{"id":159,"date":"2014-01-20T10:18:40","date_gmt":"2014-01-20T10:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tibetnature.lhasocialwork.com\/en\/?p=159"},"modified":"2014-02-20T10:29:49","modified_gmt":"2014-02-20T10:29:49","slug":"dhole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/dhole\/","title":{"rendered":"DHOLE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cuon alpinus<\/em><\/p>\n

Physical Description<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dhole is also known as the Asiatic or Indian Wild Dog, the Red Dog, and the Whistling Hunter. The Dhole differs from other members\u00a0of the Canidae, or dog, family in that it has a thicker muzzle, one less molar tooth on each side of its lower jaw, and extra teats. The Dhole\u2019s fur\u00a0is dense and thick.<\/p>\n

\"DHOLE\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo: www.en.wikipedia.org<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The colour of the Dhole\u2019s fur ranges from pale golden yellow to greyish brown to dark reddish brown. The Dhole\u2019s\u00a0underparts (including the Dhole\u2019s throat, chest, belly, paws, and the insides of the Dhole\u2019s legs) are paler or white, the Dhole\u2019s rounded ears are\u00a0lined with paler or white fur, and the Dhole\u2019s long, bushy tail is tipped with a darker colour, usually black.<\/p>\n

The Dhole often also has an area of\u00a0darker fur on its back. In general, the dholes living in the northern regions of the Dhole\u2019s range have longer and lighter fur than do the dholes\u00a0living in the southern regions. The Dhole\u2019s eyes are amber-coloured.<\/p>\n

The Dhole is of average size compared to other canids. The Dhole\u2019s legs are relatively short. The Dhole stands 42 to 55 centimetres (16 to 21\u00a0inches) high at the shoulder. The Dhole\u2019s head and body length measures 88 to 113 centimetres (35 to 44 inches) and the Dhole\u2019s tail measures\u00a040 to 50 centimetres (16 to 20 inches) long.<\/p>\n

Female dholes weigh 12 to 16 kilograms (26 to 35 pounds). Males are significantly larger, weighing\u00a014 to 18 kilograms (31 to 40 pounds). The Dhole\u2019s short, square muzzle affords it a powerful bite.<\/p>\n

Habitat<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dhole inhabits a wide range of forested areas, typically in the mountains and hills. The Dhole may also be found in meadows or on the\u00a0steppe. The Dhole\u2019s distribution is correlated with prey abundance, water availability, the absence of human disturbance, and the presence of\u00a0potential den sites. The Dhole may build its den in rock crevices, porcupine burrows, hyena dens, or similar sites.<\/p>\n

The Dhole\u2019s historical range extended across South, Central, and East Asia. The Dhole has since disappeared from much of its former range and\u00a0its population has become fragmented in many regions. Today, the Dhole probably still occurs, in limited numbers, in Turkey, Kazakhstan,\u00a0Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma\u00a0(Myanmar), Malaysia, and Indonesia. In Tibet, the Dhole may be found in the forested mountains of Amdo and Kham. In India and Nepal,\u00a0the Dhole primarily occurs in protected national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, including the Bandipur and Nagerahole National Parks in\u00a0Karnakata State.<\/p>\n

Eating Habits<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dhole is mostly carnivorous, preying primarily on medium-sized ungulates, such as spotted and sambar deer, small deer, wild sheep, and\u00a0wild goats. The Dhole also eats wild boars, rodents, hares, reptiles, insects, berries, and occasionally monkeys. The Dhole rarely attacks livestock.<\/p>\n

Hunting in packs, the Dhole is capable of bringing down prey up to ten times its size. Packs rely on their sense of smell to locate prey within\u00a0densely vegetated areas. Since the Dhole is a good swimmer, sometimes packs drive prey into water. The Dhole is capable of devouring up to four\u00a0kilograms (nine pounds) of meat in an hour and often begins to feed upon its prey before the prey has died. The Dhole viciously defends its\u00a0kills from other animals, including tigers and bears.<\/p>\n

Behaviour and Reproduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dhole is primarily active at dusk and dawn, and may also be active at night. The Dhole lives in hierarchical packs of five to 12 animals,\u00a0consisting of an alpha female, an alpha male, and their offspring. There are generally more males than females in a pack, and there is usually only\u00a0one breeding female per pack. Packs occasionally aggregate to form groups of up to 40 animals. Though packs are hierarchical, members are\u00a0rarely aggressive with each other.<\/p>\n

