grey, chestnut grey, or black.
Owing to its partly aquatic habitat, it has partly webbed paws. They prefer to live in rainforests and are far from human interference. They are active at any time whether day or night.
Short-eared dogs are omnivorous and mostly feed on fish, insects, small mammals, and wild fruits. When this dog is excited, the males spray musk from its tail glands.
Generally, they can live for an average of 10 years.
7. Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is considered the largest canid of South America and can be found in Northern Argentina, South and Central Brazil, Bolivia, southern Peru, and Paraguay.
It inhabits the cerrado which is the largest biome of South America composed of savannas, grasslands, wetlands, marshes, wet and dry forests.
Genetic studies show that it is not a fox nor is it a true wolf. It is a different species of the genus, Chrysocyon. It resembles a long-legged fox than a wolf. [6]
Maned wolves have a height of 3 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs about 50 pounds. They like to pee and defecate on hillocks and termite mounds. This is how it marks its territory.
Instead of howling, they emit loud or roar barks to inform their mates of where they are and to warn other wolves to stay away.
The maned wolves are omnivorous and like eating fruits, vegetables specifically the lobeira which is also referred to as the ‘fruit of the wolf’. Their diet also includes insects and small mammals such as rats.
They are mainly crepuscular to nocturnal.
In the wild, their lifespan is yet to be known. However, when domesticated they can live up to 12 to 15 years.
8. Red Wolf
The red wolf is mostly nocturnal and is known for its monogamous nature. The male and female bond for life.
Unfortunately, a large population of this species still lives in captivity. In the wild, the red wolf lives for 8 to 9 years.
9. Grey Wolf
The grey wolf has been known for making appearances in fairy tales and mythology over the ages.
It is also called timber wolf and has been perceived in various lights, from the big bad wolf to a spiritual being.
This wolf descended from domestic dogs and can be brown-grey, black, or white. They stand at 2 to 3 feet and are about 6 feet in length. They weigh around 55 to 130 pounds.
Grey wolves are found in North America, Europe, Asia, and some parts of Africa. they are known to be larger and heavier the more north they reside.
They hunt in packs and their packs are led by the alphas. The pack members communicate with each other by way of barks, growls, howls, and whines.
They are predators and their diets mostly constitute large hoofed animals such as deers as well as small mammals. The grey wolf has a lifespan of 14 years in the wild and 16 years in captivity.
10. Arctic Fox
The Arctic fox is found in the arctic regions and is well suited for cold environments. They have deep thick fur which is normally white in winter and brown in summer.
They weigh 4 to 20 pounds and stand at about 9 to 12 inches.
The Arctic fox tends to die more in the wild. They live for 3 to 4 years in the wild and up to 14 years in captivity.
11. Red Fox
Red foxes are considered the biggest of the fox species. They stand at 13 to 19 inches and weigh 11 to 33 pounds.
The males are slightly bigger than the females and their fur color ranges from pale yellow-red to deep red-brown for the upper backs and white on the underside. The legs are generally black on the lower parts and have a black or white-tipped tail. They can live for up to 4 years in the wild.
12. Jackal
Jackals are related to dogs, foxes, wolves, and coyotes. They resemble a cross of a German shepherd and a fox.
They have the small face of a fox, a fluffy tail, German shepherd’s long and alert ears. There are three species of a jackal; black-backed jackal, golden jackal, and side-striped jackal.
They grow up to 27 to 33 inches shoulder to rump and weigh around 11 to 26 pounds.
13. Coyote
The Coyote has often been spotted in Native American tales and traditions as a clever beast. Modern Coyotes have been seen to display this cleverness by adapting to the changing American landscape.
They used to live in deserts and open prairies but are now commonly found in forests and mountains. [8]
Coyotes stand at 22 to 24 inches tall and weigh 20 to 50 pounds.
They feed on an opportunistic diet and hunt small mammals such as deers and rabbits. As they are omnivorous, they also dine on fruits, grass, and insects.
Coyotes have great vision and a strong sense of smell. They live up to 14 years in the wild.
Types of Wild Dogs – Table
| Type of Wild Dog | Description |
|---|---|
| Bush Dog | This wild dog is quite rare and was first discovered in Brazil where its fossils were found. |
| African Wild Dog | Also known as the African hunting dog and is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Culpeo | Their necks and shoulders range from tawny to rufous in color, their upper back is dark and their tail has a black tip. |
| Dingo | Originated from Australia and is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of the wolf. |
| Coyote | They have great vision and a strong sense of smell. |
| Jackal | Jackals are related to dogs, foxes, wolves, and coyotes. |
| Red Fox | Red foxes are considered the biggest of the fox species. |
| Arctic Fox | The Arctic fox is found in the arctic regions and is well suited for cold environments. |
| Grey Wolf | This wolf descended from domestic dogs and can be brown-grey, black, or white. |
| Red Wolf | The red wolf is mostly nocturnal and is known for its monogamous nature. |
| Maned Wolf | Genetic studies show that it is not a fox nor is it a true wolf. |
| Short-eared Dog | The short-eared dog is famous for its short ears as the name suggests. |
| Dhole | Also known as the red dog or whistling dog because of their coat color and famous communication skills. |
Types of Wild Dogs – Chart
