Cape Hunting Dog

Cape Hunting Dog 

(Lycaon pictus), a predatory mammal of the canine family, light in body; it has long legs, four toes on each foot, a large head, large and long ears, and a bushy tail. Body length, 1 m; tail length, up to 40 cm; height at shoulders, up to 75 cm; weight, up to 25 kg. The body is covered with short, sparse hair, and coloring is motley, with spots of white, black, and red shades forming very varied patterns. Cape hunting dogs inhabit the plains and savannas of Africa south of the Sahara. They hunt in packs of up to 20 or 30 and prey upon ungulates, following them rapidly and tirelessly. They destroy large numbers of such animals as antelopes and sheep. Ranging widely in search of prey, they hunt both in the daytime and at night. They have a loud bark. The female has litters of six to eight pups (in deep underground dens).