Packs inhabit a territory that ranges from 40 to 84 square kilometres (15 to 34 square miles), depending on the availability of food and water\u00a0and the presence or absence of pups. Packs with pups tend to occupy smaller territories. Scent marking is used to delineate territories.<\/p>\n

Dholes use several vocalizations to communicate with each other, including a distinctive whistle that is used to reassemble pack members that\u00a0have become separated from each other in the forest. Dholes can jump higher than 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), so they may also jump up in the air\u00a0to \u201cget their bearings\u201d (ARKive).<\/p>\n

The Dhole reaches sexual maturity at about one year of age. The mating season takes place from September to March. After a gestation period\u00a0of 60 to 63 days, each female dhole gives birth to typically three to four but occasionally up to ten pups. Pups are soot-coloured at birth, but\u00a0take on their adult colour by the time they reach three months of age. Births take place in a den. Dens may be shared with other breeding\u00a0females. Pack members help to take care of mothers and their litters, bringing them food (in the form of regurgitated meat) and guarding the\u00a0dens.<\/p>\n

The pups begin to explore the area outside the den at ten weeks of age, and start hunting with the pack when they are seven months old. Pack\u00a0members make sure pups get their fair share of food at pack kills. Pups play and fight with each other. Dominance orders are usually established\u00a0among a pack\u2019s pups by the time they begin hunting with the pack. When pups reach maturity, some stay with their parents\u2019 pack and others\u00a0leave. The Dhole\u2019s life span is approximately ten years. In captivity, dholes have lived for up to 16 years. Dholes are shy and avoid humans when\u00a0possible.<\/p>\n

Present Status<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dhole is categorized as Vulnerable in the 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is listed under Appendix II of CITES. The Dhole\u00a0is under second class protection in China and is included in Schedule II, Part I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972.<\/p>\n

Threats to Survival<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most significant threat to the Dhole\u2019s survival is habitat loss and degradation. Deforestation has occurred throughout the Dhole\u2019s habitat\u00a0range due to logging, collection of wood for fuel, agricultural expansion, and the construction of human settlements. In India, areas of the\u00a0Dhole\u2019s habitat have also been lost as a result of flooding caused by dam construction. Habitat loss and degradation affects the Dhole directly\u00a0and through reductions in the Dhole\u2019s prey base. Another important threat to the Dhole\u2019s survival is disease, especially in India, where the Dhole\u00a0has come into close contact with humans and domestic dogs. Canine distemper and rabies are the diseases most often contracted by dholes in\u00a0India.<\/p>\n

The Dhole has also been hunted and persecuted by humans. Humans have poisoned, trapped, shot, and destroyed the den sites of the\u00a0Dhole, for various reasons. The Dhole has been killed for food, to obtain its fur, because of the perceived threat it poses to livestock, and because\u00a0some hunters view it as a competitor. In some areas, humans steal the Dhole\u2019s kills, waiting until a pack has killed a large animal before driving\u00a0the pack away and claiming the meat. The Dhole has also been poisoned indirectly, such as in Russia, where poison campaigns targeted at wolves\u00a0resulted in the deaths of several dholes.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

ARKive, Dhole – Cuon alpinus: More Information \u2013 ARKive, http:\/\/www.arkive.org\/species\/GES\/mammals\/Cuon_alpinus\/more_info.html,\u00a0Oct 2004.<\/p>\n

Canid Specialist Group, 1996: Cuon alpinus. In: IUCN, 2003: 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http:\/\/www.redlist.org. See also:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.canids.org\/SPPACCTS\/dhole.htm, Oct 2004.<\/p>\n

Chacon, Rachel, 2000: Cuon alpinus, Animal Diversity Web, http:\/\/animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu\/site\/accounts\/information\/<\/p>\n

Cuon_alpinus.html, Oct 2004.<\/p>\n

Durbin, L, Dhole Home Page: information on the Asiatic wild dog, its biology, research and conservation, http:\/\/www.cuon.net\/dholes\/, Oct<\/p>\n

2004.<\/p>\n

Postanowicz, Rebecca, Lioncrusher\u2019s Domain \u2014 Dhole (Cuon alpinus) facts and pictures, http:\/\/www.lioncrusher.com\/animal.asp?animal=14,<\/p>\n

Oct 2004.<\/p>\n

By: Environment and Development Desk, DIIR, CTA.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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